| Rules
· The NLL play what is known as Box Lacrosse, or indoor lacrosse. It's played on a standard hockey arena floor that is covered by an artificial rug. The Roughnecks will play all their games at the Saddledome.
· Each team has a 23-man roster, but can only dress 17 players for games (15 runners and two goalies). Teams have six players on the floor at all times – the same as hockey.
· The game is four 15-minute quarters, with a two-minute break between quarters and a 12-minute halftime. Teams are allowed two 45-second time outs each half.
· Games ending regulation play with a tie score are decided by five-minute sudden death overtime period. Play continues until a goal is scored. If necessary, extra overtime periods are played until a winner is decided.
· Similar to basketball, teams have 10 seconds to advance the ball past midfield after taking possession in their own zone.
· To determine possessions at the start of each quarter and after every goal, two players face their sticks at midfield with a referee placing the ball between the heads of the sticks.
· 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.
· Teams are only allowed one two-hour practice per week. This evens the playing field for teams that have a majority of their players living in the area they play and teams that have to fly players in for games.
· Although plenty of hacking and slashing is allowed, there are penalties. There are two-minute minor and five-minute major penalties that can be assessed depending on the severity of the foul. An automatic major is handed out if a player deliberately attempts to high-stick another in the head. If a team is two men down and a third penalty is assessed, the player is awarded a penalty shot because no team can be short three men.
· Lacrosse nets increased three inches in width this year, to four feet high by four feet, nine inches wide. The league also changed the netting this year to black so that the white ball will show up better. There's a nine-foot three-inch diameter crease around the goal, and an offensive player is not allowed to intentionally step into this area until the ball is already there. |
