NCAA WOMEN’S LACROSSE RULEBOOK, RULE 2/SECTION 12: “In the event that a goal was scored with an illegal stick, including if the player who shot the goal does not drop their stick or hand their stick to the nearest official in a timely fashion, or the goal scorer or any teammate adjusts the goal-scoring stick in any way before dropping the stick or handing it to the official, the goal shall not count.”
It’s been a dozen years since the mandatory stick check after goals was brought into the game of women’s lacrosse. The stick inspection came into being a few years after a stick with an illegal pocket depth was identified, nullifying a possible win by a second-year Florida team in the NCAA Tournament.
Since the imposition of the rule, sticks have been thrown, bounced, slid, slung, and tossed as part of goal celebrations. Now, there were a couple of instances this year when umpires were hit by thrown sticks, and we’ve heard that the interpretation of the current rule is being tightened mid-season.
But last week, in an NCAA Division II game between Rollins and Grand Valley State, the umpires called goal-scorers for delay of game for not dropping or handing over the stick immediately after scoring. I’ve seen this before: the umpiring crews at the 2022 World Championships flagged players for delaying the handover of their sticks for inspection.
In one situation in the Rollins-Grand Valley game, a teammate of the goalscorer touched the stick before the umpire picked it up. Another time, the stick was thrown in somewhat random direction.
Oddly enough, the game officials, contrary to Rule 2/Section 12, did not wave off the goal. The goal counted and the officials gave an illegal procedure signal. The opposing team received possession at the center stripe.
This situation is a head-scratcher, for sure.