New Women’s Lacrosse Rules: Early Feedback from Across the Game

With the new women’s lacrosse rules being trialled in England for the 2025–26 season, we sought early informal feedback from across the game to explore how these changes are affecting umpiring and gameplay. Responses were collected from over 30 participants spanning players, coaches, and umpires. Thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts and opinions.

Background

Changes to the women’s lacrosse rulebook were introduced ahead of the 2025–26 season as England Lacrosse moved to adopt the World Lacrosse rulebook, which has itself undergone changes in preparation for lacrosse’s inclusion in the modern Olympic Games for the first time. Historically, one of the major barriers to Olympic inclusion has been the differences between the men’s and women’s field games. In response, the fast-paced Sixes format was developed as a more standardised and spectator-friendly version of the sport and has been confirmed as the format to be played at the Olympics.

Within the lacrosse community, these rule changes are widely viewed as part of a broader push towards international alignment and a long-term strategy to bring the men’s and women’s games closer together. While Sixes has been central to this strategy, World Lacrosse has also continued to explore how the traditional field game can evolve to reflect similar principles of speed, flow, and consistency. As a result, several rule changes have been adopted for the 2025–26 season, with further adaptations anticipated in the future as the sport continues to move towards greater alignment across formats and levels of play. These changes include:

·       Goalkeepers being required to release the ball from goal circle within five seconds of gaining

possession*

·       Changes to empty stick checks*

·       Changes to shooting space and 3 second rules

·       Alternative possession replacing the traditional throw

·       Removal of pre-game stick checks

·       Reintroduction of 11m and 15m field markings

·       Elimination of all body–ball fouls

* Some adaptation at school level

The Club and University Game: Feedback from Senior Players and Coaches

What people like

Across club and university lacrosse, respondents generally felt the new rules have improved the overall flow of the game. Ground balls were a consistent talking point, with many players and coaches noting that they now feel more competitive rather than purely technical. The return of the 11m and 15m markings were warmly welcomed.

One participant mentioned that “I think some of the rules have definitely improved the flow of the game - like the kicking and too some degree the empty checks. Also the sticks in the crease being allowed makes it more of a show of determination/ more competitive which I really like.”

The five-second goalkeeper rule was highlighted as a positive change, particularly at higher levels of play, where it encourages quicker decision-making and speeds up transitions. As mentioned previously, some respondents also pointed to attackers being allowed to reach into the goal circle as a potentially exciting development, although many noted that this has not yet featured prominently in matches.

Concerns

The most common concern is related to the implementation of the new empty stick checks. Many players felt that inconsistency in officiating around ground balls has led to games becoming scrappier. While this is perhaps to be expected during a period of rule transition, respondents also noted inconsistencies in the interpretation of unchanged rules.

A coach and umpire stated that “The ‘incidental contact’ rule (i.e empty stick checking) - the interpretation of ‘deliberately denying’ the ball from the opposition is very subjective and I don’t think it has changed the game for the better. It makes the play scrappy and teaching school level players bad habits.”

To combat this, one coach who replied mentioned how they are coaching their players: “I have actually taught my players to pick up the ball with the right technique, I think getting the ball in stick is the most important thing, probably now more than ever.”

Another BUCS umpire mentioned “Games feel slightly harder to umpire at the minute. I think the added aggression can affect the mood of some players who then make the game harder to umpire”

An increase in aggressive play around the head sphere was also mentioned, with players appearing more willing to attempt checks closer to the head. Importantly, no changes have been made to head-space rules, suggesting this may reflect evolving player behaviour rather than the rules themselves. One umpire stated that: “There has definitely been a rise in yellow cards I have given out in BUCS for dangerous head space calls”.

Several respondents highlighted that stick-on-body contact has become more common, leading to a noticeable increase in bruising after matches. This may be linked to the increasing speed of the game, as well as the influence of other lacrosse formats such as sixes and box lacrosse, with players potentially carrying habits from those versions into the field game but no reason was given by participants.

The School Game: Feedback from SEWLA and SWLA

Within the school game, particularly across SEWLA and SWLA competitions, the most significant issue raised was inconsistency in umpire interpretation of the new rules. This concern was echoed by umpires themselves, with one noting that the new rules have made games harder to officiate.

Participants mentioned “It's a lot more scrappy, which makes it harder to police (and often marginal calls can be harder to recognise due to the nature of the game)” and another participant mentioned that the games are currently less consistent “It’s so inconsistent now, more than usual as lots of the umpires don't know the new rules, or umpire the game much more differently from other umpires.”

Empty stick checks were described as making ground balls more difficult for younger players, while the ability for attackers to play the ball within the goal circle was seen as potentially harsh on goalkeepers. The concept of incidental contact was also highlighted as contributing to games feeling scrappier at school level.

The five-second goalkeeper rule continued to be viewed positively in encouraging keepers to leave their crease more frequently, although many noted that an adjustment period is still ongoing, with some goalkeepers rushing their decisions under pressure. (Only 1^st team and U15 level play the 5 second rule.)

Coaching and Player Experience

Frequent rule changes were identified as a source of frustration for coaches and teachers, particularly those working with younger players or developing BUCS teams who are still developing core skills.

One coach stated: They are frustrated, the kick back, is "why are they changing again".

Another highlighted the cumulative impact on learning:

“In general, the constant rule changing is very difficult for pupils, they just start to get used to some rules and then they change again.”

Coaches described the challenge of teaching correct technique while rule interpretations remain fluid, while umpires spoke about the increased difficulty of managing faster, more contested games where many decisions are subjective rather than clear‑cut.

Despite these challenges, player feedback was largely positive. Many players reported enjoying the increased tempo, competitiveness, and physical demands of the game, suggesting that while the transition is challenging, the overall direction of travel is one that excites participants.

Looking Ahead

While opinions on individual rules vary, one message is consistent across all levels of the game: change take times. Many respondents feel that there has been really positive changes to the new rules and inevitably, there is an ongoing adaptation period, which is seeing an increase in aggression as players, coaches and umpires alike are getting used to playing, coaching and umpiring in the new rules.

Many respondents feel that the new rules require a longer bedding-in period, clearer communication, and more consistent application before their full impact can be properly evaluated. As the trial continues, feedback from players, coaches, and umpires will be crucial in shaping how the women’s game develops. Ultimately, whether these rule changes are judged a success may depend less on the wording of the rulebook itself and more on the provision and availability of education, support, and consistency provided across the sport.