BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) Messages for US Lacrosse. Rules, Age Classification or etc.

I will periodically send these messages directly to US Lacrosse. They are interested in making changes and asked for feedback from its members. You will help effect that change that is needed.
Your input matters.
Remember, these posts will be forwarded and proper language is required.

Here's your chance to be heard and do more than just [ChillLaxin] and complain.
Post away!!!!!!!

No more stall. Please!

On the girls side, 4 or 5 fouls and you are out of the game (like basketball). Take the guess work out of the referees hands. 5 hacks and you're gone! When it's just a whistle the same girls hack over and over.

3 seconds should also go away as its called very inconsistenetly

Proof of age....Just like soccer. At least for 2nd-8th grades. And maybe implement a yellow/red card system for repeated roughness...

Sure Grade based or U based, either or works but if you go grade you have to attach a max age. Never should more then a two year diffremce occur in youth lax

Being through the youth frontier of lacrosse it seems at times it is the wild wild west. Being at a grade based tournament this past year, I was shocked to see the obvious blatant disregard for moral standards. I was at a grade based tournament and noted many DOB a year older than my son.

While playing a game a certain player made a good move against my sons team. The player was 19 months older than the player he made the move on. The sad part was a verbal exchanged ensued between the parents, something to the fact... "...if he was playing his right age/level he wouldn't have been able to accomplish that move..." only to have the retort. "... It isn't our fault you are to lazy or poor to reclass... everyone is doing it".

This is the sad state that reclassing has done. Gladwell states if one or two people do it, you have an advantage, when more than a few do it is there still an advantage... or does it create a bigger disadvantage.

Rob

The five foul rule for sure, to keep the game from getting too rough and for the same girls refrain from hacking.

Something has to be done about the stall, some sort of timer.

Proof of age. All other sports do it, lacrosse can too.

BRING BACK THE HORN!! For at least middle school and below. High School and club (all ages) I get it, but are we really trying to speed the game up in PAL or middle school?! Still trying to teach and get kids even time

Age rules set for all levels, similar to soccer.

Requirement for goalies to wear more protective gear elementary through middle school.

Smaller field and smaller goals for the younger kids (6 yet old goalie shouldn't be in full size goal).

Yes, this MUST be done for so many reasons:

Fairness (Frustrations are building and it is just terrible what is going on with kids showing up 2 years older than the others!)

Safety (Do we need to wait till a kid dies or is paralyzed after being hit by a kid 2 years older playing down?)

Growth of game (how do you expect to attract middle class kids when the wealthy have the reclass advantage?)

C'mon US Lacrosse, this issue needs immediate attention!! I am all for the soccer system with US Lacrosse issued picture ID cards, renewed each year. I'll also let you know a little secret. My sons have not been registered with US Lacrosse for two years. Yes tournament wavers ask for their number, I just make one up and nobody ever checks. This will be a way for you to make much more money because I know I don't only speak for myself.

Enforce like-age vs like-age competition, through the use of roster lists (which include names, uniform number, US lacrosse number, and date of birth), and photograph ID cards for each player. In order to be less disruptive to current teams, grandfather in 2025 and older, and only start it with 2026 and younger - although many will prefer that it be enforced immediately at all levels.

Further, what is lost often when age classification is discussed is the growth of the game. Lacrosse is growing, but would grow more significantly if age based enforcement at all levels (even Town) were implemented similar to other sports. Lack of structure in this area scares away the casual parent who may be wary about a sport they know little about and may see as violent. Youth lacrosse, and especially the summer and fall circuits, needs to do a better job including the more casual and/or less athletic player. It can't only be the bastion of the prospective college athletes. Especially in non-hot bed areas (where growth is needed), teams with wide variances in age are squaring off, which chases away many parents who frankly are not used to seeing this in soccer, hockey and baseball.

For the girls, definitely a shooting clock and a foul rule.

There should still be the flexibility to have U and grade based games. The U designation should be confined to a one year range; just stick to a universal 12 month DOB range (there will always be older and younger). Grade based should also have some age stipulation and allow for maybe an 18 month DOB range.

The original reason for a 2 year U span was to allow less developed areas to combine 2 grades and field teams. This policy has been manipulated and folks have worked the system to gain an advantage on the competitive side of the sport. The 2 year rule is a very good rule for a rec in-house league that has low enrollment and is developmental... but it losses its efficacy during competitive lacrosse.

If you are in 7th grade, but you're 18 months older than the youngest eligble player (you really should be in 8th grade)... you play up (simple). You can cause no undo harm to others, you need to prove yourself against your true peers.

Getting rid of the horn was the best thing ever. Is there a horn in youth hockey? No.

It's about kids running and changing on the fly. Horns almost killed the game.

More time in crease for goalie

Forgive my ignorance, but what is (was) the horn?

Middle school does have the horn.

Instead of constructing a new headquarters building, put the money into age verification at tournaments. Get your priorities right! Unbelievable!

For girls youth, are they still allowing deputy? (goalie leaving the ball in the crease and a defender/middie going in and taking it?)

I'm very concerned about the unfair advantage obtained by those players (and coaches & parents) that play down and/or reclassify in elementary school.

Obviously, it is done to seek an athletic & academic over players in a normal (of age) year.

Concerns for safety are ignored. That will be on YOU if a young
player get hurt badly because this remains unregulated.

Concerns for integrity and fairness are ignored. A Cheater will cheat until stopped. This will be a blemish on the game.

The ripple effects are significant. Maybe a player looses a chance to play because of this. Maybe he/she quits the game. Maybe we never get to see how great they can be and they can't see how great this game is.

It is up to USA Lacrosse to protect the players, protect fairness, and protect the game.

AGE BASED TEAMS AT YOUTH LEVEL..What has happened to youth Lacrosse with the gaming the system for select children. This is awful and goes against the intent of youth sports.

Look at how soccer enforces age with a simple card system . They have many more players than lacrosse yet have no problem with age.

Grade base is destroying the integrity of youth Lacrosse. ENFORCE AGE USL. School is where grade based teams should be.

Yes

Some great comments. Some great ideas.
First group of comments sent to USL today.

Growth of the game will rely and thrive on structure. ID cards and roster submission with player number, name, photo and birthdate should be submitted for any tournament sanctioned by US Lacrosse. Make this about the kids, future of lacrosse and not about business and money. Prioritize safety, development and fair competition. While the sport had grown, it will plateau if money is allowed to be the priority. Holding children back to play with a younger group is dangerous and unfair. If clubs or teams choose to play up , a waiver can be signed noting that said player or team knows the risks associated with their choice to play older kids. Playing older , bigger, stronger kids should be a choice, not a given where some kids have an advantage while others are unsuspecting and show up thinking they are playing age appropriate games. Hockey, soccer, baseball hold their players, teams and clubs accountable. They do not allow them to put money before safety. Lacrosse shouldn't allow this at the youth level either. Integrate a system starting with the next class and grandfather existing teams but put a 15-15 month range- as opposed to a 12 month range. So as not to totally disrupt the existing teams.

This is all great stuff. The power that US Lacrosse has here is that by adopting age guidelines (one year at a time is critical) they form a new tournament/league system. I.E. US Lacrosee sanctioned vs not. That way, when participating in a US Lacrosse sanctioned event you know all kids kids are within the same age group.

Nassau County PAL does not allow a deputy, except at the 2nd grade level.

Suffolk County Girls Lacrosse does not allow a deputy at all.

The reclassification in boys youth lacrosse is a major safety issue. Age restrictions for grade based teams need to be put in place. Having schools and clubs promote this practice is detrimental to the game.

Age classification for all ages...MUST present player pass with photo before EVERY game, for all ages below college. As players progress through HS, USA Lacrosse can use JV A, JV B, Varsity AA, Varsity A, Varsity B. U8 through U15 can use same AA,A,B competition level designations. I would not use the Soccer example of September 1 as a cut off, Keep it like hockey with 1/1/xxxx - 12/31/xxxx cut-off dates. Both more physical sports than soccer (although yes, soccer people - soccer is a physical sport as well)

Reclassification of age levels should revert back to a "U" based system. This way everyone on the field is the same age regardless of being red shirted or late birthdays being held back a grade. Its the only fair and safe way to do this.

Do not allow anonymous posts on lacrosse forums

Goalie should only be allowed one possession in the crease per team possession - similar to soccer where if a teammate kicks back to the goalie he may not use his hands - I hate when I see an aggressive ride stops when the clearing team throws to the goalie two or three times.

Exactly

After review of the rules it appears you are correct. However, I witnessed dozens of HS games where the goalie utilized the deputy on clears. Interesting.....

NCPAL allows it in second grade because they don't use goalies in 2nd grade division so a deputy is required to get the ball out of the goal circle

For girls'/women's lacrosse:

1) institute a shot clock to prevent the stall

2) better utilize the held flag so that there are fewer occurrences of a shot leading to a goal which is then called back and reset for a free position

3) allow only 6 players between the restraining line on draws until possession is gained by one team

4) keep track of player and team fouls better (refs or scorekeepers) so that more cards are issued for "repeated major fouls"

5) require scoring shooter to immediately drop their stick at all levels

6) require player ID cards with birthdate (issued by local USL chapters to make it more manageable)

I love all of these and think you are spot on...the only one I would maybe tweak is the shot clock. Perhaps a possession clock once your team gets it over the restraining line and into the offensive zone. I do not know the answer but something needs to be done

That's because the vast majority of girls refs have no idea what they're doing!

that's why us lacrosse MUST institute a foul progression count on the girls side that leads to ejection. Take it out of the refs hands. Constant hackers must be sent to the locker room otherwise helmets are coming!! If a girl foluls out once I bet it never happens again

If you think the game is slow now with the whistles wait till every foul has to be reported to the table like in a basketball game ... it will add 30 minutes to every game. the refs already have the ability to give a yellow card for multiple repetitive fouls. maybe that should be emphasized for next year.

Wrong. The boys/mens game reports infractions to the table and it doesn't come close to adding "30 min" to the game. As it is right now, nobody knows what is going on because the culture of girls lacrosse has its officials who whisper the infractions to the players, confusing everyone.