Games changers? New men's rules for 2012
Thursday April 19, 2012
by ALRA Referee, Alan Frost
Lacrosse for Dummies © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
On the weekend of 17/18 March 2012 15 ALRA referees, together
with some partners, journeyed down to Torquay for our annual
pre-season training camp. The program commenced on Saturday
afternoon with 9 holes of golf at the prestigious Queen's Park Golf
Club where some blistering drives, deft chips and precise putting
confirmed that our sporting prowess is not just confined to the
lacrosse field.
After the game we headed to our salubrious lodgings at the
Sedgeway residence in Torquay where we spent the evening recounting
some fine stories surrounding the day's golf and experiences on the
lacrosse field.
On Sunday morning we awoke to a cooked breakfast prepared by
Chef John (of Sedgeway's Restaurant) before embarking on a day of
intensive study of the rules of men's lacrosse. For this season a
number of rules have been introduced/modified and the major ones
for players to be aware of are summarised as follows:
- The head of the crosse must measure between 6 inches (15.24cm)
and 10 inches (25.4cm) at its widest point
- The butt end of the crosse handle must either be solid with no
sharp edges or, if hollow, it must have its open end adequately
covered with plastic, rubber or tape to prevent injury. The use of
metal caps is prohibited.
- All strings on the crosse shall be limited to a hanging length
of 2 inches (5.08cm)
- In the case of an expulsion foul against a player or
substitute, the in-home player of the offending team shall serve
the penalty of 3 minutes plus any additional penalty time that the
expelled player has incurred
- If the officials have "frozen" the benches for any reason (eg a
fight has occurred on the field) and any team personnel leave the
bench area (with the exception of the team's medical staff) then
they MUST be expelled from the game.
- The Nominated Defender rule. Before the game commences the Head
Coach shall nominate a starting longstick to be the Nominated
Defender. Where the goalkeeper commits a time-serving penalty, the
Nominated Defender shall serve the suspension but the penalty will
be charged against the goalkeeper's name.
NOTE: This rule will NOT be adopted in Victoria for the 2012
season but it will be
implemented in all national and international competitions
being held this
year. Consequently, we will provide further information
about this rule in
coming months.
During the afternoon we all sat for our annual rules examination
which we are required to complete (and pass) in order to be
accredited as an ALRA referee.
The weekend concluded at 3.00pm with everyone agreeing that it
was another outstanding success in enhancing our understanding of
the rules and mechanics of the game and in promoting collegiality
amongst the refereeing fraternity.
In March 2013 we will hold another weekend and anyone who is
considering joining ALRA as a referee is encouraged to come along
and join in the fun. Further enquiries can be made by emailing our
President, Kelvin Minerds, at kmminerds@optusnet.com.au or by
talking to an ALRA referee at your next game.
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