SEPYLA Rules

SEPYLA typically updates their rules each year.  For 2023, the rules remained as-is from 2022.

A printable version is available via this link:SEPYLA-2023

SEPYLA Rules | Southeastern Pennsylvania Youth Lacrosse Association 

SEPYLA RULES 2023 

Regular Season Rules of SEPYLA That Apply To All Divisions 

  • Teams have 2 Time Outs in each half. 
  • In the event of a tie game at the end of regulation, we play one 4 Minute sudden victory over time period.  The game ends in a tie if no one scores in the one overtime period (Regular Season Only).   Teams have 1 Time Out in overtime. 
  • The 6 goal mercy rule applies once a team is leading by 6 or more goals at all A and B levels, except A3 and B3 level.  4 goal mercy rule applies at all other levels.  THIS IS AN OPTION FOR THE TEAM THAT IS DOWN (6 or 4+) GOALS.  There will be a face off to start each period, even if the mercy rule is in effect.  

             ***SEPYLA will follow U.S. Lacrosse (“USL”) Rules and have “12 goal running clock” at all levels. If delta reaches 12 goals or greater, than a running clock goes into effect.  the clock will only be stopped for a team time-out, official’s time-out, or an injury time-out. All penalties that occur during a score differential situation will be running time. In this situation, running penalty time begins with the next whistle resuming play. 

 

  • All penalties are served in all Divisions.  All players must serve their own penalties.  With respect to fouls called on a Goalie – if 2 (two) Goalies are present for the fouling team, the Goalie will serve his foul: if only 1 (one) Goalie is present, your team’s “in-home” will serve for your Goalie. This will be followed for both technical and conduct fouls.  EXCEPTION, If one goalie is present, and foul is is 2 minutes or greater at discretion of referee, that goalie will be required to serve penalty and opposing team will have to “dress” another player as goalie during penalty.  The player replacing the goalie must be properly equipped with regulation goalie equipment. 
  • All spectators must remain on the opposite side of the field of the players and coaches. 
  • The “Home” team will wear WHITE UNIFORMS, Visitor will wear NON-WHITE option. Home team shall supply responsible adults for both the game and penalty clocks.  Coaches will not keep game or penalty time clocks. 
  • Players must stand in the bench area during the game (unless there is not sufficient sideline space for a bench area). 
  • Both teams must have a properly equipped goalie on the field at all times per USL Rule 1 Section 9 
  • SEPYLA will follow the USL language and penalties (USL Rule 5) on body checks at ALL levels.  
  • USL Rules – These rules will be followed for 2018 season, as well as USL adopted changes.  The only exception to this is the use of a long pole at the C level as outlined below. 
  • Only balls approved by NOCSEA will be permitted to be used in SEPYLA games.  
  • Attack and Defensive In-Home Players: Teams will nominate a starting defensive player and starting attack player as in-home. Defensive in-home players are used if a goalie commits a foul and their teams do not have another properly equipped goalie to be a replacement. In this case, the goalie can remain in the game and the nominated in-home will serve the goalie’s penalty 
  • We will follow the USL Face-off rules in 2016 and beyond.   
  • FACEOFFS:  NO TAPE IS REQUIRED FOR THE FACEOFFPLAYERS STICK 
  • Horns for substitutions are allowed on all balls that go out of bounds on the side lines. 
  • A goal shall be counted as long as the ball has been released from the players stick prior to the expiration of a period. 
  • Contact of any degree made to an opponent head while actively making a stick check is a slashing penalty. 
  • Spectators in addition to players, coaches, and team personnel can cause a time-serving unsportsmanlike penalty. 
  • The second and subsequent violations by a team when their defensive player enters the crease and assumes the position of a goalie shall result in a releasable unsportsmanlike penalty served by the offending player. 
  • When stalling rules are applied, they will remain in effect until a shot hits the goal pipe, goalie, or the goalie’s equipment in addition to the existing rules for stopping a stall warning. 
  • NFHS – Slow Whistle 

Section 7.8 article 2; during a Flag Down Slow Whistle the whistle is withheld and the ball doesn’t have to kept in goal area and the ball can hit the ground as long as it doesn’t: 

  1. a)      Go out-of-bounds
  2. b)      Defensive team gains possession
  3. c)       Attacking team commits a foul or violation including failure to clear ball into the mid field or attack box.
  4. d)      Injury to a player in a scrimmage area
  5. e)       Serious injury to a player on either team
  6. f)        A player loses any required equipment in the scrimmage area
  7. g)       Attacking team requests a team time-out
  8. h)      The period ends
  9. i)        A second (2nd) defensive foul is committed unless a scoring play is imminent.  New foul could be against the player in possession or some other member of the attacking team.

4.3.3 Standing Face off:  

A visible marker for player setup, addresses players standing rather than kneeling. (Rule 4-3-3a, f and g). The change also restricts players from using the “moto-grip” to favor a standing neutral grip, creating a fairer and safer faceoff.  

One additional faceoff modification was that upon the whistle that starts play, each player must attempt to play the ball first before they may body check their opponent. Rule 4-3-3i was added to ensure that faceoff players play the ball and prohibit an immediate body-check to their opponent. 

At the sound of the whistle to start play, when players in wing areas are released, they must avoid body-checking faceoff players who are battling for control of the ball while still in their initial faceoff spot. 

Rule 5-4-5, which addresses situations in which it is illegal to body check players in defenseless positions. The newly adopted prohibition specifies that a player shall not body-check the opponent, who is considered a defenseless player, while the player is lying on the ground. 

A Targeting foul will result in an automatic suspension 

4.22 Quick Restarts: (A and B divisions only) 

 

  • OFFENSIVE players must be 5 yards from the player restarting with the ball. (No Armadillo or Hidden Ball Plays on a Restart). 
  • Officials will no longer wait for DEFENSIVE players to position themselves more than 5 yards from the player in possession of the ball when restarting play. 
  • On All Restarts DEFENSIVE Players MUST  
  • Allow the offensive ball carrier a direct path to the goal  
  • Not engage the ball carrier until they have established a distance of 5 yards 
  • Penalty: The penalty for a DEFENSIVE player engaging the ball carrier before a distance of 5 yards has been reached is a technical foul for delay of game.  

A Level Rules (For the sake of cross reference these will be considered U14 Rules.) 

 

  • 10 Minute Stop Time Quarters 
  • We will follow the USL Rules 4.11,  20 and 10 counts for clearing and getting in the box. 
  • Teams that are leading must keep the ball in the offensive box during the last 2 minutes of the game.  
  • If a team is winning by 5 goals or more, they will not be required to keep it in during the last two minutes. 
  • Short Poles may be 40” to 42” and Long Poles may be 52” to 72”. 
  • 1 Handed Stick Checks are permitted 
  • No excessive body checks permitted. 
  • Horns for substitutions are allowed on all balls that go out of bounds on the side lines. 

B Level Rules For the sake of cross reference these rules will be considered U12 

 

  • 10 Minute Stop Time Quarters 
  • We will follow the USL Rules 4.11, 20 and 10 counts for clearing and getting in the box. 
  • Teams that are leading must keep the ball in the offensive box during the last 2 minutes of the game.  
  • If a team is winning by 5 goals or more, they will not be required to keep it in during the last two minutes. 
  • Short Poles may be 40” to 42” and Long Poles may be 52” to 72”. 
  • 1 Handed Stick Checks are NOT permitted 
  • No excessive body checks permitted. 
  • Horns for substitutions are allowed on all balls that go out of bounds on the side lines. 

C Division Specific Rules (For the sake of cross reference these will be considered U10 Rules.) 

 

  • 10 Minute Stop Time Quarters 
  • There is NO 20 second count for clearing and NO 10 second count for advancing the ball on offense. 
  • Teams that are leading do NOT have to keep the ball in the offensive box during the last 2 minutes of the game. 
  • NO body checks are permitted in the C Division. 
  • 5th graders (or any grade older) are never permitted to play in a C Division game. 
  • Horns for substitutions are allowed on all balls that go out of bounds on the side lines & end lines 
  • Short Poles may be 37” to 42” and Long Poles may be a maximum of 54” 
  • 1 Handed Stick Checks are NOT permitted 

Referee Fees:  Please make sure that the referees are paid prior to the start of the game 

A1, A2 and A3:             $70each for 2 referee/ $90 for 1 referee (We should never have 1 referee in “A” games). 

B1, B2, B2 and C:         $70 each for 2 referee/ $90 for 1 referee 

Below are Rules that will be emphasized to promote safety in the game at ALL Levels. 

 “Targeting” body checks will result in a 3-minute non-releasable penalty and ejection from the game. 

TARGETING – The creating of a “targeting” penalty aims to identify and remove the most dangerous body checks in the game with harsh penalties. The creating of new language should result in an easier identification of those fouls and a decrease in the number of dangerous checks 

Illegal Body-Check  

US Lacrosse calls special attention to USL Appendix 1 , ILLEGAL BODY-CHECK, ARTICLE 4, which addresses the concept of a DEFENSELESS PLAYER: 

ART. 4 . … A body-check that targets a player in a defenseless position. This includes but is not limited to: (i) body checking a player from his “blind side”; (ii) body checking a player who has his head down in an attempt to play a loose ball; and (iii) body checking a player whose head is turned away to receive a pass, even if that player turns toward the contact immediately before the body check. 

PENALTY: Two- or three-minute non-releasable foul, at the official’s discretion. An excessively violent violation of this rule may result in an ejection. 

US Lacrosse NOTE: Sports medicine research indicates that the severity of certain injuries may be reduced if a player can anticipate and prepare himself for an oncoming hit. Other sports medicine research indicates that peripheral vision may not be fully developed in many boys before approximately age fifteen. Game officials should be especially alert to blind side checks at all youth levels. 

Checks Involving the Head/Neck  

RULE 5 SECTION 4 

US Lacrosse calls special attention to USL Appendix 1, CHECKS INVOLVING THE HEAD/NECK: 

ART. 1 … A player shall not initiate contact to an opponent’s head or neck with a cross-check, or with any part of his body (head, elbow, shoulder, etc.). Any follow through that contacts the head or neck shall also be considered a violation of this rule. 

ART. 2 … A player shall not initiate an excessive, violent, or uncontrolled slash to the head/neck. 

ART. 3 … A player, including an offensive player in possession of the ball, shall not block an opponent with the head or initiate contact with the head (known as spearing). 

PENALTY: Two- or three-minute non-releasable foul, at the official’s discretion. An excessively violent violation of this rule may result in an ejection. 

TAKE-OUT CHECK/EXCESSIVE BODY-CHECK. Take-Out Checks/Excessive Body-Checks are prohibited at every age level. A Take-Out Check/Excessive Body-Check is defined as: 

  1. a) Any body-check in which the player lowers his head or shoulder with the force and intent to put the other player on the ground.
  2. b) Any body-check considered more aggressive or more physical than necessary to stop the advancement of the player carrying the ball or to keep or move a player away from a loose ball. This includes but is not limited to: (i) any check in which a player makes contact with sufficient force and intent to knock down the opposing player; (ii) any check in which a player makes contact with sufficient force and intent to injure the opposing player; and (iii) any check made in a reckless or intimidating manner.

Updated 2022: PENALTY: two to three-minute non-releasable foul, at the official’s discretion. An excessively violent violation of this rule may result in an ejection. (Adopted 1/28/2020) 

Updated 2020: Illegal Crosse Penalties (all levels):  (Adopted 1/30/2020) 

 

  • ALL Illegal Crosse Penalties are two-minute nonreleasable personal fouls 
  • The crosse can be corrected for use later in the game and does not stay at the table 
  • It is the responsibility of the player/coach to ensure that a stick is legal before it returns to play. 
  • Under no circumstances will a crosse be kept at the table area. 

Updated 2020: Throwing a crosse (all levels):  (Adopted 1/30/2020) 

 

  • UNSPORTSMANLIKE:  Throwing a crosse at the ball, at a player, or other game personnel. 

PENALTY: Personal Foul 1, 2, or 3 Minutes, Non Releasable 

 

  • TECHNICAL FOUL: Throw the crosse other than at a ball, other player, or game personnel 

PENALTY: Technical Foul.  Examples: Throwing the crosse at the ground, Bad Exchange of a crosse on the sideline, Crosse thrown off the field in disgust 

One Handed Checks: 

For B and C divisions only:  USL Appendix 1, Slashing, Article 4:   Any one-handed check shall be considered a slash, whether or not it makes contact with the opposing player. NOTE: If the defensive player’s hand comes off his stick in his legitimate follow-through motion after, or during his recovery from, a controlled poke check, this need not be considered a slash solely because his hand came off the stick. 

Goalie Equipment:  

US Lacrosse has required that all goalies wear a protective cup.  SEPYLA will enforce this rule. 

Get It In / Keep It In / Stalling:    There is no stalling penalty, However, if a team is making no effort to move the ball into their offensive half of the field, by clearing the ball, and the ‘riding team’ is making every effort to actively play the ball, then at the discretion of the referee an unsportsmanlike penalty can be assessed resulting in a change of possession.at the Officials discretion.  The same holds true in the offensive zone is the offensive team is not making an effort to advance the ball to make a shot on net. 

Updated 3/233/22 SB