Section 5: Rules of Play
Game Structure
- Four 15-minute quarters (NCAA women's lacrosse adopted the quartered format in recent rule cycles, replacing the prior 30-minute half format)
- 2-minute breaks between Q1/Q2 and Q3/Q4; 10-minute halftime
- The team in possession at the end of Q1 keeps the ball to start Q2; same for Q3 → Q4 (this is an NCAA women's-specific possession-continuity rule)
- Sudden-victory overtime in 3-minute periods following a regulation tie (regular season and tournament)
Draw
- The game starts with a draw at the center circle; draws also restart play after each goal and to begin each quarter
- Two players (typically center midfielders) hold their sticks above the ground at hip level, back-to-back; the ball is placed in the up-pocket of each stick and pushed against the other
- On the official's whistle, both players pull/lift simultaneously to launch the ball upward; both players must release the ball into the air
- 30-second setup clock (2026/27 addition): a 30-second clock begins with the signal of a goal and concludes at the start of the administration of the draw. If one team is not present at the center circle and ready for the draw by the expiration of the 30 seconds, possession is awarded to the opposing team
Shot Clock
- The offensive team has a 90-second shot clock from gaining possession (note: historically 90 seconds in NCAA women's; verify current edition for any 2026 reduction)
- If the goalie makes a save, if there is a rebound, or the ball hits the post with less than 59 seconds on the clock, and the offense keeps possession, the clock resets to 60 seconds (2026/27 rule)
- Failure to release a shot before expiration of the shot clock results in a turnover
Movement of the Ball
- Players may run with the ball in their stick, pass, and shoot
- Stick-to-stick checks are permitted in a tightly-constrained framework: checks must be directed downward and away from the head of the ball-carrier, with no follow-through across the body, and only in the direction of the stick — not the head/body of the opponent
- Body contact is severely limited compared to men's lacrosse — no body checks; incidental contact is permitted in the legal framework of Rule 7
Free Position
- An 8-meter free position is awarded for major fouls inside the 8-meter arc; the offended player takes a free position on the arc 8 meters from the goal
- 2026/27 simplification: 8-meter free positions are set up only at the two adjacent hashes on both sides of the center hash — no longer at arbitrary points on the arc
- A 12-meter free position is awarded for major fouls outside the 8-meter arc but inside the 12-meter fan
- The clock continues to run during 8-meter free positions, except in the final minute of a quarter or overtime
- Defenders must clear from the 4-meter line in front of the player taking the free position
Goal Circle
- Only the goalkeeper and one defender may stand in the goal circle
- An attacking player who steps into or whose stick contacts the goal circle loses possession
- The goalkeeper may not pick up the ball with the hands inside the goal circle; the stick must be used
- The goalkeeper has 10 seconds to clear the ball from the goal circle