Boys Lacrosse Points of Emphasis - 2027

Player Safety

Player safety depends on coaches, officials and game personnel consistently teaching, practicing and enforcing rules.

• Shots on Goal After Blown Whistle

The whistle ends play. Any goal scored after a whistle is disallowed, even if the whistle was inadvertent. Coaches should teach players to stop immediately and avoid shots, follow-throughs or contact after the whistle.

Officials should use the slow-whistle technique when appropriate. Once the whistle sounds, no shot released after counts and continued play or contact must be penalized if unsafe.

• Contact to the Head/Neck Area

Coaches should teach players to avoid all physical contact with an opponent’s head or neck and to control legal contact so it does not slide up toward the head or neck area.

Players shall not initiate contact with the head or neck, spear, body-check a defenseless player, or target the head/neck area of an opponent. Officials should set the tone early. Penalties range from one to three minutes and are non-releasable. Targeting requires a three-minute non-releasable penalty and may result in ejection.

Properly Worn Equipment

Coaches and schools should make properly worn equipment a daily expectation. Players permitted to practice with improperly worn equipment are less likely to comply during games, putting players at greater risk of injury and making enforcement more difficult and adversarial.

Mandatory equipment must be professionally manufactured, unaltered and worn as intended. Helmets must be properly certified, and chin straps shall be worn on the chin and firmly attached at all manufactured points. Officials must enforce proper equipment use during contests; coaches and schools establish the standard before the team reaches the field.

Second Flag Down

Officials shall know when a second defensive foul ends a flag-down slow-whistle situation and when play may continue because a scoring play is in progress.

If a second defensive foul occurs with no scoring play in progress, officials stop play and administer both penalties. If a scoring play is in progress, play may continue until the sequence ends or another rule requires a whistle.

Identification of the NFHS Authenticating Mark on Game Balls

The NFHS Authenticating Mark ensures easy identification of inflated and non-inflated balls used in interscholastic competitions for which the NFHS writes playing rules. All such balls are required to display the NFHS Authenticating Mark. The use of conforming equipment is essential to the integrity of contests played under the NFHS rules. This mark helps to promote a level playing field by ensuring consistency in the equipment being used. The mark allows for the development of more sophisticated standards in balls and clearly communicates to administrators, coaches and officials that these standards are being met.

Non-compliance with these requirements will be reported to the state association for potential penalties following the contest. Administrators and coaches play a pivotal role in making sure all inflated and non-inflated balls meet these specifications. They must instill the importance of proper equipment use through consistent reinforcement during the pre-competition certification meeting and throughout the season. Game officials must also remain vigilant and report any non-compliant balls to the state association office.