Fans clamoring for a shot clock in NCAA men’s lacrosse will get a good look at a proposed solution this fall.
The NCAA men’s lacrosse rules committee has asked teams to experiment with a visible 60-second shot clock in fall competitions. For teams choosing to use the experimental rule, the shot clock will start when possession is established. Teams will continue to have 30 seconds to clear the ball and enter the attack area.
The committee met last week in Indianapolis. The experimental rule was announced Monday.
“First and foremost, the sport is extremely healthy, and overall the rules are in a great place,” Willie Scroggs, secretary-rules editor of the committee, said in the announcement. “The feedback received is overwhelmingly positive.”
Current NCAA rules allow officials to administer a 30-second countdown when they deem that a team is stalling. Some have questioned the consistency and accuracy of the “timer on” call.
“There is a strong sense that the committee should continue to consider the use of a shot clock for all possessions to remove the officials’ judgment from current stalling rules,” Scroggs said. “The committee is encouraging the use of a 60-second clock to study the impact and hopefully see how teams might approach such a change.”
This is not a rule-change year for NCAA men’s lacrosse, but the committee also submitted for future consideration:
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Shortening the substitution box to mitigate defenses’ ability to hinder transition.
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Allowing offensive players to leave their feet for scoring attempts around the crease. “The dive” was a popular maneuver in the 1990s before it was banned for player safety purposes. Denver coach Bill Tierney may have helped reignite the conversation with remarks he made after the Pioneers’ NCAA semifinal loss to Maryland that ended with diving goals on both sides being overturned.
Dino Mattesich, deputy athletic director at Hofstra, will replace Harvard athletic director Bob Scalise as chair of the NCAA men’s lacrosse rules committee on Sept. 1.