Your proposed rule would eliminate a section of most

teams offense - the big midfielder alley dodge that usually gets set up outside the box so that an offensive player can build up some speed. Granted as teams are moving more toward positionless lax on offense it just becomes any big, fast guy to do the alley dodge. There was an attempt about 12-15 years ago where offenses were time restricted on getting in and out of the box. I think there was a ten second clock once you touched it up in the box that you had to return to touching the box again within 10 seconds. There was also the 2 minute rule wherein a team that was up had to keep it in the box when they had it on offense. I believe they got rid of that rule when the shot clock was introduced but it never really impacted the game that much.

What it would likely do is push teams to play zone and become really compact in front of the goalie knowing a team would have reduced amount of field to work with in that last 20 seconds. Defenses might (there would likely be some analytics involved on whether this makes sense) then press out in those last 20 seconds knowing one bad step would result in a turnover. Offenses would likely wait it out knowing as a team presses out openings occur. So instead of creating earlier offense it would likely do the opposite.

The game is plenty fast as it is. Pushing it more can lead to more of a helter skelter approach. You would take the team aspects of the game out of it and move it more toward a professional product - think NCAA v. NBA. It move the game more to the PLL and predecessor MLL which I always found lame.

Further, several high level youth lax conferences (e.g., the elite division of the 7th and 8th grade HOCO lax conference) are going to have 7th and 8th graders conform to the NCAA shot clock rules next spring. So a shot clock will be coming to high school soon enough. Some intra-sectional lacrosse games like between private schools playing another private school in a different area (where most of the talent will end up in DI) have played with a shot clock.

Thanks for the feedback. Maybe I'm just scarred from

watching a bunch of youth games the past few years and being programmed that every time the coach yells out "yellow" I know I can go on my phone for the next 20 seconds because nothing is going to happen which seems to contradict the claim that lacrosse is the "fastest sport". I do see your point about how it could be turned to an advantage for the defense and an incentive for them to be extra cautious early in the possession.

As an aside there's a special place in hell for the 4th grade lacrosse coach who thinks he's a genius for playing a packed in defense vs. kids that can't shoot hard. Thanks buddy I really want to spend a Tuesday night watching kids lob passes around in a circle until one of them drops it or gets bored and takes a bad shot. I hope it's worth it for you to get a win in a game that isn't supposed to have an official score in a league that has no standings or playoffs.

Yeah. I know all about that 4th grade stuff. I'm living it

right now. Not that bad for most teams because we play in a pretty high lax IQ area. Rec Coaches do have their "yellow" call but it is more to stop the kids from forcing something that isn't there in a secondary fast break. most times at the travel level it is about subbing offense for defense (at my son's age it is mostly getting the LSM off the field because most long sticks think they are the next Brett Makar but very few have the stickwork for it - which is why they were made long sticks.)

But, I do get your overall point on it. Blame Bill Tierney when he choked the life out of the ball with his Princeton offenses in the 90s. He basically transformed the game from the fastbreak SU style to the more methodical game you see today.

Good Post...I Think College Lax is In a Good Place

in regards to scoring and possessions. My alum son went to a party after the semifinals and ran into a conversation where people were saying that lacrosse offered a great payoff on scoring per possession:

- soccer was too tough to score at a top level
- hockey was often too random (see Stanley Cup)
- basketball was almost too often and easy the pro level
- but lacrosse had that good mixture of scoring and success; fast break pops and forcing shot-clock violations.

As per rules, the one I had been interested in was face-offs. Going into this weekend, I was bordering on limiting them to start quarters. But after watching Lynch give us the opportunity to tie in the UVA game, I've got to rethink that...

Agreed. I think the college game is at a good place

with respect to scoring and possessions. The shot clock definitely helped the game at that level. I can probably see a time where the shorten a little bit more to say 60 and 45 or something like that but I think the 80/60 rule is perfect.

As I said before, the shot clock is likely coming to HS and then, eventually high level youth lacrosse leagues/tournaments. Too many games at that level are dragging like they did in college pre-shot clock. this is especially true in the more talented games. Looking at you coach this weekend that was up 9 to 2 with 4 minutes (and won all but one faceoff in the game), calling time out and essentially stalled the last 5 minutes of the game. My son in 6th grade played in a tournament last fall that applied the NCAA shot clock rule and it was fine. There were no more procedure calls in that tournament then a tournament that had a 20 second, 10 second get it in the box rule applied. In fact, it was probably less of an issue.

Big issue with the shot clock is the cost of getting the clocks. Certainly doable for HS (and Howard County, MD's club league is going to a shot clock for the 7th and 8th grade elite divisions next spring) but likely harder for your random youth tournament in the middle of a cow pasture in the middle of no where PA that would need 10 or so for it to work (plus the labor costs of running it).

Only change I would like to see - replay review

Duke illustrated the two instances where review should be added:
1) Crease violations on scored goals (especially OT)

2) Hits to the head - Duke player would have gotten 3 minutes and ejection if that hit on CKav was reviewed. CKav got a burst eardrum and surprised not a concussion

With You on Both Counts

Even from the Club Seats, everyone in the section was shouting "crease!" (the action was coming towards us).

That rule has to be amended: easiest way for tourney is replay.