Rules of High School Lacrosse

PLAYERS

Each team has 12 players on the field at a time: four attackers, four defenders, three midfielders and one goalie.

TIME

Four 15-minute quarters are played (teams switch sides at the end of each quarter).
Each team is permitted three timeouts during regulation, and one during overtime.

FIELD DIMENSIONS AND LINES

The field is the same length as a football field (including end zones) at 120 yards, but a little wider at 65 yards.
Restraining lines: These are located 30 yards up field from each goal line and are used to make sure there are a certain number of players occupying the attack area or defensive area- seven required on offense, and eight required on defense (including the goalie). If there are not four players behind the restraining line, it is an offsides penalty.
Draw circle: The circle in the middle of the field with a line inside where the draw is taken.
8-meter arc: The area in front of each crease marked by two lines connected by an arc eight meters from the crease. This is used to administer a free position shot on a hash mark closest to where the foul occurred.
12-Meter Fan: A semicircle area bounded by an arc 12 meters from the crease. This is used in administration of minor fouls.
Crease: The circle surrounding the goal. Only the goalie and one defender may be in the crease at once.

EQUIPMENT

Legal stick: A stick is legal if you can see the tip of the ball over the head of the stick from the side when the stick is held horizontally.
All players must wear goggles or a helmet and a mouthguard, while the goalie must also wear a helmet with a throat protector, chest protector, padded shorts, and padded gloves.

THE DRAW

The draw takes place at the beginning of each quarter and after every goal.
A player from each team meets in the center circle of the field and lines up with their sticks parallel to each other, applying equal pressure. The referee will place the ball in the pocket created between the two sticks. On the referee's whistle, the two players taking the draw fling their sticks upward to bring the ball into the air, making possession a 50/50 loose ball.
Before possession is secured, only the six players lined up on the draw circle (three from each team) are allowed to be between the restraining lines in the center of the field. The rest of the players can only cross restraining lines if a team gains possession or the ball crosses over the restraining line.
If one of the draw takers moves before the referee's whistle, possession goes to the other team.
If the ball does not go above the draw takers' shoulders, it turns into an alternate possession.

START/RESTART OF PLAY

The whistle is used to stop and start play for carded fouls. These are fouls committed by the defense above the goal line within eight meters of the crease, offside fouls, and any other action requiring an official's timeout.
Self-start: When a foul is called and does not necessitate an official's timeout, the player who is awarded the ball may continue the course of play without waiting for an additional whistle.

CARDS

Yellow Card: Any aggressive major foul which is up to the referee's discretion. This is always be a two-minute non-releasable penalty.
Red Card: The most serious penalty which results in an immediate ejection.

FOULS

Blocking: A defender moving into an opponent's path without giving the opponent a chance to stop or move out of the way, causing contact .
Charge: When someone with the ball pushes into, lowers the shoulder, or makes bodily contact with the opponent who has already established their position.
Covering: Covering the ball with the head of the stick or with a player's foot, blocking someone's ability to pick the ball up.
Cross Check: Initiating stick-to-body contact and using the stick to hit or push the opponent.
Dangerous Shot: When a player's shot follow-through hits a defender or is deemed dangerous by the referee.
Dangerous Stick in the Sphere: Putting a stick too close and checking to the opponent's head.
Empty Stick Check: Checking someone's stick who does not have possession of the ball.
False Start: Starting before the referee's whistle.
Holding: Detaining an opponent by holding or pushing against one's body, clothing, or stick.
Illegal Cradle: When the player cradles the ball so close to their head that it makes checking their stick impossible.
Shooting Space: Guarding the goal so as to obstruct the free space to the goal, denying the attack the opportunity to shoot safely. This applies only to a defensive player not marking an attacking player within stick's length.
Slash: Swinging a stick towards an opponent recklessly.
Three Seconds: When a defender is not within a stick's length of an attacker for more than three seconds while in the 8-meter arc.

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