- I heard there is Peanut or Soft Lacrosse for 3-4 year olds. What is Soft Lacrosse?
Due to recent rule changes from Ontario Lacrosse, 3 and 4 year old children are only able to play soft lacrosse providing this program is offered by a Lacrosse Association. Northumberland Minor Lacrosse is offering Soft Lacrosse in their Peanut Division. Soft Lacrosse focuses on “unstructured, fun environment” developing the basic Lacrosse skills such as shooting, catching, passing, ball control and team play. There is no contact allowed of any kind. Each player will receive qualified instruction in a fun lacrosse environment. Each session will last 45 minutes.
- What nights will my child play?
At this time, this can not be determined. This will depend on the number of teams, which won’t be decided until registration is complete and the availability of floor time is determined.
- My child has never played before. Will there be any new player lacrosse clinics for my child to attend?
There will be clinics for new players, but no dates have been determined yet. This information will be available at registration and on our website when we can set the dates.
- What about the rep teams. Will those players play house league too?
We will try to field rep teams. All rep players will play house league as well for this season as our primary focus is skill development.
- My child is new to lacrosse. What equipment do they need?
Each player needs a mouth guard, CSA approved helmet with full face cage/shield, shoulder pads, shocker pads, rib/kidney pads, gloves, jock or jill, lacrosse stick, running shoes, shorts and a sweater. Most hockey players already have the shoulder pads, helmet with mask, gloves, jock or jill and a sweater. Specific to lacrosse is the shocker pads for your arms, the rib/kidney pads and the stick. Most players choose basketball type running shoes because the playing surface is cement. For the Peanut Division, rib/kidney pads are not required. See our equipment page.
- What does my child receive for playing in Northumberland?
Each player will be allowed to play on a house league team and will be able to keep their jersey. A photographer will take team and individual photos at some point during the season, this is not covered in the registration fees. Also they will make new friends and have a great time learning the awesome game of lacrosse.
- Is lacrosse full contact for all players?
Yes, for boys and girls tyke to intermediate. This means that there is contact allowed by players using their stick to dislodge the ball from another player by checking the other players stick or cross-checking their body from the front or the side.
- For paperweight, only stick checking will be permitted as per OLA rules. No body contact or cross-checking will be allowed.
For the Peanut (soft Lacrosse) Division, there will be NO kind of contact allowed. This division is strictly focused to skills development.
- Do I have to provide my child’s health card number?
Yes.
- What do I need to bring to registration?
Every new player must provide their birth certificate and health card when they register. If you don’t have copies we will be able to make copies for you.
- My child does not have a birth certificate or it can not be found. What other proof of age will you accept?
Northumberland Minor Lacrosse will accept the following proof of age:
A. New type of Ontario Health Card (green one) that shows the date of birth. The old red and white cards do not show the date of birth.
B. Current passport.
C. Birth certificate
- What is the NMLA cancellation policy?
Pre-Season: Registration fee, less administration fee, less cost of free stick if applicable.
After season starts: Registration fee, less administration fee, less 10% per week of house league past (no refunds after second week of house league), less cost of free stick if applicable.
All requests for refunds must be sent directly to the registrar (nmlaregistrar@gmail.com) or no refund will be issued.
Although Box Lacrosse looks similar to Hockey & is played in the same setting (arena, without ice of course) it really is more like Basketball – below are some guidelines to introduce new people to Lacrosse:
- Unlike Hockey, the Game of Lacrosse involves a full TEAM offence & defence – there are NO Defensemen in Lacrosse!
- The 5 players are referred to as Left Crease (like Left Wing in Hockey), Left Corner (like Left Defense), Right Crease (Right Wing), Right Corner (Right Defense) & Point (Centre).
- Like Basketball, there is no offside or icing – this keeps the pace of the game moving very quickly! – there are rules, regulations & features that are unique to Lacrosse & most of these are used in City League – many other rules are the same as in Hockey – ignore any Hockey markings that may be on the arena floor like blue lines or the red line.
- When one team offends & no penalty is called, the other team is awarded possession; i.e. if a player shoots or bounces the ball out of bounds the other team is given possession – a whistle signifies the stoppage & re-starting of play – there must be 2 whistles in each such sequence – the first whistle you hear stops the play & play ALWAYS re-starts with another whistle – these may occur very quickly in sequence.
- There is almost always a face-off after a goal unless a penalty occurs during the stoppage in play after the goal – after a penalty, or when the ball strikes the goalie in the helmet area, there will be change of possession only, & not a face off.
- In the Paperweight division, a defensive player may occupy a space to prevent an offensive player from entering. The defensive player may place their stick on an opponent, but they are not to push or check with their stick.
- Checking from behind (CFB) is dealt with severely as it is one of the leading potential injury factors – checking is an important part of the game but CFB & violent checks into the boards are strictly enforced.
- High Sticking (HS) is another area of confusion for parents – “Incidental” contact with the opposing player, including the helmet, by an opposing player’s stick is not automatically a penalty! – it is a Referee’s judgment call & Refs are instructed to ignore “Incidental” contact which is illegal contact that has no effect on the play – Lacrosse is a fast game & every effort is made to “let them play” & “keep the game moving” – Hockey today is dominated by Face Offs while Lacrosse has very few & is a fast “possession” game much more like Basketball WITHOUT all those annoying Time-Outs! – there are no team Time-Outs in City League Lacrosse & only one (1) in minor All-Star.
- In Minor Lacrosse, unlike in the NLL, heavy slashing is NOT permitted – a player may NOT strike an opponent with that portion of the stick NOT held between the hands – only stick to stick contact is allowed – swinging the stick with one hand often leads to a penalty as a player must always be “in control” of his stick & is penalized if the Ref deems that he isn’t “in control”.
- If a player ducks into an opposing player’s legal Crosscheck, it is not a penalty unless it is from behind – proper Crosschecking in Lacrosse is both legal & a very important & proper method of checking.
- Players, or Goalies out of their crease, will be penalized if they catch the ball in their hand – if they just contact it with the hand it is possession to the other team.
- Face-Offs are taken with the open face of the stick facing your own net – the ball must come out of the 2′ small face-off circle before any other players can cross the restraining lines – an offence against this does not cause another face-off as in Hockey (remember we minimize face-offs in Lacrosse), it results in possession to the other team.
- A player with the ball cannot push off with his free hand or arm – if he does, possession is awarded to the other team – also you can check an offensive player, whether he has the ball or not – however, checking of an offensive player, who does not have the ball, is restricted to the area within the dotted lines at PeeWee & below, & if you are on the offensive team you cannot check back, you must take the checking without aggressively responding – any response or checking by a member of the team who has possession (within proximity of the ball) may result in loss of possession as minor interference, called a “moving pick” – interference away from the ball, that is not considered a “moving pick” is either ignored if it does not affect the play or is called an Interference Penalty – under no circumstances can it be deemed to be minor interference with a possession change.
- The ball can be kicked but not directly into the net for a goal.
- When a change of possession occurs, the player awarded possession must be given at least 9 feet of room by the defending player until the whistle signifies restarting of play – the player may pass or run with the ball when the whistle to restart play is signaled.
- If 2 players are going after a loose ball they must play the ball & not check the other player until he has possession – neither new players nor parents adapt to this rule very quickly! – the principle of “equal shoulder contact” is observed.
- Another big difference between Hockey & Lacrosse involves the Goal Crease – if you go into the other team’s crease with the ball, to shoot or cut thru it, you lose possession – if you encroach on the other team’s crease without the ball & do not affect the Goalie & do not affect the play then nothing is called – if you go thru the other team’s crease to make a check or you interfere with the Goalie while he is in his crease, it results in a penalty – if you are pushed into the crease you are OK but you must make every effort to get out ASAP.
- When defending your own net you can never pass the ball back to your own crease – your Goalie or player has 5 seconds to get the ball out of the crease after stopping & gaining control of it (at younger ages in C/L this rule is enforced leniently as the primary aspect of C/L is education not penalization – the Goalie must have both feet out to be considered out & once out, he or any other player, cannot go back in or through while in possession of the ball – any contact with the Goal Line is “IN” the crease – you can pass to the Goalie as much as you want if he is out of the crease – the Goalie in Lacrosse can function just like any other player – there is no centre red line for off-side purposes & a Goalie can go anywhere on the floor.
These rules will be enforced with the idea of teaching the kids! – a Referee’s judgment is an important factor & is guided by Board policy, Referee-in-Chief’s directions & Conveners’ guidance – any violent hitting or infractions are intended to be strictly enforced.
Field Rules Summary
Field lacrosse is a contact game played by ten players: a goalie, three defensemen, three midfielders and three attackmen. The object of the game is to shoot the ball into the opponent’s goal. The team scoring the most goals wins.
Each team must keep at least four players, including the goalie, in its defensive half of the field and three in its offensive half. Three players (midfielders) may roam the entire field.
Teams change sides between periods. Each team is permitted two timeouts each half. The team winning the coin toss chooses the end of the field it wants to defend first. The other team gets the first alternate possession.
A referee and an umpire supervise field play.
A timekeeper and scorer provided by the home team assist.
Field Lacrosse Face-offs
Field lacrosse begins with a face-off. The players take their positions on the field: four in the defensive clearing area, one at the center, two in the wing areas and three in their attack goal area. The ball is placed between the sticks of two squatting players at the center of the field. The official blows the whistle to begin play. Each face-off player tries to control the ball. The players in the wing areas can run after the ball when the whistle sounds. The other players must wait until one player has gained possession of the ball, or the ball has crossed a goal area line, before they can release.
Center face-offs are also used at the start of each quarter and after a goal is scored. Field players must use their crosses to pass, catch and run with the ball. Only the goalkeeper may touch the ball with his hands. A player may gain possession of the ball by dislodging it from an opponent’s crosse with a stick check. A stick check is the controlled poking and slapping of the stick and gloved hands of the player in possession of the ball.
Field Lacrosse Checking and Possesion
Body checking is permitted if the opponent has the ball or is within five yards of a loose ball. All body contact must occur from the front or side, above the waist and below the shoulders, and with both hands on the stick. An opponent’s crosse may also be stick checked if it is within five yards of a loose ball or ball in the air. Aggressive body checking is discouraged.
If the ball or a player in possession of the ball goes out of bounds, the other team is awarded possession. If the ball goes out of bounds after an unsuccessful shot, the player nearest to the ball when and where it goes out of bounds is awarded possession.
An attacking player cannot enter the crease around the goal, but may reach in with his stick to scoop a loose ball.
Field Penalties
Personal and Technical Fouls
There are personal fouls and technical fouls in field lacrosse.
The penalty for a personal foul results in a one to three minute suspension from play and possession to the team that was fouled. Players with five personal fouls are ejected from the game.
The penalty for a technical foul is a thirty-second suspension if the fouled team is in possession of the ball when the foul is committed, or possession of the ball to the team that was fouled if there was no possession when the foul was committed.
Personal Fouls
Slashing: Occurs when a player’s stick viciously contacts an opponent in any area other than the stick or gloved hand on the stick.
Tripping: Occurs when a player obstructs his opponent at or below the waist with the crosse, hands, arms, feet or legs.
Cross-Checking: Occurs when a player uses the handle of his crosse between his hands to make contact with an opponent.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Occurs when any player or coach commits an act that is considered unsportsmanlike by an official, including taunting, arguing, or obscene language or gestures.
Unnecessary Roughness: Occurs when a player strikes an opponent with his stick or body using excessive or violent force.
OLA Offense Declaration 2017 Staff + Volunteers
Coaches Code – As a coach I will:
Respect others, in victory and defeat by:
- Treating players, parents, opponents, coaches and other officials fairly, regardless of gender, ethnic background, colour, sexual orientation, religion, political belief or economic status.
- Directing all comments at the performance rather than the person.
- Never criticizing other coaches.
Put the health and wellbeing of my athletes first by:
- Co-operating with the parents or legal guardians of my athletes, involving them in their child’s development.
- Conducting practices and games in ways that are mindful of the academic pressures placed on my student athletes and promote their academic success.
- Ensuring that the activity being undertaken is suitable to the age, experience, ability, and fitness level of the athletes.
- Co-operating with registered medical practitioners in the overall management of my athletes’ medical and psychological health.
Be a good role model by:
- Displaying high personal standards.
- Abstaining from and not tolerating use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco products in conjunction with sport and discourage their use and that of other banned performance enhancing drugs by athletes at all times.
- Not using profane, insulting, harassing or otherwise offensive language.
Stand on guard against abuse and promote a safe environment by:
- Reporting any suspicion of sexual abuse (and other situations when a child may be in need of protection, such as neglect) to the authorities and advising the board of executive.
- Refraining from verbal or physical behaviours that constitute harassment or abuse.
- Educating athletes about their responsibilities in contributing to a safe environment.
Player’s Code – – As a player I will:
- Play by the rules and in the spirit of the game.
- Respect my fellow players, my coaches, the officials, my opponents and the game.
- Do my best to be a true team player.
- Remember that winning isn’t everything, that having fun, improving my skills and making friends and doing my best are just as important.
- Acknowledge all good plays or performances, both those of my team and my opponents
- Participate because I want to, not just because my parents or coaches want me to.
- Control my temper- fighting and mouthing off spoil the game for everyone.
- Remember that my coaches and officials are there to help me. I will accept their decisions and show them respect.
Parent’s Code – As a parent I will:
- Remember that my child plays sport for their enjoyment, not for mine.
- Encourage my child to play by the rules and to resolve conflicts without resorting to hostility or violence.
- Teach my child that doing one’s best is as important as winning, so that my child will never feel severely defeated by the outcome of a game or event.
- Make my child feel like a winner every time by offering praise for competing fairly and trying hard.
- Never ridicule or yell at my child, or another child, for making a mistake or losing a competition.
- Remember that children learn best by example. I will applaud good performances by both my child’s team and their opponents.
- Never force my child to participate in sports.
- Never question the official’s judgement or honesty in public – I will take concerns to the proper officials.
- Respect and show appreciation for the trained volunteer coaches and other team leaders who give their time and energy to provide sport activities that help my child grow
Criminal Record Check Letter/Offense Declaration
Updated Monday March 20, 2017 by NMLA.
The NMLA requires a criminal record check and a vulnerable sector check for coaches, trainers, managers and volunteers who work with the association. Anyone who filled out a CRC last year will need to fill out an Offense Declaration form this year. CRC are required every 5 years.
Please download the attached CRC letter and submit to your local police service. If you have already filled out a CRC, download the Offence Declaration and submit.
Guidelines for Diagnosing Concussions
Updated Friday June 26, 2015 by NMLA Webmaster.
Think your child may have suffered a concussion? Download the attached PDF Guidelines for Diagnosing and Managing Pediactric Concussion to learn all you need to know about treating concussions.
If you think your child may have sustained a concussion, please contact we-fix-u. Cobourg – (905) 373-7045 or Port Hope (905) 885-0024
Nemesis Lacrosse is played in several arenas in Northumberland county. Arena are located in Port Hope, Cobourg, Baltimore, Colborne and Brighton.
Jack Burger Sports Complex
60 Highland Dr. Port Hope, ON L1A3V9 905-885-2474
Baltimore Arena
23 Community Centre Rd. Baltimore, ON K0K1C0 905-372-5662
Cobourg Community Centre
D`Arcy St. & Alexandria Dr. Cobourg, ON K9A4A9 905-372-7371
Cobourg Memorial Rink & Recreation Center
(Memorial Arena & Jack Heenan Arena)
206 Furnace St. Cobourg, ON K9A2G1 905-372-7371
Keeler Centre
80 Division St. Colborne, ON K0K1S0 905-355-2846
King Edward Arena
(King Edward Park)
Elizabeth St. Brighton, ON K0K1H0 613-475-0302
Download your NMLA game sheets here!
