Sports Network and Fitness, Inc. rules for box lacrosse are modified for indoor play in our facility.
1. Team Size: 6 per team (1 goaltender, 5 forwards) - on the floor at a time, unless there is a penalty situation. The minimum number of players allowable to start a game is four.
2. Eligibility: Only fully registered players may play. Fully registered means that SNF has: a waiver form from the player, signed by him and a parent (if player is a minor) and full payment. A team playing with non-registered players will forfeit that game. In addition, a player who gives his jersey to a non- roster player to play for him will be suspended for one game.
3. Equipment: All players are required to wear a helmet (lacrosse or hockey), shoulderpads, armpads, gloves and a mouthguard. Goalies must also wear a box lacrosse goalie pads (provided by SNF), throat guard and an athletic cup. Goalies may not wear "excessive" padding on their legs, torso or arms. "Excessive" shall be at the discretion of the referee. No long sticks will be permitted. Short sticks only in box lacrosse!
4. Game Length: Games consist of two, 25-minute halves with a five-minute half-time. There will not be warm-up time allowed on the field. We encourage stretching completely off field prior to taking the field to help avoid potential injuries. Please exit the field promptly upon completion of the game to allow the next teams to take the field.
5. Face-Offs: Face-offs occur at the beginning of each half and to restart play after an out of bounds situation where it cannot be determined who last touched the ball before it left play. Face-offs will also restart play after a goal is scored.
6. Substitutions: All substitutions are on the fly or on a dead ball stoppage of play (acknowledged by referee). There is no "horn.” A substitute may enter the field when the player coming off is within one yard of the bench. Too many players on the field will result in a 1 minute penalty.
7. Clearing the Ball: The goaltender has 4 seconds to clear the ball from the goal crease. There will not be a midfield clearing rule. Back-court will not be enforced.
8. After a Goal: Game will be restarted with a face-off. If there is a goal differential of 6 goals or more, play will resume when the scored-on goalie has the ball in his stick and the referee blows his whistle to restart play. The goalie has 10 seconds to pick up the ball. If the goalie doesn't pick up the ball within 10 seconds, a delay of game penalty will be imposed. Any player on the field may serve this 1 minute penalty.
9. Penalties: All penalties are 1 minute in length (except body-checking & boarding - see #11 & #12). A player begins serving his penalty as soon as the official has signaled the start of play, and he is in the penalty box and the door is closed. Penalties are released if a goal is scored against the offending team (except for Body Checking & Boarding - see #11 & #12).
10. Goalie Penalty: If a goaltender commits a technical or personal foul (slash), then the penalty may be served by another player and the goaltender remains in the game. If a goaltender commits a major foul and is expelled from the game, all rules pertaining to major fouls are in effect.
11. Body Checking: Body checking will not be permitted in the SNF Box Lacrosse League. Normal body contact does not constitute body checking. Body checking will result in 3-minute non-releasable penalty.
12. Boarding: Boarding will not be tolerated. A player may not flagrantly hit or push another player into the boards. Flagrant boarding will result in ejection from the game and expulsion from the league. A 3-minute non-releasable penalty must be served by another player.
13. Fighting: Fighting will not be tolerated. If a player fights or is belligerent in any way, the player will be ejected from the game and suspended from the league for the season without exception. If a player is the third player into a fight, that player will also be ejected from the game and suspended for the season. A 3-minute non-releasable penalty must be served by another player.
14. Arguing with Officials: If a coach or player argues with an official, they can be ejected from the facility and/or the league. Please be positive role models for your players and respect the officials at all times!
15. Stick Contact: Cross checking is illegal. Slashing is also illegal and will be called at the officials discretion.
16. General Behavior: Swearing will not be tolerated and will result in a 1 minute penalty. Continued disregard for this rule will result in ejection from the game and/or the league.
17. Bench Area and Field of Play: Only team members and coaches (1 coach per team) are allowed in the bench area or field of play during a game or during half time.
18. Out of Bounds: The ball is considered "out of bounds" only if it is lost over the boards or glass, hits the netting, hits the ceiling, falls into the bench area, or touches a player or any person not in play on the court. The team that did not last touch the ball restarts play from the nearest point from where the ball left play.
19a. Forfeits: There are 2 situations which can result in a forfeit:
1) A team does not show up for a game or arrives with too few players. A team needs a minimum of 4 players, including a goalie, for the game to count.
2) A team plays with ineligible players. Only fully registered players can play, and can play only for the team they are registered to.
19b. Forfeiture Waiver: A team with too few players may compete with the help of substitute players if, and only if, the opposing team agrees to waive the forfeit rule and allows the substitute players to join the shorthanded team for the game. Only fully registered, age appropriate players from other SNF Box Lacrosse teams can play as substitutes. Exception: Any fully-registered, age-appropriate goalie may play for any team in need of a goalie, without prior approval from the opposing team.
19c. Five Minute Rule: If a team does not want to forfeit a game and does not have enough players to start the game, the referee will start the game clock at the scheduled face off time and if the team still does not have enough players after five minutes has elapsed the game will be declared a forfeit. The two teams then have the option to scrimmage amongst each other as a friendly match.
20. Ejections: A player ejected from a game shall leave the bench area for the remainder of the game. An ejection shall result in a suspension for the following game (flagrant boarding & fighting are automatic season ejection). An ejection from 2 games in the same season shall result in expulsion from the league for the season.
21. Weather Cancellations: Sports Network & Fitness cannot guarantee make up games canceled due to severe weather, so games will be played if at all possible. If severe weather forces a cancellation, we will do our best to reschedule games at the end of the session.
23. Game Start Times: In order to ensure that games start on time, we ask that both teams be suited up and ready to take the field immediately at the conclusion of the previous game. The teams that have finished playing must vacate the field and bench area as quickly as possible.
24. Coaches/Team reps must be 18 years of age or older!
Note: Most field rules apply to box lacrosse.
***REMINDER: NO BODY CHECKING OR BOARDING IN BOX LACROSSE AT THE SPORTS NETWORK.
***REMINDER: SIT ON THE PROPER BENCH (HOME/VISITOR). THE SCHEDULE INCLUDES THIS INFORMATION FOR YOU.
***REMINDER: NO CLEATS ALLOWED! SNEAKERS OR FLATS ONLY. PLAYERS WEARING CLEATS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO PLAY.
