Thoughts on the New Pocket Rules

Now that the new pocket rules are in place, I really wanted to lay it down and let everyone know the finalized rules. And here they are:

1. Shooting strings can be no more than 4 inches away from the top of the crosse.
2. Also, no more than 1 side wall string on each side of the crosse.

This is going to be a big change for a lot of guys. Personally (if I was still playing) I like to have a deep U with 3 straight shooters across the top. This setup is no longer going to be possible in NCAA play. I’ve been wondering how we’re going to be able to get as much hold without it. I’ve always been a deep pocket kind of guy with my pocket located mid to lower in the head. With the shooters having to be within 4 inches of the top it is going to be interesting to see how guys react, and see if they are going to play like they used to. SO we all know what this means… time to hit the wall. Get a friend! Play as much as you can so you can tweak and work with your stick to be as good as you were before. Change is good, just get out there and master the new pocket styles before the others. This way you can really show off come preseason.

At the end of the each quarter or time out the referees are going to be checking the length of each stick, checking for a butt end…etc. The referees will also be checking those pockets a little more strictly. A few things that will happen every time without question will be:

1. The ball will be placed in the crosse (perpendicular to the ground) at the throat, then the crosse is tipped forward 90 degrees
2. The ball is placed in the crosse (horizontal to the ground) at the deepest point of the pocket, then the crosse is tipped forward 90 degrees so the ball rolls out at the tip of the head
3. The ball is placed in the back of the crosse at the deepest point of the pocket and pushed in to reverse the pocket. The crosse is inverted 180 degrees. The ball must come out of the crosse without shaking, etc.

This is pretty standard stuff, but it is important because it can lead to a serious penalty and put your team behind, no one likes a locked-in penalty especially for 3 minutes. No one should like penalties anyway.

One of the main goals of these new stick standards is because the NCAA committees thought that players were holding onto the ball too easily when defended; which in turn led to more physical play. So it is supposed to be helpful. We’ll see how helpful it is this season.