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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (July 10, 2026) — A possession clock, uniforms and pocket stringing on sticks are among the girls lacrosse rule changes approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Girls Lacrosse Rules Committee and approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
State high school associations may establish a 90-second possession clock in girls lacrosse starting with the 2027 season.
“The implementation of a possession clock has been a topic of conversation within high school girls lacrosse over the last several years,” said Barb Martinichio, chair of the NFHS Girls Lacrosse Rules Committee. “The rules committee has been monitoring the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s 90-second possession clock experiment over the past two years and with overwhelming state association support for state adoption, the committee felt this was the next step in the evolution of the game to support the development of the student-athletes.”
The new rule outlines the requirements for adopting a possession clock, giving states the option to implement the measure to help reduce stalling and increase the pace of play.
Regarding uniforms, home team jerseys must be white, beginning January 1, 2031. The update aligns girls lacrosse with other NFHS uniform requirements and removes ambiguity.
Another significant revision concerns pocket stringing. The change provides more detailed guidance on equipment, clarifying that the pocket must be attached directly to the head through stringing holes. The update aligns with USA Lacrosse standards and eliminates non-integral stringing that can create a competitive advantage. It also establishes clearer parameters for officials to reduce gamesmanship and addresses elastic filaments that allow the pocket shape to change dynamically during play.
Clarifying language was also added to the illegal switching of sticks. The revised rule explicitly states that players may not switch sticks with another player on the field or receive a stick from the bench area during live play without properly entering and exiting through the substitution area. Stick changes remain permitted after a goal is scored and during time-outs.
Additional changes addressed crosse inspection, ensuring the ball is mobile from sidewall to sidewall on the front and upper third of the back of the pocket, allowing players suspected of injury to remain in the game when it is determined that no health-care provider or coach is need to enter the field and attend to the player, and establishing guidance for when a goal counts following the release of a shot before the horn ending the quarter or overtime period.
“The rules committee prioritized creating equitable and fair rules around stick stringing and exchange rules, improving pace and game flow while creating consistency with other NFHS rules codes,” said Lindsey Atkinson, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the NFHS Girls Lacrosse Rules Committee.
