Straight Shooters: Safe Checks and Three Seconds
by Lindsey Biles | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online
Lindsey:
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| Lindsey Biles is listening. Ask our "Straight Shooters"
columnist anything about women's lacrosse at lindsey@laxmagazine.com. (John Strohsacker/LaxPhotos.com) |
Can you clarify a couple rules for me within girls' high
school rules?
1. What is a safe check (within the sphere)? So I assume an
offensive player cannot control a cradle within the sphere?
2. Once an attacker commits (makes a play within 8 meters), do all
defenders need to be marked up on her in order not to get a
3-second call? I realize that when a non-ball attacker is within 8
meters, only one defender can maintain a mark up, correct?
Thanks in advance, these items are a little gray within the rule
book.
John M. Hoard
Coppell, Texas
Hi John,
In response to your two questions:
1. A safe check is typically one that is executed in a direction
away from the body with a quick "down-up" release. If a player puts
too much force in the downward motion to contact her opponent's
stick, but does not release in an upward motion quickly enough, she
will be called for holding or slashing. A good check is made with
control and quick wrists. The rule book states that a check may be
executed toward the opponent's body so long as it is done in a
controlled manner and no part of the stick or ball comes in contact
with the opponent or enters the 7-inch sphere around her head,
thereby putting the player's safety at risk.
The rules get a little tricky to interpret checking and the 7-inch
sphere around an opponent's head. Typically, checking a player's
stick in a direction toward that player's head or sphere is
considered dangerous and hence, illegal. Likewise, checking a stick
that is being cradled close to the player's head is considered
dangerous, because of the high probability of the stick or the ball
deflecting into the player's head.
For this reason, and you are absolutely correct about this; it is
illegal for a player to cradle the ball within the 7-inch sphere
around her head because it gives her an unfair advantage - her
defender cannot legally get a clean check off without injuring
her.
If your opponent is cradling adjacent to her head but outside of
the sphere, checking her stick head is fair game so long as you
execute it away from her head.
The rules also state that a player may reach into or through the
sphere to execute a safe check. I think that this is a bit harder
to do and a bit harder to interpret, but a situation that comes to
mind is when a defender is running after or pursuing an opponent
who is cradling in front of her shoulder. The defender can reach
forward over her opponent's shoulder and through the outer edge of
the sphere to check the head of her opponent's stick as long as its
executed legally - away from her body (and the 7-inch sphere) and
without coming into contact with her shoulder.
Other situations would apply, but I would be careful - executing
this legally is tough and you run the risk of getting called for a
foul.
2. To answer the second part of your question, yes, only one
defender can mark a player off-ball. Any other defenders attempting
to mark the same player for more than 3 seconds would be in
violation of the 3-second rule. Defenders attempting to double team
an off-ball player would be subject to the same. A defender cannot
be within the 8 meter without a mark for more than 3 seconds - a
mark being defined as an attacker within a stick's length.
If a player with the ball makes a play within the 8 meter, either
to goal or otherwise, two or more defenders can double team that
player without getting called for the 3-second violation so long as
they are marked up on that player.
Adherence to the "stick's length" rule when double teaming is not
strictly enforced if the intent to double team is clear. All other
players not attempting to double are still subject to the 3-second
rule with respect to their off-ball marks.
During a general collapse within the 8 meter (for example, when
the defense collapses as a unit into the 8 meter in response to a
feed into the middle by the opposing team), again, 3 seconds
generally does not come into play, provided that when the scoring
play is over, defenders quickly find a mark.
Best,
Lindsey
Lindsey Biles was an All-American and Tewaaraton Trophy
finalist during her career at Princeton University. She graduated
in 2005 ranked second among the Tigers' all-time leading scorers
with 175 goals and 221 points. Biles, who helped lead Princeton to
consecutive NCAA Division I championships in 2002-03, was also a
member of the 2006-07 U.S. Women's Elite Team.
Send your questions to Biles at lindsey@laxmagazine.com.
