Early on in the SW/M&D game I saw one of the dirtiest plays I've ever seen in girls lax. #1 on M&D took a running cross check to the head and got knocked out of the game. I was worried the girl wouldn't get up. If there is ever a case for a red card in girls lax, that is it.
It was a cross crease slide and the two collided. It was the farthest thing from a dirty play. Momentum of two players working in opposite directions.
There was a lot of rough play and when that happens, things can escalate and injuries occur. In the games we watched, it felt like the refs were letting the girls play and it was a lot more physical than my daughter's team was used to. Definitely a difference in the way games are called from what we typically see here in MD.
I will say in 99% of cases, there is no ill intention or dirty play. You have girls who are ultra-competitive and they go hard. Of course, all of the armchair parents who are expert referees take to complaining and like to accuse 14-year-olds of playing dirty.
