The NCAA approved a rule change surrounding plays into the crease starting with the 2023 season.

A goal scored while the offensive player is propelled into the crease/goal mouth due to illegal contact by the defender will count, the NCAA’s Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved. The rule was proposed by the Rules Committee earlier in the summer, & the PROP approval is generally seen as an inevitability.

The rule combats an increasing defensive approach to push the offensive player into the crease when beaten, taking the penalty but wiping away a sure goal.

“Committee members were concerned that defensive players were being rewarded for illegal contact,” the NCAA’s release said.

Also, the NCAA created a more defined penalty structure for hits to the head and neck.
  • Players who make indirect contact to an opponent's head or neck will receive a one-minute penalty.
  • Players who make direct contact to an opponent's head or neck will receive a two-minute penalty.
  • Players who make excessive contact to an opponent's head or neck will receive a three-minute penalty.


The Committee ruled that a players crosse cannot have sharp protrusions or edges, and it created three
points of emphasis:

  • Making sure players are wearing their equipment properly (helmets, arm pads, mouth guards, etc.).
  • Developing consistency when officiating screening plays.
  • Ensuring bench decorum.



Source: Inside Lacrosse
Matt Kinnear