TAMPA, OCT. --, 2023 – USF Women's Lacrosse will be playing in front of fans for the first time in Corbett Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 28 when the Bulls take on Saint Leo (10 a.m.) and Florida Southern (2 p.m.) in exhibition action. Free tickets can be reserved HERE.
 
A public address announcer will be present at the 2 p.m. contest, providing full commentary on the fouls and rules so fans can follow along with the action throughout the game. Flip cards will also be provided with rosters and rules for fans to reference. All games will be played in Corbett Stadium and with a running clock.

The fastest growing sport is also one of the fastest games played. It features a yellow ball (similar size to a baseball), that can move as fast as 90 miles per hour, moving around the field quickly. The ball movement leads to amazing goals (similar to ice hockey) with offensive and defensive game play similar to basketball. The goal of the game is simple: score more goals than the other team! How? Beat the opposing goalkeeper and defense and blast the yellow ball into the opposing net! Over the years, coach Mindy McCord's high-flying offenses have set NCAA records for goals per game, so no team will compete offensively with more gusto than your USF Bulls! 

"If you're new to the game, but you have a passion for other sports like hockey, basketball, or soccer, you can see a lot of similarities in lacrosse," McCord said. "Much of how we play the game comes from basketball. Dr. James Naismith (inventor of basketball) grew up playing lacrosse, so modern basketball and lacrosse have similar X's and O's. Lacrosse is played on a soccer or football-sized field, so imagine a fast-moving game like basketball played on a large field with 12 players at a time. It can be wild!"
 
Not familiar with the game but want to come out, learn and support? Below are the basics of lacrosse:
 
PLAYERS

• Each team has 12 players on the field at a time: four attackers, four defenders, three midfielders and one goalie.

 
TIME

• Four 15-minute quarters are played (teams switch sides at the end of each quarter).
• Each team is permitted three timeouts during regulation, and one during overtime.

 
FIELD DIMENSIONS AND LINES

• The field is the same length as a football field (including end zones) at 120 yards, but a little wider at 65 yards.
• Restraining lines: These are located 30 yards up field from each goal line and are used to make sure there are a certain number of players occupying the attack area or defensive area- seven required on offense, and eight required on defense (including the goalie). If there are not four players behind the restraining line, it is an offsides penalty.
• Draw circle: The circle in the middle of the field with a line inside where the draw is taken.
• 8-meter arc: The area in front of each crease marked by two lines connected by an arc eight meters from the crease. This is used to administer a free position shot on a hash mark closest to where the foul occurred.
• 12-Meter Fan: A semicircle area bounded by an arc 12 meters from the crease. This is used in administration of minor fouls.
• Crease: The circle surrounding the goal. Only the goalie and one defender may be in the crease at once.

 

EQUIPMENT

• Legal stick: A stick is legal if you can see the tip of the ball over the head of the stick when the stick is held horizontally. Whenever a goal is scored, an official will perform a stick check on the goal-scoring stick to ensure its legality.
• All players must wear goggles and a mouthguard, while the goalie must also wear a helmet with a throat protector, and padded gloves.

 
THE DRAW

• The draw takes place at the beginning of each quarter and after every goal.
• A player from each team meets in the center circle of the field and lines up with their sticks parallel to each other, applying equal pressure. The referee will place the ball in the pocket created between the two sticks. On the referee's whistle, the two players taking the draw fling their sticks upward to bring the ball into the air, making possession a 50/50 loose ball.
• Before possession is secured, only the six players lined up on the draw circle (three from each team) are allowed to be between the restraining lines in the center of the field. The rest of the players can only cross restraining lines if a team gains possession or the ball crosses over the restraining line.
• If one of the draw takers moves before the referee's whistle, possession goes to the other team.
• If the ball does not go above the draw takers' shoulders, it turns into an alternate possession.

 
SHOT CLOCK

• There is a 90-second shot clock. When a team has possession of the ball, they have 90 seconds to get a shot on goal.
• If no shot is taken in the given time, possession is given to the other team.
• The shot clock resets to 60 seconds when the ball hits the goalie or the pipe, and 90 seconds when the ball changes possession.
• The purpose of the shot clock is to increase the speed of the game and eliminate the ability to stall.

 
START/RESTART OF PLAY

• The whistle is used to stop and start play for carded fouls. These are fouls committed by the defense above the goal line within eight meters of the crease, offside fouls, and any other action requiring an official's timeout.
• Self-start: When a foul is called and does not necessitate an official's timeout, the player who is awarded the ball may continue the course of play without waiting for an additional whistle.

CARDS

• Green Card: A one-minute releasable penalty issued for non-engagement fouls and delay-of-game fouls
• Yellow Card: Any aggressive major foul which is up to the referee's discretion. This may be a two-minute releasable or non-releasable penalty.
• Red Card: The most serious penalty which results in an immediate ejection. This is always a two-minute non-releasable penalt.

 
FOULS

• Blocking: A defender moving into an opponent's path without giving the opponent a chance to stop or move out of the way, causing contact .
• Charge: When someone with the ball pushes into, lowers the shoulder, or makes bodily contact with the opponent who has already established their position.
• Covering: Covering the ball with the head of the stick or with a player's foot, blocking someone's ability to pick the ball up.
• Cross Check: Initiating stick-to-body contact and using the stick to hit or push the opponent.
• Dangerous Shot: When a player's shot follow-through hits a defender or is deemed dangerous by the referee.
• Dangerous Stick in the Sphere: Putting a stick too close and checking to the opponent's head.
• Empty Stick Check: Checking someone's stick who does not have possession of the ball.
• False Start: Starting before the referee's whistle.
• Holding: Detaining an opponent by holding or pushing against one's body, clothing, or stick.
• Illegal Cradle: When the player cradles the ball so close to their head that it makes checking their stick impossible.
• Shooting Space: Guarding the goal so as to obstruct the free space to the goal, denying the attack the opportunity to shoot safely. This applies only to a defensive player not marking an attacking player within stick's length.
• Slash: Swinging a stick towards an opponent recklessly.
• Three Seconds: When a defender is not within a stick's length of an attacker for more than three seconds while in the 8-meter arc.

 
ABOUT USF LACROSSE
The University of South Florida announced the addition of women's lacrosse to its now 21-sport varsity athletics program in November of 2021. The Bulls named eight-time conference coach of the year Mindy McCord to lead the program in May of 2022. McCord, who came to USF with 240 career wins, earned 21 regular season and conference tournament titles at Jacksonville University and led the program to eight NCAA appearances after starting and leading the Dolphins' program in its first 13 years. She developed 13 All-Americans, 81 all-conference selections and 13 conference player of the year honorees during that span. USF runs a fast-paced, high scoring offense influenced by the early 1990's Loyola Marymount men's basketball record-setting fast break, which ranked among the national leaders in shots, points per game and scoring margin numerous seasons during McCord's tenure at JU.
 
Follow @USFWLax on Twitter for all the latest information concerning the USF women's lacrosse program.
– #GoBulls –