Fans clamoring for a shot clock in NCAA men’s lacrosse will get a good look at a proposed solution this fall.
The NCAA men’s lacrosse rules committee has asked teams to experiment with a visible 60-second shot clock in fall competitions. For teams choosing to use the experimental rule, the shot clock will start when possession is established. Teams will continue to have 30 seconds to clear the ball and enter the attack area.
The committee met last week in Indianapolis. The experimental rule was announced Monday.
“First and foremost, the sport is extremely healthy, and overall the rules are in a great place,” Willie Scroggs, secretary-rules editor of the committee, said in the announcement. “The feedback received is overwhelmingly positive.”
Current NCAA rules allow officials to administer a 30-second countdown when they deem that a team is stalling. Some have questioned the consistency and accuracy of the “timer on” call.
“There is a strong sense that the committee should continue to consider the use of a shot clock for all possessions to remove the officials’ judgment from current stalling rules,” Scroggs said. “The committee is encouraging the use of a 60-second clock to study the impact and hopefully see how teams might approach such a change.”