About Canton Youth Lacrosse Girls Program

CYL Girls Lacrosse promotes a girls program that is a fun, instructional, lacrosse program for Canton girls in grades 1^st thru 8^th grade.

We are members of the US Lacrosse Association, and MYL and play against towns in this league.  This league is intended to offer instructional noncompetitive lacrosse.  With the emphasis of learning the game, versus winning.  

All girls and coaches are required to be registered with MYL 

Canton Girls Lacrosse is a volunteer organization so there is always a need for parent involvement.  Please contact our girls director if you are able to help.  No lacrosse experience necessary.

The season typically starts the first week of April and goes thru mid-June.

Team Selections: 

MYL is an instructional league.  Therefore, all teams must be balanced with different playing abilities.   We will do our best to balance the teams based on players abilities, but please understand that we cannot guarantee players will be able to play with their friends.

About the Girls Game
Girls lacrosse and boys lacrosse, while having some similarities are actually quite different. While the ball is similar in weight and size, the official ball for the boys and girls games are different colors. The stick, known as a crosse, is different in length allowed and pocket depth. The girls wear much less safety equipment because their rules do not allow body contact. Additionally the fields are lined differently and the positions are different. However, the object of the game is the same: Get the ball in the other teams net! Medfield Lacrosse girls teams play in the Massachusetts Bay Youth Lacrosse League and play by modified official women's lacrosse rules. Read on to learn more about the girls lacrosse game.


Equipment
Goals: regulation lacrosse cages.

Ball: regulation solid yellow ball.

Crosse:
Length: regulation women's crosse (field stick for field players and goalie stick for goalkeepers) cut to a comfortable length.
Pocket depth: as the crosse is held in a horizontal position, pressure is applied to and released from a ball dropped into the pocket. The ball must remain even with or above the wall of the crosse.


Girls Safety Equipment
All field players (everyone but the goalie) must wear a mouth guard with no protruding tabs and ASTM approved women's regulation lacrosse goggles while on the field during games AND practices.

Goalkeepers must wear a regulation helmet, throat protector, mouth guard, chest protector and goalie gloves while on the field during games AND practices. Leg padding and pelvic protection is recommended but not required.

All girls are required to purchase their own goggles.

Goalkeeper equipment is provided by Canton Youth Lacrosse.

Description of Girls Positions

Attack

• First Home
  The first home's responsibility is to score. Located in front of the goal, the first home must continually cut toward the goal for a shot, or cut away from the goal to make room for another player. She should have excellent stickwork.
• Second Home
  The second home is considered the playmaker. She should be able to shoot well from every angle and distance from the goal.
• Third Home
  The third home's responsibility is to transition the ball from defense to attack. She should be able to feed the ball to other players and fill in wing areas.
• Two Attack Wings
  The wings are also responsible for transitioning the ball from defense to attack. Wings should have speed and endurance and be ready to receive the ball from the defense and run or pass the ball.
• Center
  The center's responsibility is to control the draw and play both defense and attack. She should have speed and endurance.

Defense:

• Point
  The point's responsibility is to mark first home. She should be able to stick check, body check and look to intercept passes.
• Coverpoint
  The coverpoint's responsibility is to mark second home. She should be able to receive clears, run fast and have good footwork.
• Third Man
  The third man's responsibility is to mark third home. She should be able to intercept passes, clear the ball, run fast and have good footwork.
• Two Defense Wings
  The wings are responsible for marking the attack wings and bringing the ball into the attack area. Wings should have speed and endurance.
• Goalkeeper
  The goalkeeper's responsibility is to protect the goal. She should have good stickwork, courage and confidence.

Playing Area
The field has no measured boundaries and no out of bounds lines. The desirable field length is 100 yards between goal lines, 10 yards behind each goal circle, (play is allowed behind the goal) and 70 yards wide. The field will be marked according to US Lacrosse Women's rules.


Start of the Game
Each half of the game and any overtime period is started with a draw. After each goal the game is restarted with a draw. If a four or more goal differential exists, in place of a draw the team with fewer goals will be awarded a free position at the center of the center circle.

Draw: Each center opponent places one foot toeing the centerline. The crosse is held above the hip and parallel to the centerline. The ball is sandwiched between the backs of the the opposing players crosses and upon the whistle the center players push their sticks up and out thus tossing the ball into the air. The ball must attain a height higher than the heads of the players taking the draw. An illegal draw will result in a free position being awarded to the non-offending center. If both players draw illegally, or it cannot be determined which player was a fault, then the referee will toss the ball in the air between the two centers as they stand next to each other.


Start/Stop Play
All play is started and stopped with a whistle. When the whistle is blown to stop play all field players must "stand" by not moving their feet unless directed to move by the official. The goalkeeper may move inside of the goal circle but if she was outside of the goal circle when the whistle blew she also must stand. Play resumes on the next whistle.


Scoring
A goal is scored when the ball passes completely over the goal line drawn between the two goal posts. A goal may be scored if the ball bounces off a defenders crosse or body but not off an attack players body. A goal will NOT be scored if the ball enters the cage after a whistle, if a crease violation occurs, if an attack player fouls the goalie, if the attack's crosse is deemed illegal, or if the shot is ruled dangerous.


Substitutions
Substitutions may be made at any time the ball is in play, after goals and at halftime. Each team may substitute an unlimited number of players at any time during play. If substitutions are made while the ball is in play ("on the fly") they must take place through the team substitution area by the scorer's table. The player leaving must be completely off the field before the substitute may enter the field. This includes the goalkeeper.


Duration of Play
A game is made up of two twenty-five minute running time halves. The clock will stop after each goal and, during the last two minutes of each half, after every whistle sounded to stop play. Otherwise, the clock will run. Official time is to be kept by the home team.

If the score is tied at the end of regulation time then a six-minute stop-clock overtime may be considered but only if agreed upon by both coaches and if the referee's time allows.

Each team is allowed one two-minute time-out per half which may be requested only after play is stopped when a goal is scored.