My Thoughts on US Lacrosse Rule Changes

Last week US Lacrosse announced rule changes for the 2018 season. In 2017 lacrosse made sweeping changes at the U8, U10 and u12 ages. I really enjoyed the changes made last year. I coached U8. Playing 4v4 really opens the field up. It allow players to get lots of touches.
This year US Lacrosse is asking referees to make an emphasis on

• sportsmanship
• stick checks to the head
• fish hooking the mouth guard.

My thoughts on these points are: for the most part the younger kids are good sports. In middle and high school I hope the referees have enough command over the game, and enough confidence to throw a flag on a midi who chirps “whoop whoop” after he split dodges someone in the middle of the field. Isn't putting him on skates enough? Personally I don't think we need the “woop woop.” Stick checks to the head are on us coaches to teach stick discipline and keep it under control. I don't ever see fishhooking with the little kids. If they have a mouthpiece foul it's because they forgot/ lost it. I know that high school players are going to have a tough time keeping that mouthpiece in their mouth in 2018.
US Lacrosse did not only make point of emphasis and add rules. They removed some rules as well. One rule eliminated is the penalty for raking the ball at U6, U8, and U10 levels. I might get some pushback, but I'm a fan of this. Often at 6, 7 and 8 years old raking is the only way to get it in your stick. I believe not raking the ball is a skill that coaches should teach and really emphasize why we don't want to do it. I myself have scored a few after quickly raking it in front of the cage. Little kids deserve that goal.
The next rule I would like to eliminate throughout youth lacrosse is the one pass rule. I think the one pass rule is great for practice to switch up the situation. Though, in competition, if a player intercepts a pass or picks up a great ground ball, they should be allowed to chugg down the field and score. It is up to the other team to stop ball and force a pass or bad shot. With the one pass rule the defense locks off the only other player around until the cavalry arrives. They are smart little buggers. I believe we take that pass away and we get more assists naturally. The defender will leave their man to stop ball and the ball carrier will make the one more pass. See you on the field soon.

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