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Publisher’s Note: The National Federation of State High School Associations is the only source of official high school interpretations. They do not set aside nor modify any rule. They are made and published by the NFHS in response to situations presented.
Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, Publisher, NFHS Publications © 2024

2024 NFHS Boys Lacrosse Rules Book Corrections: (Underlining shows additions; strikethrough shows deletions.)

Rules Book Corrections
Page 46, 4-14-3: Once the ball has been successfully advanced into the goal area, a team is provided the opportunity to run its offense in its offensive half of the field. If the offensive team carries, passes or propels the ball to its defensive half of the field and the offensive team was last in possession, and last touched the ball (except on shot), the result will be an immediate turnover or play-on. If the ball does not touch the center line or something over the center line, no infraction has occurred. A defensive player may reach over the center line with the crosse and bat the ball to keep it in the team’s offensive half and thus prevent an over-and-back violation. However, that player may NOT reach over the center line and bat the ball with a foot or any other part of or the body excluding the gloved hand wrapped around the crosse. If that player does so, it shall be a turnover.

Page 52, 4.19.5 SITUATION B: The goalkeeper makes a save. When out of the crease, A1 legally checks B1 back into the crease, while A1 B1 is still in possession of the ball. RULING: The ball is awarded to Team A.

Page 75, 6.5.2 SITUATION D: During the course of play, goalkeeper B1’s stick becomes broken, while in the crease has the goalkeeper’s stick broken or any other mandatory equipment becomes broken or dislodged. RULING: The officials will stop play as soon as they notice the problem, regardless of whether the goalkeeper is in or out of the crease. However, if a shot is already in flight when the equipment becomes broken or dislodged, the shot will be allowed to come to its normal conclusion before the whistle blows to stop play.

2024 NFHS Boys Lacrosse Rules Interpretations:
SITUATION 1: What happens when the goalkeeper leaves the crease during live play? How is the goalkeeper treated once the whistle is blown to stop play and we have a dead ball?
RULING: 1. Live Ball - When the goalkeeper leaves the crease during live ball play, the goalkeeper assumes the role of a field player. (4-24-1)
2. Dead Ball - Once play is stopped with a whistle, while anywhere on the field, goalkeeper privileges apply again. The following situation may occur.
a. If the crosse was lost in a legal way, the goalkeeper may retrieve their crosse and officials should then give the goalkeeper up to five seconds to return to their crease.
b. If the goalkeeper’s stick is broken, the goalkeeper can get a replacement from the sideline officials should initiate a 20-second countdown. (4.24.1D)

SITUATION 2: What is the consequence if the goalkeeper, while outside the crease, breaks or loses the goalkeeper’s stick and continues to participate in live-ball play without it? RULING: This is a technical foul. (4.24.1B, 6.5.2K)

SITUATION 3: What happens if a helmet comes off during live play? Is the play stopped immediately, must the player leave the field, and can that player return before the next dead ball? RULING: The objective of this new Rule/Procedure is to encourage proper equipment usage. There are no exceptions to this rule. For the 2024 season, the NFHS rule is as follows:

• For the NFHS rule, there is no foul for a helmet coming off as a result of normal play. This is different from the NCAA rule, which treats it as a technical foul.
• If a helmet unintentionally comes off during play, the game is stopped immediately, and the player whose helmet came off must leave the field.
  ◦ If Team A had or is entitled to possession, Team A maintains possession.
  ◦ If Team B had or is entitled possession, Team B maintains possession.
  ◦ If the ball is loose and neither team is entitled to possession, the officials will use alternate possession (AP) to determine possession.
• Helmets being removed intentionally to stop play (example: to prevent a goal) are subject to a one-, two- or three-minute non-releasable unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at the official’s discretion.
• For a helmet that is knocked off as the result of a foul, the player who lost the helmet must still leave the field and may not return until the next dead ball. The officials will adjudicate the foul as they would in any other situation.
• When a player’s helmet comes off during live play, a time-out request granted during the stoppage does not permit that player to remain in the game. However, once the player has left the game and play resumes, if the team is entitled to a time-out, they can do so, and the player that lost the helmet can then return to the game.

Officiating Mechanics

• To ensure consistent handling of play restarts when a player’s helmet comes off during live play, officials will use their timers, which will provide players up to 20 seconds to exit the field and restart play. Factors like injuries or field location might affect the restart time, but the goal of this officiating method is to ensure consistency on restarts.
• If a player’s helmet comes off during live play, officials will collaborate with the table crew and the player’s coach to ensure the player stays off the field until the next stoppage. If the player returns prematurely and participates before the next stoppage, it will be treated as a technical foul for illegal procedure.

NFHS Rule 4-24-11 (Helmet Rule) Situations
Rule 4-24 ART. 11. . . If a player has the helmet come off during play, play shall be suspended immediately, and the player shall leave the field until after the next dead ball following the resumption of play.

SITUATION 4: A1 loses the helmet, play is stopped, and A1 must leave the field until after the next dead ball following the resumption of play. (a) Is Team A allowed 20 seconds for the substitution? (b) Is Team B allowed to substitute on the same stoppage? RULING: (a) Yes. (b) Yes.

SITUATION 5: With possession of the ball, A1’s helmet comes off as A1 is about to shoot on goal. A1 shoots after losing the helmet and the ball enters the goal. RULING: Immediate whistle upon the loss of the helmet. No goal. A1 must leave the field until after the next dead ball following the resumption of play. Award the ball to Team A outside the goal area.

SITUATION 6: A1, with possession of the ball, is legally checked by B1, and A1’s helmet comes off. RULING: Immediate whistle upon the loss of the helmet. A1 must leave the field until after the next dead ball following the resumption of play. Award the ball to Team A outside the goal area.

SITUATION 7: A1, with possession of the ball, is illegally checked by B1, and A1 loses the helmet. RULING: Immediate whistle upon the loss of the helmet. B1 serves one to three minutes, depending on the illegal check. A1 must leave the field until after the next dead ball following the resumption of play. Award the ball to Team A outside the goal area.

SITUATION 8: A1, with possession of the ball, is illegally checked by B1, and A1’s helmet comes off as A1 is about to shoot on goal. A1 shoots after losing his helmet and the ball enters the goal. RULING: Immediate whistle upon the loss of the helmet. No goal. A1 must leave the field until after the next dead ball following the resumption of play. B1 serves one to three minutes, depending on the illegal check. Award the ball to Team A outside the goal area.

SITUATION 9: While the ball is loose, A1’s helmet comes off. RULING: Immediate whistle upon the loss of the helmet. A1 must leave the field until after the next dead ball following the resumption of play. Award the ball to the team entitled to possession or by Alternating Possession if neither team is entitled to possession.

SITUATION 10: A1 has possession of the ball, and B1’s helmet comes off. RULING: Immediate whistle upon the loss of the helmet. B1 must leave the field until after the next dead ball following the resumption of play. Award the ball to Team A outside the goal area. No penalty time is served by B1.

SITUATION 11: A1 shoots on goal. While the shot is in the air, A1 is checked by B1 (a) legally, or (b) illegally, and A1’s helmet comes off. RULING: Since the shot is released before A1’s helmet comes off, the shot is allowed to continue to its natural conclusion (see Rule 4-5-6 for the definition of a shot). If the ball enters the goal, the goal counts. If the shot does not result in a goal, the whistle is blown. A1 must leave the field until after the next dead ball following the resumption of play. (a) If B1’s check was legal, award the ball by Alternate Possession since a shot in the air is a loose ball. (b) If B1’s check was illegal, B1 serves one to three minutes. Award the ball to Team A outside the goal area if no goal was scored; faceoff at midfield if a goal was scored.

SITUATION 12: A1 shoots on goal as time is expiring. While the shot is in the air, the horn sounds as time expires, then A1 is checked by B1 (a) legally, or (b) illegally; and A1’s helmet comes off. RULING: Since the shot is released before A1’s helmet comes off, the shot is allowed to continue to its natural conclusion. If the ball enters the goal, the goal counts. If the shot does not result in a goal, the whistle is blown to end the period. A1 must leave the field until after the next dead ball following the resumption of play. (a) If B1’s check was legal, the next period will start with a face-off. (b) If B1’s check was illegal, B1 serves one to three minutes. Award the ball to Team A in the same relative position on the field (but outside the goal area) to start the next quarter if no goal was scored; faceoff at midfield if a goal was scored.

SITUATION 13: While A1 has possession of the ball, and A1’s helmet comes off. A1 leaves the field until after the next dead ball following the resumption of play. (a) Before play resumes after the whistle, or (b) after play resumes after the whistle, Team A head coach requests a time-out hoping to create a dead ball to keep A1 in the game. RULING: (a) Since no time has come off the clock between the whistle for the loss of helmet and the time-out, the time-out does not count as a dead ball for the purpose of allowing A1 back in the game. A1 must remain off the field until after the next dead ball following the resumption of play after the time-out. (b) Since time has come off the clock between the between the whistle for the loss of helmet and the time-out, the time-out counts as a dead ball for the purpose of allowing A1 back in the game. A1 may re-enter the game after the time-out.

NOTE: All of these situations apply to NFHS Rules only.