Last evening, there were a number of U.S. Open Cup games in the world of men’s soccer. In at least two of these games, there were incidents when it appeared a goal was scored, but because of the lack of goal-line technology or video assisted review in the U.S. Open Cup, the goals were not given.
As much as replay has been criticized as an all-seeing eye which has been used to re-referee a contest, I tend to think about these technologies as a tool — something which can be used to help game officials.
That is, if the rules will allow.
This takes us to last week’s game between the University of Maryland and Northwestern in women’s lacrosse. In the 47th minute of play, as the ball was heading into the attack zone, there was a collision between Maryland’s Lauren LaPointe and Northwestern’s Madison Smith. It was a collision that sent LaPointe to the locker room for a couple of minutes, but she came back onto the pitch.
In the days immediately following the game, the video clip of the collision has been shared and commented on by fans of both teams as well as people looking to impose helmets and shoulder pads on female players.
But I have a different view on this situation. The way the rules are currently written, the umpiring crew on site did not have the means to impose any kind of sanction for the barge.
That is, assuming the officials saw the collision in the first place, which I’m not sure was the case.
You see, video replay in NCAA women’s lacrosse (according to the rules as written in February 2025) is limited to the following:
- Correcting game/possession clock in case of an error or malfunction
- Determining if the release of a shot beats the game or possession clock
- Whether a ball came off the body of a player on the attacking team
- Whether the ball passed over the goal line into the goal cage
- Crease violations
- Whether or not a shot was deflected by the pipe or goalie, resetting the possession clock
- To determine possession of the ball at the end of a quarter for purposes of retaining possession in the next quarter
- To determine embellishment or simulation fouls
- To identify cardable offenses in the act of shooting, including dangerous propelling
- To identify or confirm the number of an offender after a card has been administered
- To identify, confirm, or overturn a foul for cards already administered
I especially want to emphasize the last two bullet points. In both scenarios, a card would have already have to have been given in order for VAR to be implemented.
One other aspect of this situation may need to be revisited, and that’s the fact that there are only three levels of penalty cards in women’s lacrosse — the one-minute green card, the two-minute yellow, and the five-minute red card.
As things stand now, a red card is a five-minute non-releasable suspension after which a player can return to the pitch for the offending team. This is unlike field hockey or soccer, where a team plays short the rest of the match.
Viewed through this aspect, I’m flummoxed. The game officials, I think, had most of the tools available to administer some kind of sanction after the collision in the Maryland-Northwestern game.
They did not do so.