Boys Lacrosse Tiebreaker

Because US Lacrosse has specifically stated that Braveheart tiebreakers should not be used for youth games and because many tournaments need a quick resolution to tournament games in order to stay on schedule, the following tiebreaker may be adopted by tournaments when time does not permit having regular overtime periods or when there is time for a limited number of overtime periods. When the tiebreaker is used for pool play, most tournaments use a system of 3 points for a regulation (or OT) win, 2 points for a tiebreaker win, 1 point for a tiebreaker loss, and 0 pointer for a regulation (or OT) loss.

The rules are as follows:

  • Officials may inspect field crosses before • the tiebreaker begins to ensure that they
    are legal; there are no coach-requested
    checks. An illegal stick on one team

    discovered before the tiebreaker starts • gives possession to the opposing team.

  • Each team has a goalie, one long-stick player, and two short-stick players for a total of 4 players. If there are penalties being served at the end of regulation, they carry over to the tiebreaker.

  • Teams defend the same goal they
    defended in the second half and must use
    the goalies on the field at the end of
    regulation. •

  • Two players face off at center, with one player from each team behind each wing line and goalies behind their restraining lines. Possession does not carry over from regulation, but could be awarded due to a dead-ball foul after the end of regulation.

  • Goalies can’t cross midfield; other • players can.

  • The first team to score a goal wins.

  • At the first stoppage of play after 2 • minutes, the horn sounds and the long
    stick players need to leave the field. Play
    resumes with 3 players per team.

At the first stoppage of play after 2 minutes, another player from each team leaves the field as above.

Time-serving penalties are enforced as usual until a team has only 2 players remaining (a goalie and one field player). At that point, if a team commits what would normally be a timeserving penalty, play is restarted with the offending player in his defensive half (for a technical) or defensive restraining area (for a personal) and the offended team’s field player in possession just outside the attack area.

If there is a stoppage of play to remove players from the field while a time- serving penalty is being served and removing players would leave the penalize team with fewer than 1 player on the field, the team serving the penalty will restart with 2 players on the field as if the penalty were just starting (see previous section).

There are no timeouts or substitutions permitted except in the case of an injured player (in which case the opponent may also sub one player).

All other standard rules apply, including counts.