Sheehan: Smart Foul or Dumb Move?
by Sheehan Stanwick Burch | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online
Ever see a defensive back in an NFL game tackle a wide-open receiver on a 60-yard bomb in an attempt to prevent the big touchdown? Or a basketball player hack at the arm of an opposing player streaking into the open court for a breakaway dunk?
Invariably, the announcer will utter something to the effect of, "That was a smart foul," or, "What a heads-up play." The general consensus seems to be that, in those instances, committing the foul is a better alternative than giving up the big play.
Women's lacrosse is not immune from these strategies, either.
In the February issue of Lacrosse Magazine, Clare Lochary wrote about gamesmanship and cheating in women's lacrosse ("Toeing the Line"). Disturbingly, however, Clare mentioned that there are coaches that teach their players to intentionally get into shooting space to draw a foul and stop the play. This is shocking, given that this rule is aimed at limiting the potential for serious injury.
I have to say that, unfortunately, this is not the first time I have heard of individuals using this strategy. Many of my lacrosse official colleagues have witnessed this firsthand. Some officials report that they have even had players flat-out tell them that their coach wanted them to get called for shooting space, or have had defenders approach them and ask why shooting space was not called after a goal was scored. It is frightening to me that someone would be coached to do this, or even be willing to put herself in so much danger.
Shooting space is called often during the course of a game, and it is an extremely confusing and frustrating rule to understand for those not familiar with the game. (In fact, there probably isn't enough space in this column to fully explain this rule.) Essentially, shooting space is all about safety. In layman's terms, shooting space should be called if an attacker is looking to shoot, has the opportunity to shoot, a defender obstructs the offensive player's path to the goal and that defender is not tightly guarding another player.
I reached out to Caitlyn McFadden, a University of Florida assistant coach, current member of the U.S. National Team and pretty much All-Everything in 2010 at Maryland. During the course of her career, Caitlyn has also been coached by some of the best in the game, so she pretty much has seen and done it all in the game. Thankfully, Caitlyn expressed disbelief that this strategy was a part of anyone's game plan.
"I have never heard of or had a coach tell me to get into shooting space on purpose," McFadden said.
Hopefully, it won't take a serious injury to reverse or stop this blatant disregard of the rule. Ultimately, the rules are intended to preserve the integrity of the game and the safety of its players. When it comes to the latter, player safety is paramount. No measure of gamesmanship should ever outweigh player safety.
Another aspect of gamesmanship identified in the "Toeing the Line" article is an issue that is near and dear to me (as a former attacker). As Clare detailed in her editorial, defenders are being instructed to run through the goal circle if they are beat. I had many discussions with current players on this issue. Player after player told me that this was something that they had indeed been taught to do. The players went on to clarify that, if they were totally out of position, it would be better to run through the goal circle in violation of the rule than to give up a goal. The best-case scenario is that the foul is not called,and they can gain ground on their attacker. The worst-case scenario is that the official makes the call, and assesses the penalty.
Even if called, the cost-benefit of violating the rule seems to support running through the goal circle. The penalty is a mere 12-meter indirect free position on the goal line extended. Players and coaches beware: many officials know that players do this, and they are quick to call the foul and escalate the penalty to an 8-meter direct free position shot if it is repeated -- or issue cards if necessary.
As a former attacker that loved to work the crease, I think this strategy is infuriating. But I suspect that is what the wide-open receiver would say, too.
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Sheehan Stanwick Burch, a former four-time All-American player at Georgetown University who went on to play for the U.S. Elite team, is a college women's lacrosse analyst for CBS College Sports. Check back to laxmagazine.com each week throughout the season for columns and podcasts. Send comments or suggestions to sheehanburch@gmail.com. |
