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I write to suggest that we might find ways to avoid many subjective calls through systematic definition of events in terms that people are already familiar with other that are easy to describe to an average observer. First define a behavior and then explain when that behavior is legal and illegal. Consider "illegal contact" might be any contact below the waist, on the head or neck, or from behind. There is no waffle room here. Did player A touch player B -- yes or no? Was it behind, below the waist or to the head or neck -- yes or no? If both are yes, then the contact is illegal by definition. The only decision involves when is this illegal behavior a personal foul vs. a technical foul.
During a recent HS/JV turnament, I survived a plague in the form of questions about various infractions "how could that be a hold ... he only used his stick" "how could that be a slash ... he caught him on the shoulder" This list was endless.
When I was a college fencer (yes, swords and tights) we kept score using a "touch against" method where the fewest touches was the winner. Several years later, they switched to a "touch for" system [along with other minor changes] where the most touches was the winner. This happened to make the sport easier to understand. I think lacrosse might benefit from some changes to make things easier to understand.
Consider that many know "holding" from football.
Lacrosse might use a similar definition. Many also
know "hooking" and "high sticking" from hockey. Lacrosse
might adopt these as well. We could also clarify the gray areas such as "late hit" -- is that "interferrence" or is
it "illegal body check" -- it seems that football handles this in a straightforward manner. Was the contact avoidable or was it due to momentum. If it was avoidable, it was therefore unnecessary and "unnecessary roughness" prefails.
What about the infamous "push with possession" -- might this also be "illegal body check"? [See my discussion of illegal check elsewhere]
Let me illustrate how some of these suggestions might affect calls that are hard to understand today. White has
the ball. Black defender reaches over white's shoulder trying to check the stick. In the process of recovering his stick, black makes minor, incidental contact with white's helmet. I know many officials that might let this pass. Others would call it a slash. Either way, the fans will complain that it was not one or the other. Under the clarifying definitions I describe, this might be "high sticking". The bottom line is we want to avoid contact to the head and neck. "high sticking" would draw attention to the behavior that we wish to control and eliminate a judgement call in favor of something more objective.
When white grasps black's jersey, arm, stick etc. That might be "holding". When white uses his crosse for the same purpose, that might be "hooking".
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