Philadelphia, November 22, 2016 – The National Lacrosse League (NLL) has announced rule changes for the upcoming 2017 NLL season. One of the most noticeable changes this season will be the addition of another official to the field for all NLL games. There will now be four officials presiding over every game, three of whom will be in the field of play.
“With our rule changes over the last couple seasons and our players continuously raising the bar of their athleticism, a three man on-floor officiating crew lends itself for much better floor and vision coverage and results in an overall better performance by the officiating crew,” said Brian Lemon, VP of Lacrosse Operations.
Also new for 2017 is the language for Rule 70 (Illegal Body Check Rule), which has been amended to prevent substantial contact to players in a defenseless position.
“Player safety continues to be a major focus for the Competition Committee every off season when we review our rules. This year we added additional language to rule 70, Illegal Body Checking, to prevent significant contact on players who are in vulnerable and defenseless positions when picking up a loose ball or receiving a pass, for example,” Lemon added. “Our rules reflect the desire to maintain the fast-paced action with physical, legal contact that continues to be entertaining for our fans.”
Click here for the full list of rule changes for the upcoming year while the entire 2017 NLL Rulebook can be found by clicking here.
About the National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s premier professional indoor lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of nine franchises across the United States and Canada: Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, New England Black Wolves, Rochester Knighthawks, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock and Vancouver Stealth. The 2017 NLL regular season, commemorating the League’s 31st year, opens on Thursday, December 29 when the Rochester Knighthawks take on the Toronto Rock at Blue Cross Arena. For more information, visit NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
