Shot clocks to be used in girls and boys lacrosse in Spring 2025

The clock is ticking.

In a move the New York State Public High School Athletic Association has called an experiment but which appears likely to become a permanent rule change, boys and girls lacrosse games in the state will operate with a shot clock.

The clock will be different for each sport.

Suffern used rules to its advantage in title win

The discussion about making a change had started well before the Suffern girls lacrosse team's effective, but controversial, stall.

Suffern edged Wappingers 7-6 for the Section 1 Class A championship last spring, playing a game of keep-away with the ball to kill off the game's last 10-plus minutes.

That won't be allowed to happen this spring in either girls or boys lacrosse, where the stall tactic was also widely used in close games.

What will be the new lacrosse shot clock rules in New York?

In girls lacrosse, after gaining possession of the ball, teams will have 90 seconds to put a shot on net.

Shots that are wide or high won't result in a clock reset. Shots will only be considered to be valid shots if they hit a post or the crossbar or hit or are otherwise stopped by the goalie.

The shot clock rule in boys lacrosse piggybacks on existing possession rules in that sport.

While there have been no clock restrictions in girls lacrosse, in boys lacrosse, a team gaining possession has had 20 seconds to move the ball across midfield into its offensive end and then 10 seconds to move it into the attack area, which extends 20 yards out from the goal and sideline to sideline.

That will stay the same.

But now, once in the attack zone, a team will have 60 seconds to shoot.

Why state officials think the shot clock will work

While the new rule is not specific in describing what's to be considered a valid shot in the boys game, leaving that up to game officials, Todd Nelson, the state association's assistant director, indicated Tuesday the interpretation was likely to be similar to the girls rule.

In both the girls and boys games, the clock is designed to increase the pace of play to do away with long stalls, which potentially would make games more exciting and competitive.

But on the girls side, where, at this point, rules do not allow defenders to be in shooting lanes and protective equipment is usually limited to goggles, the shot clock is also designed to cut down on possible injury.

"We have found empirical data that toward the end of games there are more accidental sticks to the head," Nelson said. "If one team is stalling, you see the other taking chances, swinging a stick (to try to knock the ball free). Defense can now play a more sound defense."

Nelson said he believes New York is the first state to implement high school shooting clocks in lacrosse. Shooting clocks have been in use in women's collegiate lacrosse since 2015 and in men's collegiate lacrosse since 2019.

Nelson noted the state athletic association had received permission for the rules changes from the National Federation of State High School Associations for use in 2025. But he said, "Our intention is multiple years, at least two."

The state athletic association, while advocating schools have what Nelson prefers to call "possession clocks," noted that will not be mandated.

Who will be in charge of the shot clock?

In the absence of an electronic possession or shot clock (usually displayed on or near a scoreboard), the time will be kept at the scorer's table.

Often scoring tables are staffed by high school students, sometimes junior varsity players, during varsity games.

And that may remain the case, although it's not the state athletic association's preference.

"It is recommended it be an adult. But just like with basketball, we don't put that as a requirement," said Nelson, who also said it would be up to individual schools to decide if they want to pay the person starting and stopping an electronic clock or who is manually keeping the shot clock time.

Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track & field, field hockey, skiing, ice hockey, basketball, girls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at @HaggertyNancy

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Shot clocks to be used in girls and boys lacrosse in Spring 2025