Ever watch your daughter play and think to yourself "What Was That Call?"
Girls field lacrosse has many rules that are designed around player safety and unless you are versed in the game it can sometimes be difficult to understand why a call was made - in this section of our newsletters we will attempt simply the rules for you!
This one is called much more frequently at the younger ages and can result in much parental sideline confusion resulting in "what was that call" echoing from the sideline!
While inside the 11 meter fan area (which is the smaller pie shaped defined area off of the goalie's crease), a defender must be within a stick length of a player on the attacking team. If not within a stick length of an opponent, the defender can only be in the 11 meter fan area for 3 seconds.
There is an exception for defenders marking the attackers playing behind the goal. These defenders can shadow the attacking player playing behind the goal in front of the goal cage which may result in her being in the 11 meter fan area for more than 3 seconds.
If a defender is called in violation of the three second rule a free position will be awarded to the attacking team. The positioning of the free position will be based upon where the ball was when the foul was called.
If the ball is outside of the fan area, it stays where it is and the player in 3 seconds violation goes 4m behind the ball carrier.
If the ball is inside the fan area, the ball goes to the closest hash mark and the player in 3 seconds violation goes behind the ball carrier. The fan area is cleared of all players and an 11m free position shot on the goal is taken.
