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Atlanta Youth Lacrosse conforms to and enforces the NFHS Boys Lacrosse and Youth Lacrosse Rules. We also enforce all of the rules listed below for each age group. If you have any questions about the rules listed below or any NFHS rules please contact our Head Official, Gordon Corsetti, at [email protected].

Before each game the officials will bring players and coaches together and the rules for that specific age group will be explained.

PreK – 4^th Grade

• Stick Checking
  • Any check making contact with an opponent (other than the gloved hand while holding the stick) will be considered a slash. Also, any one-handed check will be considered a slash.
• Body Checking
  • There is no intentional body checking at this level. Players will bump into one another during a game but body checking to dislodge the ball or knock another player down will not be allowed. An illegal body check penalty will be assessed for any intentional body checking at this level.
• Counts
  • There are no 10 or 20 second counts for this age group. Goalies will have a slow four (4) second count to get out of the crease when they have possession of the ball.
• Stalling
  • Teams in the lead are not required to keep the ball in the attack area during the last two minutes of the game.
• Penalties
  • Prek – 2^nd Grade
    • Players will not serve penalty time unless the foul was especially flagrant and/or violent. The ball will be awarded to the team that was fouled at Center X on their offensive half of the field.
  • 3^rd – 4^th Grade
    • Players will serve their penalty time and are required to take a knee in the penalty box until the penalty is released.
• Raking the Ball
  • Players are not permitted to rake the ball into their stick. If a player rakes the ball into their stick the officials will award the ball to the opposing team at the spot of the foul.

5^th – 12^th Grade

• Stick Checking
  • One-handed stick checks are allowed as long as the check hits the opponent’s stick or the gloved hands while holding the stick. One handed stick checks that are determined to be violent or unnecessary will be penalized as a slash.
• Body Checking
  • Body checking is allowed, however take-out checks are not permitted. The officials on the field have final judgment in determining if a body check was unnecessary, avoidable, or too violent.
• Counts
  • 10 and 20 second counts are in effect. Also the four (4) second count for the goalie when the goalie has possession in the crease is in effect.
• Stalling
  • The team in the lead must keep the ball in the attack area during the last two minutes of play. Officials may also tell players to “keep it in” at any point during the game if they feel a team is not making an effort to score.
• Penalties
  • Players will serve their penalty time and are required to take a knee in the penalty box until the penalty is released.
• Raking the Ball
  • Players are not permitted to rake the ball into their stick. If a player rakes the ball into their stick the officials will award the ball to the opposing team at the spot of the foul.
    • NOTE – High School Games will not use this rule, raking is permitted at this level of play.

All Levels of Play

• Unsportsmanlike Conduct
  • Personal fouls are to be taken seriously. In addition to the NFHS rules, any player or coach who uses derogatory or profane language (starting with “damn”) on the field or bench, whether addressing a player, coach or referee may receive: first offense, 1 to 3-minute non-releasable unsportsmanlike conduct penalty; second offense a 3-minute non-releasable expulsion foul.