Approved Simplified Penalty Structure in Women's Lacrosse

The NCAA has approved modifications to refine the rules of women's lacrosse, aiming to address unintended consequences from previous changes. The Division I Women's Lacrosse Supervisory Committee gave the green light last week, and the Rules Oversight Panel for Divisions II and III approved the changes on Tuesday, effective for the 2026-27 academic year.

Key Changes to the Penalty Structure

The new rules aim to better align penalties with the nature and severity of infractions. All yellow cards will now be penalized with two minutes without release. Additionally, body and stick contact fouls are reorganized into clearer categories to improve game management and officiating consistency.

• Illegal Check Foul: Will be penalized when a player uses the stick in a reckless manner to hit an opponent.
• Illegal Contact Foul: Involves unsafe or reckless use of the stick or body against an opponent.

The foul of 'flopping' will be combined with exaggeration, turning it into a flagrant foul with a yellow card and two minutes without release. The concept of "targeting" is introduced as a new flagrant foul that results in a red card.

Video Review: Refined Rules

Video review requests will be limited to coaches, and referees must notify both teams. All reviews must be completed within two minutes, and requests during a timeout must be made within the first 30 seconds. Reviews will also confirm the identity of the correct infringer.

Other Modifications and Experimental Rules

Teams in power play at the end of a quarter will retain possession at the start of the next quarter or extra period. Additionally, stick checks are reinstated and must occur at least once per quarter before each draw.

Players with red cards will be ejected from the game, but automatic suspension for the next game is removed. The game and possession clock will stop during official warnings.

During the fall, there will be experiments with a 60-second possession clock and reducing the number of players on the field from 12 to 10. If an attacking team does not retain possession beyond the restraining line, the opposing team will gain possession.

These measures highlight the importance of safety and clarity in NCAA women's lacrosse, seeking to harmonize with other regulations and improve the playing experience.