The Rules

[Bart]

Summer has begun and as such the board has already moved past its first dust up in the off season. May as well go down another time honored tradition here, the discussion of the rules.

Let's just start and acknowledge that the refs have an extremely difficult job to do. Making more rules makes their lives more difficult. I thought for the most part the games were officiated well and fairly this spring. If some of this comes off negative, it is not meant that way.

The game is moving faster and faster every year and the athletes are getting bigger and stronger year in and year out. IMO there has to be a bit of reigning in on excessive checks and especially cross checking. Yes playing defense with your hands close together and stick at a 45 gives a huge advantage to the offensive players but imo the amount of cross checking allowed is over the top. What the athletes at the highest level are allowed to do is a whole host different than is allowed at the "lesser" levels of D2 and D3. Is this a response to the speed and athleticism of the elite D1 players? I would certainly think so as I would hate to be a defender in this instance without this tool but imo it is the fastest way to end up with the ladies weighted down with equipment and that to me would change the essence of the game.

These other changes have come from reading and mulling over other posts on the board this spring. If you see something you have said and you are not acknowledges don't take it personal. I fail to remember my anniversary and I've had lots of years to remember that. My petty changes are below.

1. The draw: I like the draw. Would not take the draw away. What I do not like is the idea of the "draw stick". It is a piece of technology (stringing) that has changed the skill. I believe the stick is here to stay. That is fine, everyone uses it. What I would like to see is that if you use a draw stick you have to leave the field of play to get your game stick. No longer would you be allowed to exchange sticks on the field with a defender or other player. If there is an infraction on the draw and the draw taker is awarded the ball, they would be required to use the draw stick and not be able to exchange for their own stick. Petty? Perhaps but I see it as there is a price to pay to use a special stick....

2. Offsides: I see the rule right now as a paper tiger. There was a big push last year to change rules to "speed up" the game. What was the one thing that several, if not more than several, times a game stopped game play? Offsides. The penalty of just resetting the clock does nothing to stop this from happening. I would like to see something similar to the FO rule in the mens side. IF you commit 2 offsides penalties in a half you are ok. Upon the third offsides in a half you now start getting green cards. Want to speed up the game, quit allowing teams to stop the game with an offsides.

3. Free positions: Someone brought this up and I like the idea. False starts on the offensive side of the ball result in a loss of possession. False starts on the defensive side result in the defender being placed behind the shooter. The individual originally suggester that the if a defensive player ends up false stating that position on the 8 remains empty on the next attempt. Now I ran this by princess #2 and she panned it. Thought putting a second player behind was enough as it open up the field for passes off the 8m. She may be right but I see the results of similar infractions dissimilar.

4. Charging: I have no clue how to clean that up but if you want to rein in on cross checking this has to be addressed. Thoughts?

Well, there you go. I suspect there will be many who disagree with all or some of this. That is cool it is just something to pass the time away.

[Dr. Tact]

Summer has begun and as such the board has already moved past its first dust up in the off season. May as well go down another time honored tradition here, the discussion of the rules.

Let's just start and acknowledge that the refs have an extremely difficult job to do. Making more rules makes their lives more difficult. I thought for the most part the games were officiated well and fairly this spring. If some of this comes off negative, it is not meant that way.

The game is moving faster and faster every year and the athletes are getting bigger and stronger year in and year out. IMO there has to be a bit of reigning in on excessive checks and especially cross checking. Yes playing defense with your hands close together and stick at a 45 gives a huge advantage to the offensive players but imo the amount of cross checking allowed is over the top. What the athletes at the highest level are allowed to do is a whole host different than is allowed at the "lesser" levels of D2 and D3. Is this a response to the speed and athleticism of the elite D1 players? I would certainly think so as I would hate to be a defender in this instance without this tool but imo it is the fastest way to end up with the ladies weighted down with equipment and that to me would change the essence of the game.

These other changes have come from reading and mulling over other posts on the board this spring. If you see something you have said and you are not acknowledges don't take it personal. I fail to remember my anniversary and I've had lots of years to remember that. My petty changes are below.

1. The draw: I like the draw. Would not take the draw away. What I do not like is the idea of the "draw stick". It is a piece of technology (stringing) that has changed the skill. I believe the stick is here to stay. That is fine, everyone uses it. What I would like to see is that if you use a draw stick you have to leave the field of play to get your game stick. No longer would you be allowed to exchange sticks on the field with a defender or other player. If there is an infraction on the draw and the draw taker is awarded the ball, they would be required to use the draw stick and not be able to exchange for their own stick. Petty? Perhaps but I see it as there is a price to pay to use a special stick....

2. Offsides: I see the rule right now as a paper tiger. There was a big push last year to change rules to "speed up" the game. What was the one thing that several, if not more than several, times a game stopped game play? Offsides. The penalty of just resetting the clock does nothing to stop this from happening. I would like to see something similar to the FO rule in the mens side. IF you commit 2 offsides penalties in a half you are ok. Upon the third offsides in a half you now start getting green cards. Want to speed up the game, quit allowing teams to stop the game with an offsides.

3. Free positions: Someone brought this up and I like the idea. False starts on the offensive side of the ball result in a loss of possession. False starts on the defensive side result in the defender being placed behind the shooter. The individual originally suggester that the if a defensive player ends up false stating that position on the 8 remains empty on the next attempt. Now I ran this by princess #2 and she panned it. Thought putting a second player behind was enough as it open up the field for passes off the 8m. She may be right but I see the results of similar infractions dissimilar.

4. Charging: I have no clue how to clean that up but if you want to rein in on cross checking this has to be addressed. Thoughts?

Well, there you go. I suspect there will be many who disagree with all or some of this. That is cool it is just something to pass the time away.

I dont think you will ever get the crosschecking back to what the rules state. It is too engrained in the game at the NCAA level (and HS). I think the consistency of calling stick fouls needs to be improved. My princess had her nose broken this year ,while scoring, by a defenders stick, and no "in the sphere" or "check to the head" was called. You should have seen the coach yelling at the Ref "what do you mean no foul, her nose is displaced and gushing blood..."

1. The draw - I dont think you could stop the exchange of sticks. Possession is penalty enough. Since there is no pregame stick check, and draw sticks are rarely ever used to score, I would like there to be a specific stick check on the draw. Perhaps there needs to be a different set of rules for the draw stick stringing/pocket.

2. Offsides. This rarely affects the defensive team...Clock reset is a negligible penalty as it most often happens in the first 30 seconds of a possession. Offensive offsides causes them to lose possession. Not fair...I would welcome something that made it more equitable. Green cards might be a good way to combat it, but the offense still loses disproportionally.

3. FPs - I like your suggestion. Place the offender and freeze the Defense locations on the circle. Or leave the adjacent hash open on the side of the player with the ball. Or, move the shooter to center hash...

4. Charging - consistency of this call is terrible. I will use an example....a certain player on a final four team would charge her defender when time was running down as she knew that it was 80% likely she would get a blocking/cross checking/defensive foul within the critical scoring area = FPS. She repeatedly did this and it worked each time. From my perspective, 50% of the time could have been called charging as the player initiated contact and pushed through using her body.

JMO.

[Bart]

Summer has begun and as such the board has already moved past its first dust up in the off season. May as well go down another time honored tradition here, the discussion of the rules.

Let's just start and acknowledge that the refs have an extremely difficult job to do. Making more rules makes their lives more difficult. I thought for the most part the games were officiated well and fairly this spring. If some of this comes off negative, it is not meant that way.

The game is moving faster and faster every year and the athletes are getting bigger and stronger year in and year out. IMO there has to be a bit of reigning in on excessive checks and especially cross checking. Yes playing defense with your hands close together and stick at a 45 gives a huge advantage to the offensive players but imo the amount of cross checking allowed is over the top. What the athletes at the highest level are allowed to do is a whole host different than is allowed at the "lesser" levels of D2 and D3. Is this a response to the speed and athleticism of the elite D1 players? I would certainly think so as I would hate to be a defender in this instance without this tool but imo it is the fastest way to end up with the ladies weighted down with equipment and that to me would change the essence of the game.

These other changes have come from reading and mulling over other posts on the board this spring. If you see something you have said and you are not acknowledges don't take it personal. I fail to remember my anniversary and I've had lots of years to remember that. My petty changes are below.

1. The draw: I like the draw. Would not take the draw away. What I do not like is the idea of the "draw stick". It is a piece of technology (stringing) that has changed the skill. I believe the stick is here to stay. That is fine, everyone uses it. What I would like to see is that if you use a draw stick you have to leave the field of play to get your game stick. No longer would you be allowed to exchange sticks on the field with a defender or other player. If there is an infraction on the draw and the draw taker is awarded the ball, they would be required to use the draw stick and not be able to exchange for their own stick. Petty? Perhaps but I see it as there is a price to pay to use a special stick....

2. Offsides: I see the rule right now as a paper tiger. There was a big push last year to change rules to "speed up" the game. What was the one thing that several, if not more than several, times a game stopped game play? Offsides. The penalty of just resetting the clock does nothing to stop this from happening. I would like to see something similar to the FO rule in the mens side. IF you commit 2 offsides penalties in a half you are ok. Upon the third offsides in a half you now start getting green cards. Want to speed up the game, quit allowing teams to stop the game with an offsides.

3. Free positions: Someone brought this up and I like the idea. False starts on the offensive side of the ball result in a loss of possession. False starts on the defensive side result in the defender being placed behind the shooter. The individual originally suggester that the if a defensive player ends up false stating that position on the 8 remains empty on the next attempt. Now I ran this by princess #2 and she panned it. Thought putting a second player behind was enough as it open up the field for passes off the 8m. She may be right but I see the results of similar infractions dissimilar.

4. Charging: I have no clue how to clean that up but if you want to rein in on cross checking this has to be addressed. Thoughts?

Well, there you go. I suspect there will be many who disagree with all or some of this. That is cool it is just something to pass the time away.

I dont think you will ever get the crosschecking back to what the rules state. It is too engrained in the game at the NCAA level (and HS). I think the consistency of calling stick fouls needs to be improved. My princess had her nose broken this year ,while scoring, by a defenders stick, and no "in the sphere" or "check to the head" was called. You should have seen the coach yelling at the Ref "what do you mean no foul, her nose is displaced and gushing blood..."

I do not think it will change either but it should, imo. Take a look at kids after the season. IF an offensive player does not look like a bruised banana from their hip to their shoulder....

1. The draw - I dont think you could stop the exchange of sticks. Possession is penalty enough. Since there is no pregame stick check, and draw sticks are rarely ever used to score, I would like there to be a specific stick check on the draw. Perhaps there needs to be a different set of rules for the draw stick stringing/pocket.

I like the stick check before the game..do not know why that was every changed. Does not change the time a game runs at all. I do not understand the possession penalty? My point would be that if a player uses a draw stick then that player must leave the field of play in order to retrieve her field stick. Possession penalty then they play with the draw stick until they can pass the ball off and get off the field of play to retrieve her field stick.

2. Offsides. This rarely affects the defensive team...Clock reset is a negligible penalty as it most often happens in the first 30 seconds of a possession. Offensive offsides causes them to lose possession. Not fair...I would welcome something that made it more equitable. Green cards might be a good way to combat it, but the offense still loses disproportionally.

That is exactly my point. The offsides rarely affects the D team. There is no reason to stop doing it. The offsides ruins the flow of your game. Again JMO

3. FPs - I like your suggestion. Place the offender and freeze the Defense locations on the circle. Or leave the adjacent hash open on the side of the player with the ball. Or, move the shooter to center hash...

Not my original suggestion but I like it as well. I think the move to the center hash is an interesting solution

4. Charging - consistency of this call is terrible. I will use an example....a certain player on a final four team would charge her defender when time was running down as she knew that it was 80% likely she would get a blocking/cross checking/defensive foul within the critical scoring area = FPS. She repeatedly did this and it worked each time. From my perspective, 50% of the time could have been called charging as the player initiated contact and pushed through using her body.

Agreed. Consistency. The problem is that players and coaches do not understand what is expected at this point.

JMO.

[Dr. Tact]

3. FPs - I like your suggestion. Place the offender and freeze the Defense locations on the circle. Or leave the adjacent hash open on the side of the player with the ball. Or, move the shooter to center hash...

Not my original suggestion but I like it as well. I think the move to the center hash is an interesting solution

Even more equitable? If O starts early, give D the ball. If D starts early, move the offender behind, move the O player to center hash and open one adjacent hash. That would penalize the D in as much as the O losing possession.

[Brownlax]

Here is a change I would like to see. On the draw when there is an infraction, all players must stay behind the restraining line until the whistle is blown. Right now all attackers leave and go ride and the advantage for the offense is lost.

[Dr. Tact]

Here is a change I would like to see. On the draw when there is an infraction, all players must stay behind the restraining line until the whistle is blown. Right now all attackers leave and go ride and the advantage for the offense is lost.

That is a good suggestion.

[Dr. Tact]

I would like a little more clarity on offensive player entering the goal circle. If pushed in, I would like to see the refs not call a O plyer in the circle call. If a goal is scored, then it counts and depending on the severity of the call the ball is awarded to O at midfield, if not then, a FPS is awarded.

I know parts of the above happen in games, but we also get calls when the D pushes a player in the circle and the D gets awarded the ball.

Or they could go like the men and allow entry after shot....but I am sure that the crash of a player on the goalie possibility would not allow the Women to change that rule.

[Bart]

Here is a change I would like to see. On the draw when there is an infraction, all players must stay behind the restraining line until the whistle is blown. Right now all attackers leave and go ride and the advantage for the offense is lost.

That is a good suggestion.

Agreed. Simple to implement.

[hmmm]

Here is a change I would like to see. On the draw when there is an infraction, all players must stay behind the restraining line until the whistle is blown. Right now all attackers leave and go ride and the advantage for the offense is lost.

That is a good suggestion.

Agreed. Simple to implement.

Yes. This was one of the men's rules I posted about implementing in the women's game a couple months back. It's not fair to allow the team committing the foul to bring up their attack to setup a ride in that situation. In the men's game everyone holds in the box until the whistle.

Other rules from the men's game I think would be beneficial in the women's game(and easy to implement):
-If a team is a woman up and has possession of the ball at the end of a quarter, there is no draw and they start the next quarter with the ball. I have seen several cases of a card very late in a quarter where the woman down team wins the ensuing draw and the woman up team doesn't get any opportunity to take advantage of the woman up situation. Especially now that the women have quarters it makes total sense.
-If the team on offense gets a card(dangerous shot, major foul on the ride, etc), the team going woman up should get a free clear to the 30. In the men's game it's a free clear to midfield if a flag is thrown on the offensive team.

[Dr. Tact]

Here is a change I would like to see. On the draw when there is an infraction, all players must stay behind the restraining line until the whistle is blown. Right now all attackers leave and go ride and the advantage for the offense is lost.

That is a good suggestion.

Agreed. Simple to implement.

Yes. This was one of the men's rules I posted about implementing in the women's game a couple months back. It's not fair to allow the team committing the foul to bring up their attack to setup a ride in that situation. In the men's game everyone holds in the box until the whistle.

Other rules from the men's game I think would be beneficial in the women's game(and easy to implement):
-If a team is a woman up and has possession of the ball at the end of a quarter, there is no draw and they start the next quarter with the ball. I have seen several cases of a card very late in a quarter where the woman down team wins the ensuing draw and the woman up team doesn't get any opportunity to take advantage of the woman up situation. Especially now that the women have quarters it makes total sense.
-If the team on offense gets a card(dangerous shot, major foul on the ride, etc), the team going woman up should get a free clear to the 30. In the men's game it's a free clear to midfield if a flag is thrown on the offensive team.

Those are all good proposed rule changes. I really like the woman up/quarter rule. Shouldnt give the D a free chance to get the ball.

[Seacoaster(1)]

Here is a change I would like to see. On the draw when there is an infraction, all players must stay behind the restraining line until the whistle is blown. Right now all attackers leave and go ride and the advantage for the offense is lost.

That is a good suggestion.

Agreed. Simple to implement.

Yes. This was one of the men's rules I posted about implementing in the women's game a couple months back. It's not fair to allow the team committing the foul to bring up their attack to setup a ride in that situation. In the men's game everyone holds in the box until the whistle.

Other rules from the men's game I think would be beneficial in the women's game(and easy to implement):
-If a team is a woman up and has possession of the ball at the end of a quarter, there is no draw and they start the next quarter with the ball. I have seen several cases of a card very late in a quarter where the woman down team wins the ensuing draw and the woman up team doesn't get any opportunity to take advantage of the woman up situation. Especially now that the women have quarters it makes total sense.
-If the team on offense gets a card(dangerous shot, major foul on the ride, etc), the team going woman up should get a free clear to the 30. In the men's game it's a free clear to midfield if a flag is thrown on the offensive team.

Those are all good proposed rule changes. I really like the woman up/quarter rule. Shouldnt give the D a free chance to get the ball.

Agreed; good ideas.

I think a 1:00 penalty for offsides -- period. The lax nature of the rule gets used (I've used it...) all too often to simply disadvantage the offense. Not hard to police, and not hard to stay in compliance.

I think if the D goes early on the FPS, the defense should lose the adjacent hash occupied by the early-going defender.

Thanks Bart, Doc, Brownlax and hmmm.

[Crosscheck]

I would change the rule that has the clock running after a foul, even when the ref is preventing the offensive player from trying to go forward. I think it was at the end of the 2nd Q in the UNC-BC game that the UNC player was fouled just outside the 8 meter and the clock ran out while the ref held the ball trying to set players up. Rewards the defense for fouling

[Brownlax]

I'd like to see them change the rule about entering the crease after a goal. As long as the ball crosses the goal line who cares if they step in the crease afterwards.

[Dr. Tact]

I'd like to see them change the rule about entering the crease after a goal. As long as the ball crosses the goal line who cares if they step in the crease afterwards.

Me too. this adds to my goal circle comment above

[Bart]

I'd like to see them change the rule about entering the crease after a goal. As long as the ball crosses the goal line who cares if they step in the crease afterwards.

Yes and no. If a player is driving hard to the goal and her momentum causes her to come in contact or close contact to the goaltender I would see that as an issue. Even if the ball would have already crossed the line. The goalies are in a vulnerable position. It would end up being like the "dive" rule in the men's game. I think it is just cleaner to say no goal. Takes some of the subjectivity away.

[lax410]

4. Charging - consistency of this call is terrible. I will use an example....a certain player on a final four team would charge her defender when time was running down as she knew that it was 80% likely she would get a blocking/cross checking/defensive foul within the critical scoring area = FPS. She repeatedly did this and it worked each time. From my perspective, 50% of the time could have been called charging as the player initiated contact and pushed through using her body.

I’m confused about the standard. In one of the final four games the announcers (probably Sheehan SB) said something to the effect that unlike basketball you don’t have to have your feet set to draw charge. It’s based on established body position? I don’t know what that means practically. Like how is established body position not entirely standard-less.

[Big Dog]

I'd like to re-visit the Shooting Lane violation. Saw a BC defender try to steal a skip pass, but got out-jumped by the taller offensive player. When they both came down, the defender was 'in the shooting lane' so the offense got an 8-meter shot. Seems kinda silly to me when they were both going for the ball.

Charlotte North was brilliant in using this rule on offense. If she saw one of her offensive teammates being covered by someone 'in the lane', she'd quickly pass the ball to her covered teammate to get a call.

Personally, think the rule is kinda dumb. The job of a defender is to stop the shot on goal....

[duffy]

As one of the core safety rules, I doubt Shooting Space is going away.

[TNLAX]

Another rule that should be changed is that if the team that is "redefending", after a turnover or shot stopped by the goalie etc., commits a foul that draws a yellow card, the team that now has the women up advantage should get a free clear into the offensive zone.

To many times I see a yellow card issued only to see the team that committed the foul able to set up a good redefend and then get the ball right back and kill the penalty.

In the men's game, when there is a foul in the defensive zone, the team that is man-up gets a free clear. It only makes sense.

[wlaxphan20]

As one of the core safety rules, I doubt Shooting Space is going away.

I agree. And I u sweat and that it can be difficult for fans new to the game or fans coming from the mens game to get on bird with. Shooting space & 3 seconds also prevents the defense from just packing the 8m.

I will say there are times, not often, I think officials get a little trigger happy with shooting space - specifically calling it when the attacking player with the ball is not even looking to goal or “looking to shoot”, but when it’s a safety rule I can also understand officials wanting to err on the side of caution.