2019 FIL Men's Field Lacrosse Rule Changes

Summary of changes

2019 RULE CHANGES FIL

Length of game 

  • 4 x 15 minute quarters (changed from 4 x 20 minutes quarters)
  • Q1, Q2, Q3 – last 30 seconds stop time.
  • OMFLL league policy papers say stop time in ONLY 4th Q. The policy paper will be followed.
  • Q4 – last 2 minutes stop time (changed from last 3 minutes)
  • Quarter time intervals 2, 10, 2 (changed from 2, 10, 3)

 Overtime

  • Automatic sudden death

Fast restart

  • Once official is ready to restart play the play shall be started as quickly as possible in the same relative position
  • Defender’s responsibility to create the 5 yard distance. When the offense is ready to go the referee will restart play. If a defender is within 5 yards he may not defend the ball carrier until he creates a space of 5 yards
  • No offensive player within 5 yards of the ball carrier at the restart
  • Official will identify the ball carrier for all restarts in the attack goal area (inside the restraining line)

Over and Back

  • Once the ball enters the attack goal area it may not go back over the mid-field line (centre)

Offside

  • Technical foul for having more than 7 men on Defensive half or more than 6 men on offensive half (references to which side of the field the ball is on has been removed)


Full Text (From FIL Rule Book) Changes italicized and highlighted.

SECTION 5 THE LENGTH OF THE GAME

Rule 29 Time Of The Match

29.1 The match shall be divided into 4 periods of 15 minutes duration each.

29.2 During the last 30 seconds of the first, second, and third quarters, the last 2 minutes of the fourth

quarter, and during any overtime period, the game-clock and, if applicable, the penalty clock(s) shall

stop whenever the ball becomes dead, and they shall restart whenever play is restarted.

This shall apply for all stoppages, including the scoring of a goal.

Such a stoppage of play shall not be considered to be an official time-out for the purpose of illegal

substitution, the gate or the coaches’ area, unless an official time-out is specifically requested by a

referee or by the CBO.

29.3 At the end of each quarter, the teams shall change ends.

The interval between the first and second quarters shall be of 2 minutes’ duration.

At half-time, the interval shall be 10 minutes long.

At three-quarter time, the interval shall be 2 minutes.


Rule 31 Tied Game

31.1Deleted July 2018, Netanya, FIL General Assembly.

31.2In the event of the score being tied at the end of regulation playing time, play shall be continued, after a

2-minute intermission, with sudden victory overtime. In sudden victory overtime teams shall play

periods of 4-minutes each until a goal is scored, thus deciding a winner. The game ends upon the

scoring of the first goal. There will be a 2-minute intermission between sudden victory periods.

The following “sudden victory” procedure will take place:

i) The referees shall call together the captains of each team at the center of the field at the end of

regulation play and during the 2-minute intermission. The head referee shall toss a coin to

determine choice of goals to defend: the visiting captain shall call the toss.

ii) All periods of overtime shall start with a face-off as at the start of each quarter, subject to the

provisions of Rule 34.1 being followed.

iii) The teams shall change ends between overtime periods.

 

Rule 37 Free Play

37.1Once the referee has signaled that the ball is ready for play, the restart shall occur in the same relative

position where the ball was when play was stopped. The official shall resume play as quickly as

possible. If an opposing player is within five yards of the player that has been awarded the ball, and the

official blows the whistle to restart play, the opposing player is not allowed to defend the ball until he

reaches a distance of five yards from that opponent. A violation will be a flag down (slow whistle) for

delay of game. On any restart, no offensive player may be within 5 yards of the player with the ball. The

Referee shall clearly indicate the player who is going to re-start to the opposing goalkeeper on a dead

ball (non-quick restart situations) restart that is below the restraining lines in the awarded team's

offensive end.

 

Rule 61 Illegal Procedure

61.18 Over and Back

Once the ball is in the attack goal area, the ball shall not return to the defensive half of the field through

actions of the offensive team. If this occurs, it is an over and back violation. The result is an immediate

turnover and a quick restart for the offended team.

If the ball does not touch or go over the mid line, no infraction has occurred.

Defensive players may legally bat the ball to keep it in the offensive half of the field, but if it is possessed

and their feet are in the defensive half, it shall be a turnover.

An over and back violation does not occur in the following situations:

i) A shot leaves the offensive half of the field.

ii) A loose ball leaves the offensive half of the field and was last touched by the defensive team.

iii) A loose ball is leaving the offensive half of the field and the defense is called for a loose ball

violation (play-on) or causes the ball to go out of bounds in the defensive half.

If an Over and Back violation occurs the result is an immediate turnover and a quick restart for the

offended team.

 

Rule 65 Offside

65.1 A team is offside when it has no more than 10 players on the field, including players in the penalty box,

and:

i) It has more than six (6) men, including players in the penalty box, in their attack half of the

field (between the centerline and the end line); or

ii) It has more than seven (7) men, including players in the penalty box in their defensive half of

the field (between the centerline and the end line).

65.5When determining whether a team is offside, a player whose body, including a gloved hand on the

crosse but not including the crosse itself, touches or steps on or across the center line is considered to

have entered that half of the field.