US Lacrosse U9 Rules

Rules for U9 Lacrosse

• The length of all crosses for all field players shall be 37 to 42 inches. The goalkeeper’s crosse may be 37 to 72 inches overall length.
• Games will consist of four 12-minute running-time quarters (clock stops only for a team timeout, an official’s timeout, or an injury timeout). If stop time is to be used, 8-minute stop-time quarters are recommended. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time the game should end as a tie. If league or tournament play requires that a winner be determined, overtime should be played in accordance with U15 sudden victory overtime rules.
• The Final Two Minute stalling rule shall be WAIVED for these Divisions. However, US Lacrosse Youth Rule 6 Section 10 Article 2, Stalling, remains in effect
• At any point during a game when there is a six-goal lead, the team that is behind will be given the ball at the midfield line in lieu of a faceoff as long as the six-goal lead is maintained, unless waived by the coach of the trailing team.
• The defensive 20-second count WILL NOT be used.
• The offensive 10-second count WILL NOT be used.
• US Lacrosse Youth Rules NOTE—U9 & U11 Horn Substitution Option: For U9 and/or U11 play, Leagues may authorize substitutions when play has been suspended by the officials after the ball has gone out of bounds on the sidelines. For such substitutions, the timer shall sound a horn upon the request of a coach indicating to the officials that a substitution is desired. All other rules with respect to substitutions during suspension of play shall apply.
• No body checking of any kind is permitted. Legal pushes (RULE 6 SECTION 9, Pushing) and holds (RULE 6 SECTION 3, Holding, ARTICLE 3 a & d) are allowed. In all loose ball situations players should “play the ball,” but incidental contact, “boxing out”, or screening techniques during such play shall not be considered a violation of this rule. If a loose ball is not moving, stuck, or the players are having difficulty picking the ball up the referee may restart play following the alternate possession rule.
• Any player who accumulates 4 personal fouls or 5 minutes in personal foul penalty time shall be disqualified from the game. A substitute for that player may enter the game when the disqualified player would have been permitted to reenter had he not fouled out. For U9 and younger, a disqualified player must leave the field but his team may replace him with a substitute; no man down situation should occur.
• Time serving penalties are enforced per NFHS and these Youth Rules. However, the offending player’s team does not play down a player. NOTE: Procedure is for the offending player to leave the field and serve his penalty time, but his team may replace him on the field.