Hey folks,
Yeah, it's me again. Their is nothing worse than a guy who starts a blog and then disappears for two months! Sorry I haven't added anything lately, but my life has been a whirlwind of lacrosse these past 10 weeks. Not that I'm complaining mind you. The blog seems to have taken off by itself (I guess if you plant a seed...). In any case, most of the comments have had some interesting insights. Some a little too negative. We want to grow lacrosse in Section 6, not divide it. So try to stay positive and limit the personal attacks. None will be tolerated towards any players, period. With that said, let's talk some lacrosse...
Post Season Playoffs:
Class A: I would be highly surprised if anybody could knock off Orchard Park. I've seen them play four times. They are downright scary, and still have yet to put together their best game. The Quakers midfield is probably the best in the WNY. I'm sure Niagara Wheatfield will have something to say about it down the line, but after watching them several times (including against OP) I don't think they have the defense to carry it through. They have given up alot of goals this season. I don't know if it will translate come playoff time. Frontier may challenge like last year, but won't be able to match up athletically to the top two. Clarence and the rest drop off considerably and will be watching the finals from the sideline.
Class B: I've seen Hamburg play three times. They are by far the fastest team. While not overly physical, Hamburg is a pleasure to watch. Their "team" approach to the game of lacrosse is what makes them so special. They are the class of the B division right now. No team in their league has gotten close. They have outscored their Class B opponents 127-27 during the regular season. (and that from a coach who refuses to score anything past 18 on an opponent) They are for real. Amherst seems to be headed for a return trip to the finals against the Bulldogs. Always capable of anything, Coach Henn should have the Tigers ready to compete. So who knows? However the 16-5 regular season defeat at the hands of Hamburg may be fresh in their minds. Williamsville East has had a very successful season and may be around to challenge. However, they may not have the firepower to stay will the big dogs. The rest of the Bs are not ready to challenge for the title. But that's why we play the games, now don't we!
Class C: I think the "C" stands for Crazy! This division is a complete toss up, as any team is capable of beating each other on any given day. I'm interested, do teams actually play defense in this division? The scores are commonly in the double digits, often times both teams. Salamanca seems to control the C division during the regular season. However, East Aurora has played very well of late. I won't venture to guess as I have seen few of these teams play in 2008.
State Playoffs:
Class A: I watched Canandaigua handle both Orchard Park and Hamburg. If Orchard Park goes, they will have to play alot better than they did on May 9th. The Braves will be tough to beat. They are on a different level, and may be headed on a collision course with West Genny in the semis. However, don't count OP out. They are talented bunch, and capable of knocking off Canandaigua if given a second chance. Canandaigua will also have to get past Penfield and Irondequoit. It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.
Class B: I think Hamburg has the best chance to continue. The far west regional will probably be a rematch of last year's game against Geneva. The Bulldogs were not ready last season. This year they will be, learning what it takes to play at that level. Geneva will be very physical. Hamburg will have to use their speed to counter. I think it would be a great matchup.
Class C: Whomever comes out of Section 6 will be fodder for Penn Yan as usual. In the history of the C classification, no Section 6 team has come close to them. We won't be able to compete. Penn Yan is down a bit this year, however, not down enough to lose to to Section 6.
Well, what do you think? Playoffs start in a week. Hope to see everyone out at the games. Both the sectional finals and Far west regionals will be held at Lew-Port High School.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Discussing Rule Revisions
As the 2008 season gets underway, let's take a look at some rule revisions that will be in effect across our high school lacrosse fields. No "earth shattering" changes by any means but a couple small nuances in hopes to make the game better and safer for all our players. Often times, revisions are added to help clarify any gray area in the interpretation of the existing rules. This year is no different. I managed to track down Tom Sutton who presently heads-up the post of rules interpreter for the Niagara Frontier Lacrosse Officials Association (NFLOA). He gave me a couple minutes of his time to talk about some of the changes.
1-6-1 Clarifies that the designated goalkeeper’s crosse must be used by the goalkeeper and that a properly equipped goalkeeper must be on the field at all times.
Just a point of clarification of a rule they have always enforced relating that every team must have a properly equipped goalie on the field at all times.
1-6-2 Eliminates the requirement for a ball stop.
The rationale is that a ball stop is almost irrelevant in today's sticks. Not having a ball stop does not necessarily give a player any distinct advantage over another player. Most of the ball stops used in newer heads are extremely thin and don't provide direct ball stopping capability.
1-9-1g Stipulates that the jersey covers the shoulder pads completely
In the interest of safety, jerseys should cover shoulder pad area to help keep the pads from popping up and exposing the shoulder to possible injury. While not present around section 6, some teams in the past have used pinnies as uniform tops. This rule clarifies a definition of a game jersey.
1-9-1h Specifies that all players on the team wear shorts of the same dominant color.
Again, an important clarification as to game shorts. Hoping to help eliminate confusion of players on the field.
2-1-1 Stipulates that a team must have at least 10 players to begin the game or it forfeits the game. As to the safety of high school level players. If a team has less than 10 players, the game cannot be played. However, if a team has 10 players and then loses 1 or more to injury or expulsion, they can play man down for the remainder of the game clock.
4-6-3-c Clarifies that, for the purpose of determining which player is nearest to the ball on an unsuccessful shot that goes out-of-bounds, the ball is determined to be out-of-bounds when it crosses the plane of the endline or the sideline.
4-6-3-c Specifies that the stick is not considered a part of the player’s body when making the determination regarding which player is closed to the point at which the ball was declared out-of-bounds following an unsuccessful shot.
Points of clarification of a recent rule change. In a situation where a ball might go out towards the corner of the end line, a defender may be closer to the ball than an attack positioned at X. The angle of the referee would be of prime importance in such a case. The second rule clarifies that when judging which player is closest off an errant shot going out of bounds, it is NOT the stick of the player but the closest part of his body that determines possession.
6-5-3 Specifies that uniform violations are different than illegal equipment violations and that illegal uniforms must be determined and dealt with by the officials prior to the beginning of the contest.
Recently, the design of uniforms have come under scrutiny. No longer can teams have shoulder panels of different colors. I was discussing this topic with a vendor down at a Philadelphia lacrosse convention and he even said that piping through that area of the uniform would not be allowed. If a team does violate the uniform rule, simply the opening faceoff would be surrendered to the opposing team. However, any equipment violations would result in an infraction and the player forced to make necessary changes before re-entering play.
6-10-2a The revision clarifies the situation that would cause a stall warning to be lifted.
Long story short, defines the scenerios when a stall warning would be lifted. A stall warning that is not in the last two minutes of the contest, can only be lifted after a goal or a change of possession to the defensive team. Timeouts or the finish of a penalty will not change the stall warning.
The referees will be paying close attention to players not wearing mouthpieces properly. What many players fail to realize is that a mouthpiece, while protecting your teeth, also helps in the reduction of concussive forces on the jaw. Again, safety of players is the ultimate focus.
Tom feels that one of the most difficult calls for the referees to see is the the cross-check hold that defenders so often seem to get away with. However, the referees are making a point to be in a better position to make those calls. We also discussed what I feel can be the most maddening experience of watching a Section 6 lacrosse game; the whistle in after a re-start. Personally, I feel that the game of lacrosse is meant to be played in an uptempo style. The ball changes possession, the player picks up the ball, and it seems like an eternity before the referees whistle the play back in. By then, the defense has placed their players and any advantage gained has been quickly lost. As I watch college action or even high school games in other parts of NYS, rarely do I see a crew of referees slow a game down as much as we see here. In fact, good coaches train their players to pick up the ball and get it back in play as soon as possible. It opens up the field a bit and leads to fast break opportunities. Tom agrees, but also notes that often times the referees are busy positioning themselves. Play resumes first and foremost when they are properly in position to officiate the game.
Just a couple things to chew on so you don't make a fool of yourself yelling at the refs this spring(as I often do). They work hard to help keep the high school fields safe for all the kids. That's not to say that I might not ask them the occasional question!
1-6-1 Clarifies that the designated goalkeeper’s crosse must be used by the goalkeeper and that a properly equipped goalkeeper must be on the field at all times.
Just a point of clarification of a rule they have always enforced relating that every team must have a properly equipped goalie on the field at all times.
1-6-2 Eliminates the requirement for a ball stop.
The rationale is that a ball stop is almost irrelevant in today's sticks. Not having a ball stop does not necessarily give a player any distinct advantage over another player. Most of the ball stops used in newer heads are extremely thin and don't provide direct ball stopping capability.
1-9-1g Stipulates that the jersey covers the shoulder pads completely
In the interest of safety, jerseys should cover shoulder pad area to help keep the pads from popping up and exposing the shoulder to possible injury. While not present around section 6, some teams in the past have used pinnies as uniform tops. This rule clarifies a definition of a game jersey.
1-9-1h Specifies that all players on the team wear shorts of the same dominant color.
Again, an important clarification as to game shorts. Hoping to help eliminate confusion of players on the field.
2-1-1 Stipulates that a team must have at least 10 players to begin the game or it forfeits the game. As to the safety of high school level players. If a team has less than 10 players, the game cannot be played. However, if a team has 10 players and then loses 1 or more to injury or expulsion, they can play man down for the remainder of the game clock.
4-6-3-c Clarifies that, for the purpose of determining which player is nearest to the ball on an unsuccessful shot that goes out-of-bounds, the ball is determined to be out-of-bounds when it crosses the plane of the endline or the sideline.
4-6-3-c Specifies that the stick is not considered a part of the player’s body when making the determination regarding which player is closed to the point at which the ball was declared out-of-bounds following an unsuccessful shot.
Points of clarification of a recent rule change. In a situation where a ball might go out towards the corner of the end line, a defender may be closer to the ball than an attack positioned at X. The angle of the referee would be of prime importance in such a case. The second rule clarifies that when judging which player is closest off an errant shot going out of bounds, it is NOT the stick of the player but the closest part of his body that determines possession.
6-5-3 Specifies that uniform violations are different than illegal equipment violations and that illegal uniforms must be determined and dealt with by the officials prior to the beginning of the contest.
Recently, the design of uniforms have come under scrutiny. No longer can teams have shoulder panels of different colors. I was discussing this topic with a vendor down at a Philadelphia lacrosse convention and he even said that piping through that area of the uniform would not be allowed. If a team does violate the uniform rule, simply the opening faceoff would be surrendered to the opposing team. However, any equipment violations would result in an infraction and the player forced to make necessary changes before re-entering play.
6-10-2a The revision clarifies the situation that would cause a stall warning to be lifted.
Long story short, defines the scenerios when a stall warning would be lifted. A stall warning that is not in the last two minutes of the contest, can only be lifted after a goal or a change of possession to the defensive team. Timeouts or the finish of a penalty will not change the stall warning.
The referees will be paying close attention to players not wearing mouthpieces properly. What many players fail to realize is that a mouthpiece, while protecting your teeth, also helps in the reduction of concussive forces on the jaw. Again, safety of players is the ultimate focus.
Tom feels that one of the most difficult calls for the referees to see is the the cross-check hold that defenders so often seem to get away with. However, the referees are making a point to be in a better position to make those calls. We also discussed what I feel can be the most maddening experience of watching a Section 6 lacrosse game; the whistle in after a re-start. Personally, I feel that the game of lacrosse is meant to be played in an uptempo style. The ball changes possession, the player picks up the ball, and it seems like an eternity before the referees whistle the play back in. By then, the defense has placed their players and any advantage gained has been quickly lost. As I watch college action or even high school games in other parts of NYS, rarely do I see a crew of referees slow a game down as much as we see here. In fact, good coaches train their players to pick up the ball and get it back in play as soon as possible. It opens up the field a bit and leads to fast break opportunities. Tom agrees, but also notes that often times the referees are busy positioning themselves. Play resumes first and foremost when they are properly in position to officiate the game.
Just a couple things to chew on so you don't make a fool of yourself yelling at the refs this spring(as I often do). They work hard to help keep the high school fields safe for all the kids. That's not to say that I might not ask them the occasional question!
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