National Lacrosse League Rules:
Court Dimensions:
- 180'-200' x 80'-90'.
- Face-Off Circle - 22' diameter.
- Exchange Area - 42'6".
- Goal Crease - 9'-9'3".
- Goal - 4'-4'9".
- During play, a team consists of six players: 1 Goalkeeper (GK), 2 Defenders (D), 1 Transition (T), 2 Forwards (F).
- Goalkeeper - a position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposition from scoring goals by directly defending the net. Box lacrosse goaltenders equipment includes upper body gear (measuring no more than 3 inches (7.6 cm) up and 5 inches (13 cm) out off the shoulder—much larger than similar gear for field lacrosse or ice hockey goaltenders), large shin guards that must measure no more than 11 inches (28 cm) at the knee, 9 inches (23 cm) at the top of the shin and 7 inches (18 cm) at the ankle, and a field lacrosse helmet or ice hockey goalie mask according to the rules set by the CLA for the 2012 season.
- Defenders - a position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring. All indoor lacrosse defenders play with a maximum 46 inches (1.2 m) long stick. Defensive tactics include cross checking (where a player uses the shaft of his stick to push the opposition player off balance), body checking (where a player makes contact with the opposition player in order to slow him down), and stick checking (where a player makes contact with the opposition player's stick in order to knock the ball loose).
- Transition - a position whose responsibility is primarily to play during defensive situations with an offensive mindset. The goal of this player is to create fastbreaks and scoring opportunities.
- Forwards - a position on the field whose responsibility is primarily offensive. Typically, a forward is dominant throwing with one hand or the other, and will primarily play on that side of the floor. Some players, known as creasemen, do not focus on one side or the other. These players instead focus their offensive attention near the crease area in front of the goaltender.
- Each team's roster consists of 20 players; all players are active.
- A player's lacrosse stick must be between 40-46 inches (1.0-1.2 m) in length.
- Besides a lacrosse stick, each player must also wear a certain amount of protective equipment, including a lacrosse helmet with facemask, lacrosse gloves, arm and shoulder pads, and back/kidney pads (rib pads are optional).
- During a typical game the number of officials is three.
- A traditional game consists of four 15-minute periods with the teams changing ends each period; 8 minutes between periods.
- Time Outs - Each team may take two 45-second timeouts per period; A TV game has one timeout per period.
- If the game is tied at the end of regulation play, a 5-minute sudden death overtime is played.
- Shot Clock - A 30-second clock begins (counting down) when a team assumes possession of the ball. The offensive team must put a shot on goal during that time or they will lose possession. If they do shoot on goal (without scoring) and recover possession of the ball (via rebound/loose ball recovery), the clock is reset for a new 30 seconds
- 8-Second Violation - Occurs when team on offense fails to advance the ball past midfield within 8 seconds after taking possession at their end.
- Each period, and after each goal scored, play is restarted with a face-off.
- If a ball travels over the boards and outside of the playing area, play is restarted by possession being awarded to the opposing team to that which last touched the ball.
- During play, teams may substitute players in and out freely. Sometimes this is referred to as "on the fly" substitution; Substitution must occur within the designated exchange area in front of the players bench in order to be legal.
- The sport utilizes a shot clock and the attacking team must take a shot on goal within 30 seconds of gaining possession of the ball; In addition, players must advance the ball from their own defensive end to the offensive half of the floor within 10 seconds.
- For most penalties, the offending player is sent to the penalty box and his team has to play without him and with one less player for a short amount of time; Most penalties last for two minutes unless a major penalty has been assessed.
- A two-minute minor penalties are often called for lesser infractions such as slashing, tripping, elbowing, roughing, too many players, illegal equipment, holding, or interference.
- Five-minute major penalties are called for especially violent instances of most minor infractions that result in intentional injury to an opponent, as well as for fighting.
- Players are released from the penalty box when either the penalty time expires, or the opposition scores a goal (or three goals for the instance of a major penalty).
- At the officials' discretion a ten-minute misconduct penalty may be assessed; These are served in full by the penalized player, but his team may immediately substitute another player on the playing area unless a minor or major penalty is assessed in conjunction with the misconduct (a "two-and-ten" or "five-and-ten").
- In that case, the team designates another player to serve the minor or major; both players go to the penalty box, but only the designee may not be replaced, and he is released upon the expiration of the two or five minutes.
- In addition, game misconducts are assessed for deliberate intent to inflict severe injury on an opponent. A player who receives a game misconduct is ejected and may not return to play.
- Receiving two major penalties in a game will result in a game misconduct.
- A penalty shot, where a player from the non-offending team is given an attempt to score a goal without opposition from any defending players except the goaltender, may be awarded under certain circumstances.
- By rule, teams must have at least three runners in play. If a team commits a third penalty resulting in a "three man down" situation a penalty shot is awarded in favor of having the offending player serve in the penalty box.
- A penalty shot may also be awarded, at the referee's discretion, if a defensive player causes a foul to prevent a goal (by throwing his stick, holding, tripping, or by deliberately displacing the goal, or a defensive player intentionally falls and covers a ball in his own team's crease).
- The NLL Draft takes place in the last week of August and lasts two (2) rounds.
- All teams can only draft 2 players per draft.
- All potential players must have a college degree in order to be eligible for the draft.
- The selection order is based on each team's win-loss record in the previous season and whether the team reached the playoffs. Teams that did not reach the playoffs the previous season are ranked in reverse order of their records (so the team with the fewest wins is awarded the first selection).
- Ties between teams with identical records are determined by the following tiebreakers (in order): strength of schedule, division tiebreakers, conference tiebreakers, and a pre-draft coin flip.
- Order of Draft Picks: Non-playoff Teams (1-22), Eliminated in First Round (23-26), Eliminated in Second Round (27-28), MILL Runner-up (29), MILL Champion (30).
- Each team must begin preseason training in the first week of March.
- Each team plays 1 preseason game against any team in the league that they choose with that team's consent on the last Saturday of March.
- Each Team plays 2 games (1h/1a) against the other 4 teams in their division (8).
- Each Team play the other 10 teams in their conference once; one division is played at home and the other is played away in a 2-year rotating format.
- Each team plays a 18-game season starting on the first Saturday of April and ending on the second Saturday of August, with one bye week.
- The postseason is an 8-team single-elimination tournament in which the division champions and 1 wild card from each conference are automatically chosen.
- The format for the first round of playoff games is 1v4 and 2v3; all playoff games will be played at the lower ranked team's stadium.
- The next round is the Eastern/Western Conference Championships, followed by the Champions Cup for the league title.