Last weekend, three D-1 lacrosse fall-ball games experimented with new rules aimed at increasing the pace of play by speeding up offense and forcing transitions. These new rules include quicker restarts, adjusted counts, horn-only substitutions, adjusted man-down faceoffs and the much-anticipated shot clock.
We believe these rules add to the overall enjoyment of the game because they should increase the amount of goals scored. Last year’s games, as exciting as some were, could be almost unbearably slow at times. Offenses held the ball for minutes, slowing the game and making no threat to score. With the implementation of a shot clock, fans like us will stay more engaged in games because more action is happening and increased offensive production will hold viewers’ attention.
A quicker restart means that teams no longer have to take the ball outside the box after an infraction like warding. The defense can pick up the ball and run down the field without hesitation. This will increase transitional play and fast breaks, leading to a higher scoring game. Horn-only substitutions have also been implemented to enhance offensive production. Teams can no longer substitute on the fly, but only when the ball goes out of bounds. This will eliminate specialized players, such as long stick midfielders and face-off experts, because they cannot sub-off after their run is over. These rules have increased the pace of the game and have made offensive possessions sloppier, according to coaches who played with the experimental rules this weekend.
While we think most of these rule changes are for the better, we do not agree with the new horn-only substitution. With the elimination of specialized positions, some of the country’s greatest players would be out of the spotlight. Joel White, a Tewaaraton Award finalist (lacrosse’s MVP Award), would not have been able to excel the way he did if this substitution rule was put in place, and great face-off men like 2001 Whitman grad Andy Corno would not have had such a significant influence on the sport.
“It did get the ball going up and down the field and that’s something you gotta give them credit for,” UMBC coach Don Zimmerman told InsideLacrosse in an interview Oct. 9.
The shot clock has been discussed for years and has already been put into practice in Major League Lacrosse. It was used this weekend at college level scrimmages to see if it would be a good change. The clock will force offenses to shoot the ball instead of holding it. Two different types of shot clocks were used this weekend. The first type started when a stall warning, which means the team must keep the ball in the box, was issued and the offense had 30 seconds to shoot. The second alteration was a 60 second shot clock once the team once the team enters the offensive zone, similar to the shot clock in basketball. The second type is used by the MLL and has been effective in increasing offensive productivity. Professional games are generally much higher scoring than college and often reach the 30 goal mark as compared to college which reaches around 20.
The shot clock rule was well liked by coaches and something they would be willing to make a permanent change, they said. Most teams prefer to run a quicker paced offense, but for teams like Syracuse and Maryland who like a slower offense, this rule will change their game-plans and recruits.
“I thought the shot clock was great; it was a fast-paced game that went pretty quick,” North Carolina head coach Joe Breschi told InsideLacrosse Oct. 9.
Overall, these rules were a great test to see if in the future they can be implemented. Rules like the adjusted clock didn’t make much of a difference, but the shot clock could be seen in college lacrosse in 2016 affecting the game greatly.
