Welcome to SliderLAX! SliderLAX is an unofficial website for High School Girls' Lacrosse in Kentucky. The focus is on the High School Girls' Lacrosse teams in KHSAA LAX regions 7 & 8. These schools are located in Fayette, Scott, and Woodford counties.
If you are interested in becoming a High School Girls Lacrosse Umpire in Regions 7 & 8, please contact the assignor for the two regions - John W. Slider.
In SliderLAX you will find resources for umpires, spectators, coaches, and players. You are invited to take some time to browse the column on the right where you will find books, videos, and links that will be of help to everyone involved in Girls Lacrosse in Kentucky.
FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN BECOMING USA LACROSSE CERTIFIED UMPIRES OR KHSAA LICENSED HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS LACROSSE UMPIRES IN KENTUCKY PLEASE SEE THE BROCHURE AT THE TOP OF THE RIGHT COLUMN.
Rule 2 addresses game equipment and uniforms for players. In Girls Lacrosse, the ball must be either yellow, lime green, or bright orange and have the appropriate markings. It may seem a bit pharisaic, but the game may not be played without a legal ball.
The crosses used in Girls Lacrosse are either a field crosse or a goalkeeper crosse. There are certain specifications for each type of crosse. Field crosses must measure in length between 35.5 and 43,25 inches. The strings of the head or net must allow for a portion of the ball to be seen above the railings of the head.
The goalkeeper crosse must measure between 35.5 and 52 inches. The head of the goalkeeper’s cross is larger and looser than the head of the field crosse. A goalkeeper crosse may not be used to score a goal or perform a draw.
Officials inspect crosses before every game. The procedures for inspecting crosses are made in order for there to be uniformity throughout the sport. A crosse may fail an inspection prior to the game or during play. A crosse that cannot be fixed before the beginning of the game must remain at the table during the first half of the game and then re-inspected at halftime.
Coaches may request limited inspections of an opponents’ crosses during dead balls during play. An illegal crosse may not score a goal.
Players, including goalkeepers, must wear eye protection and tooth/mouth protection that is approved by rule. Field players have the option of wearing helmets and gloves.
Goalkeepers must wear an unadorned helmet with a face mask and chinstrap, a separate throat protector, padded gloves, mouthguard, chest protector, and thigh protection with integrated padding (new in 2024). All equipment must be approved by rule and legally worn. Goalkeepers at the high school level are not required to wear shin protection, but they are required at the Middle School (Youth) level.
Proper uniforms assist in the conduct of the game in quickly identifying teams and individuals. Coaches should be aware of the appropriate and legal equipment and uniforms. Head coaches verify to officials before the game that their respective teams are legally and properly equipped according to rule.
IF YOU WANT TO UMPIRE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS LACROSSE IN KENTUCKY YOU WILL NEED TO BE LICENSED WITH THE KHSAA. NO EXCEPTIONS. USAL CERTIFICATION DOES NOT COUNT FOR THE KENTUCKY HIGH SCHOOL SEASON ANY MORE. This is important for several reasons, but especially INSURANCE!!!! Everyone must register as a Girls Lacrosse Umpire. Go to KHSAA. If you need help, contact John Slider. There is a discount for college students and persons who are licensed in other sports.
YOU WILL ALSO NEED TO JOIN THE STATE OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION (KLUB) - free for 1st year, discount for college students.
Second, both boys and girls LAX will be organized differently under the KHSAA. Gone are KSLL and Commonwealth League. Now the 12 teams in Fayette, Scott, and Woodford counties are organized into LAX regions 7 and 8 (each having 6 teams). These LAX regions are administered by KHSAA Regional Policy Board 10/11 (Don't try to make sense of it. John Slider has been recommended by the RPB to be the assignor for LAX 7/8. Until the KHSAA gives John a contract, he will consider himself as "Acting Assignor."
REGION 7
Bryan Station
Frederick Douglass
Great Crossing
Henry Clay
Sayre
Scott County
REGION 8
Lafayette
Lexington Catholic
Lexington Christian
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Tates Creek
Woodford County
IF YOU ARE NOT LICENSED AS A GIRLS LACROSSE UMPIRE BY THE KHSAA YOU CANNOT BE ASSIGNED TO GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL GAMES IN KENTUCKY.
Third, some good news ... GAME AND TRAVEL FEES for umpires. There are minimum fees set by KHSAA, but RPB 10/11 has established a more generous pay scale. You will be getting a raise on game in LAX Regions 7/8 that I assign.
Game fees: Varsity = $100; JV = $60 (Varsity games are 4x12min stop clock per NFHS; JV games are 4x10min running clock, no OT)
Travel fees per assignment: 0-50 miles =$0; 51-75 miles = $40; 76-100 miles = $60; 100+ miles = $90
Scrimmage/Preseason fees (no travel) = $100 for up to 3 hours
Here are some important dates:
9 February KLUB Rules Clinic in Lexington - required attendance. There is one in Louisville if you need it instead.
28 February - 2 March Woodford (Preseason) Jamboree - I will staff this event with you all first, then others. We will be using this as a training event for newer officials especially. Everyone will get paid!!!
EVERYONE WILL NEED TO WEAR A SHIRT WITH 2" STRIPES AND KHSAA LOGO. NO EXCEPTIONS.
The Critical Scoring Area (CSA) has already been mentioned in relation to the field. The CSA is defined as the area inside the 12m fan and extending to the end line.
The CSA includes the area defined by the 12m fan as well as the area defined by an imaginary line drawn from where the 12m fan intersects the Goal Line Extended to the End Line.
Sometimes the entire CSA needs to be considered for play, and sometimes there is a need to differentiate between play above and play below the GLE but in the CSA. Here are the two areas of the CSA – above and below:
There are two dots located in the CSA below the GLE that are used for penalty administration. These dots are five yards below the GLE from the 8m mark on the GLE.
The 8m Arc
Included in the CSA but also an area in itself (sometimes) is the area defined by the 8m Arc. The 8m Arc has five hash marks on it for penalty administration.
Moving out of the 8m Arc, but staying within the CSA, you will notice an area on both sides of each goal that is shaped like a slice of pie. The unofficial term for this is “The Pie.” Within “The Pie” is another hash mark called “The Hanging Hash.”
Penalties may not be administered (set-up) closer that 8m from the goal. Penalties within “The Pie” are set-up on this hanging hash.
The Goal Circle
Finally, there is the goal circle. There are different rules at different levels that control play in and around the goal circle.
The Goal itself is a simple 6x6 foot square. The line on the ground is supposed to be two inches wide, which is the approximate width of the pipes that make up the frame of the goal. The front of the goal pipes should be on the front edge of the goal line. A goal is scored when the entire ball crosses the goal line – either in the air or on the ground. It is possible for a goalkeeper inadvertently to score a goal on herself by carrying the ball across the goal line in her crosse.
Add to the field markings for Soccer, Field Hockey, Football, and Boys Lacrosse and you will understand some of the challenges for players, coaches, and umpires. Indoor facilities can get even more confusing. Everyone on the field seems to be able to function, however, with a lot of understanding and cooperation.
A paramount principle of USA Lacrosse is ensuring that all athletes and participants are provided with the opportunity for safe and fun lacrosse. USA Lacrosse's commitment to providing a positive environment that is free of misconduct and abuse is exemplified in the Athlete Protection and Safety Program, a part of the USA Lacrosse Center for Sports Science & Safety.
The following program sets forth standards and responsibilities which apply to and should be followed by all USA Lacrosse members as well as the broader lacrosse community. The program is not intended to and does not take precedent over the Protecting Youth Victims from Sexual Abuse and SafeSport Authorization Act of 2017, any applicable employment policies, or federal or state law. This program also does not cover on-field conduct that is governed by the rules of play.
All USA Lacrosse members are responsible for familiarizing themselves with this policy and conducting themselves in a manner that is representative of USA Lacrosse’s mission and values. As a condition of becoming a member, or renewing USAL membership, members agree to abide by this Athlete Protection and Safety Policy and the processes found in the following download: Download USAL Athlete Protection and Safety
There are several “areas” on the Girls Lacrosse field that shape play and penalty administration. First, there is the Center Circle. The Draw occurs in this area. Once the Draw takes place this area “disappears into the Field.
The Field
Once the Draw is completed, the Field is the next area to be considered. The Field may be understood as all playing areas outside of the two Critical Scoring Areas.
Restraining Lines
The Restraining Lines themselves are not really areas, but in a sense, boundary lines that define an area on the field for the purposes of limiting play in a team’s goal area to seven-on-seven (plus a goalie).
Rule 1 of the National Federation of High Schools Girls Lacrosse Rules Book addresses the playing area and goals.
There is some flexibility in the size of the Girls Lacrosse Field. The maximum playing area is 140 x 70 yards, and the minimum is 110 x 60 yards. The goals should be no less than 90 yards and no more than one hundred yards apart. There must be a minimum of ten yards or a maximum of twenty yards of space behind each goal line to the boundary line. There must be 4m of space between the sideline boundary and the scorer’s table. There should be at least 4m of space between the other sideline and any spectator area.
Typically, a Girls Lacrosse field is played on a high school football field that measures 120 yards x 160 feet. Actually, the National Federation of High Schools rules book for football measures a football field (including the end zones) in feet, so the field is by rule 360 feet x 160 feet. In yards a football field is 120 yards x 53.33 yards.
Why is this important? Well, there is such a thing in Lacrosse as “Unified Field” markings. The Unified Field MUST BE 120 YARDS IN LENGTH. The width may vary between sixty yards and 53.33 yards.
Again, why is this important? The sidelines and endlines for Lacrosse Unified Field markings may also be the same as football. IF DIRECTORS OF ATHLETICS WOULD ONLY USE THE SAME BOUNDARY MARKINGS FOR FOOTBALL, BOYS LACROSSE, AND GIRLS LACROSSE THEY WOULD ELIMINATE TWO EXTRA SETS OF LINES AND A LOT OF CONFUSION!
Also, there is often a significant error when Directors of Athletics attempt to use Unified Field markings at their facility. It is obvious that what many Directors of Athletics do is tell the Boys Lacrosse coach to mark the field; and then tell the Girls Lacrosse coach to unify the field. There is a problem, however.
What happens is that the Boys Lacrosse coach will invariably use the markings for a Boys Lacrosse field – 110 yards long, with the goal line 15 yards from each endline. This places the center line for Boys Lacrosse 40 yards from each goal line and each restraining line 20 yards from the center line and the goal lines.
When the Girls Lacrosse coach goes to put her field markings on to the Boys Lacrosse markings she will find that it is not possible. The Unified Field must be exactly 120 yards long with the Unified goal lines 15 yards from the end lines and the restraining lines 40 yards from the goal lines. This incorrect measuring of the length of the Unified Field leads to three possible errors or difficulties:
The end line markings run through the football end zones and the additional logos that are often placed there and not along the football end lines creating some visibility problems.
The Girls Lacrosse 12m Fans is pushed 5 yards closer to the restraining lines creating a safety problem.
The Girls Lacrosse restraining lines are ten yards closer to the center line creating a safety problem.
You will notice already a mixing of English and metric measurements. That mixture continues throughout the game and is illustrative of the complexity that is in part self-inflicted.
Girls Lacrosse for Beginners 2025is designed to be a quick reference for persons who are trying to learn the complex game of Girls Lacrosse. It is the continuation of the series of booklets entitled Girls Lacrosse for Spectators that was updated annually.
This booklet contains a title change and small changes to the format, but it is basically a continuation of the Spectators series. It is for “beginners” because of my perceived need of spectators, coaches, Directors of Athletics, and umpires to learn the game.
This booklet is based on the 2025 NFHS Girls Lacrosse Rules Book, the 2025 NFHS/USAL New Rules Seminars, and the 2025 USAL Officials Training Manual. The booklet is not meant to be exhaustive or comprehensive, but a quick resource and reference before, during, and after games.
The booklet comes in two formats - 6x9 paperback for $5.99 and Kindle eBook for $1.99.
USA Lacrosse will host a series of live rules interpretation webinars over the next few months to help coaches and officials prepare for the 2024-25 season.
The rules interpretation webinars are broken into four categories, covering boys’ and girls’ youth and high school rules. Each session for the specific topic will use the same base information, but will also include a USA Lacrosse staff member and a rules interpreter on the webinar live to help answer any questions.
Each session is free of charge for USA Lacrosse members, but requires advance registration with your USA Lacrosse member number.
Use this link to see the schedule of online clinics and to register: REGISTER HERE
