States can adopt shot clock for boys lacrosse starting next season

States can adopt a 70-second shot clock for high school boys lacrosse starting with the upcoming 2027 season.

The new rule is one of 16 changes approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Boys Lacrosse Rules Committee during its meeting in mid-July in Indianapolis.

“The adoption of a shot clock has been a discussion topic over the last few years,” Matt Dempsey, chair of the NFHS Boys Lacrosse Rules Committee, said in a news release Aug. 13. “After two years of data collection and successful implementation by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association as an experiment, the committee felt the addition of the shot clock was the next step in the evolution of the sport.”

According to the new rule, the shot clock begins when a team clears the defensive half of the field or gains possession in its offensive half. Once the clock reaches 60 seconds, the ball must be in the team’s offensive half or possession is awarded to the opposing team.

Another rule change eliminates the 10-second count. Now, when play is restarted with a team in possession in its defensive half of the field or when a team gains possession during a live ball anywhere on the field, it has 20 seconds to play the ball anywhere on the field and must advance the ball (loose or possessed) across the center line before the 20 seconds expires. Once the 20 seconds have elapsed, over-and-back occurs when a team fails to keep the ball in its offensive half of the field except after a shot or when the ball is last touched by the opponent.

Faceoff procedures were also clarified and now state that players must go down together, move into position as quickly as possible and cannot have a knee on the ground at any time before the whistle.

Additionally, equipment rules were updated and state that beginning Jan. 1, 2029, all game balls must be fluorescent green or yellow to improve visibility for players, officials and spectators.

Other clarifications include: a goal will be disallowed if the head of a scorer’s crosse comes off or the crosse breaks, causing the player to lose any portion of the crosse while taking the shot; a helmet is considered dislodged when the chinstrap is no longer secured over the player’s chin; and simplified rules for situations in which the ball becomes lodged in a player’s uniform, stick or other equipment.

Responsibility has been placed on host administration to ensure the field meets rules requirements and minimizes risk. In the absence of host administration, the head coach will assume the role of host administration.

Requirements for head coaches have also been extended to addressing spectator behavior. The head coach, upon the request of an official, is expected to control the actions of spectators not in conformity with the standards of proper conduct.

Finally, field markings were also updated to allow a contrasting-colored line through the center of the field perpendicular to the sidelines providing more flexibility, particularly on artificial fields. Prior to the change, the line had to be white.

“The rules committee prioritized risk minimization and improving pace of play for players and spectators,” said Lindsey Atkinson, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the NFHS Boys Lacrosse Rules Committee.

To see the complete list of rule changes, visit the NFHS website.