January 24, 2012
Hey, Ump: Rules limit players obstructing 'shooting space'
by Jenny Miriam/
Putting oneself in harm’s way is generally considered foolish. The rules of most sports leave it at that.
Women’s lacrosse, however, prohibits play where one puts oneself in danger. It is actually against the rules. My informal survey shows this to be another unique aspect of the women’s game and something that can help guide umpires, parents and players to understand certain calls.
The prime — and most often called — example is obstruction of free space to goal, also known as “shooting space.”
In soccer, players are encouraged to get in front of shots at the goal and block them with their body.
In women’s lacrosse, there is a limit on who can position themselves in the path of the shot. If a player is guarding her opponent closely — within a stick’s length — the offensive player has the responsibility not to shoot in a dangerous fashion. But unless they are within that stick’s reach, defenders must leave the shooter a broad path to the goal; they can’t just hang out in the middle of the arc where they could get hurt by a shot. The exception to this is when the shooter’s teammate enters that path to the goal, giving the defender marking that player a legitimate reason to be there.
Defenders entering their own goal circle also are committing a foul unless their team has the ball already. In fact, if the goalie commits a foul that puts her behind the shooter on an 8-meter free position, it’s considered a “flagrant foul” for another defender to jump into the path of the ball and can warrant a red card. Coaches, take note: Don’t encourage your players to get in there. Generally the score is high enough that your team will have its chances to even things up without the significant risk of injuring a player.
In football, being able to muscle through the defense is not only desirable but it also is a critical aspect of the game. Quite the opposite in women’s lacrosse; here you have to be able to dodge, fake or weave to lose your opponents. Creating contact is a foul and this includes contact whose only result is forcing your own stick back into your body. While this is not a new foul, it has been given a new signal this year, which should add in your recognition of the call.
Players are fouling even by inviting contact to themselves with an illegal cradle. Defenders may not check toward the sphere, nor, thanks to rules changes for 2012, even reach into the sphere. In exchange, attack players may not keep their crosses within their sphere while they cradle. This invitation to injury — where a defender’s check drives the attacker’s stick into their own body — is a foul. Again, the illegal cradle is not a new rule, but it has been given greater emphasis with the changes to the rules regarding checking in the sphere. You should see this call more often and players need to think about what is really meant by the injunction “protect the crosse.”
Lastly, charging is a foul whether the attack runs into a defender or her stick. Consider the play of a stationary defender, arms outstretched and stick horizontal. Slam! The attack player comes full force shoulder or arm into that defender’s stick. The correct call here is charge, with the ball going to the defender. It always seems a bit odd, as it is the attack player with the big bruise. Yet playing hard or aggressively is not license to create injury, whether that means to your opponent or to yourself.
This article originally appeared in the January 2012 issue of New England Lacrosse Journal.
Jenny Miriam is a youth, high school and collegiate umpire in Western Massachusetts. Contact her with your questions, comments or story suggestions at feedback@laxjournal.com
