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Lacrosse is a very action-based contact sport that has a lot going on at once. When I first started playing lacrosse, I was very new to the rules. One of the first things I wondered was if I can use my feet to kick the ball and score instead of using the stick. Here’s what I found out.
In men’s, women’s, and boy’s lacrosse, using your feet to kick the ball is legal while in girl’s lacrosse, kicking the ball is not legal until the age groups of 12U or higher. Lacrosse players can kick the ball away from other players to have an easy ground ball and scoop up the ball with the stick.
There are many ways that you can accidentally use your feet in the sport of lacrosse. In this article, I will break down the exact rules of using your feet in any given scenario while playing lacrosse. If you are as curious as I was, you’ll find these facts to be very interesting!
What are the rules for using your feet in lacrosse
There are two specific rules against using your feet while playing lacrosse: You can’t score a goal by kicking a ball in the goal and you can’t kick another player’s lacrosse stick. However, you can use your feet to kick the ball around the field and away from other players to create an easy scoop.
The rules of lacrosse about using feet are very confusing at first but when you play lacrosse for a long time, you get the hang of the rules.
While using your feet in lacrosse might seem illegal at first, it’s actually encouraged!
“The ball is kept in play by being carried, thrown or batted with the crosse, or rolled or kicked in any direction, subject to the restrictions described in the following rules.”
NCAA Rule book
Choosing the right lacrosse stick for you is one of the most important things to do. After having many lacrosse sticks throughout the years, the best one that I came across was the STX Lacrosse Fortress 700 Complete Stick. This lacrosse stick comes with a Crux Mesh Pro Pocket and is perfect for any lacrosse player to use. You can check out this Stick on Amazon!
My coaches have always encouraged me to kick the ball whenever I needed to for an easier scoop. This could be done anywhere in the middle of the field to get the ball out of a jam!
Here are a few examples of how I kick the ball to my advantage:
- When the ball is on the floor and all the players are trying to scoop it up, I usually kick the ball out towards a teammate
- When the ball is on the floor, I also drag the ball towards myself for an easy scoop off the ground
- Whenever I notice that I’m outrunning a ground ball, I usually kick it forward to be able to scoop it easier with my stick
You can only kick the ball when it’s on the floor and while in the middle of the field.
*By the way, I recently wrote an article that talks about If Lacrosse Is A Fun Sport To Play. This article breaks down if it is easy to learn lacrosse as well as how lacrosse is played. You can check out this article here!
However, there are a few rules when you’re not allowed to use your feet. These rules are enforced by the referees because they can greatly influence the outcome of the game. Below, I will discuss how you’re not allowed to use your feet in lacrosse!
Can you kick the ball in lacrosse to score a goal?
In general, you cannot kick the ball into the goal to score in lacrosse. While this rule is not clearly stated in the rule book, most lacrosse referees consider kicking the ball into the goal as an illegal move. Doing so can lead the lacrosse player to go to the penalty box.
Kicking the ball in the middle of the field is one thing, but kicking the ball into the goal to score is something completely different.
While this is not specifically mentioned in the rule book, most referees do not count a kicked ball into the goal as a point. The point has to be scored the old-fashioned way.
Lacrosse is NOT soccer!
*Side Note: I recently wrote an article called Can You Play Lacrosse Without Cleats. This article compares lacrosse cleats to other pairs of cleats and establishes which cleats are the best. You can check out this article here!
However, there are some lacrosse games where referees count a kicked ball as a goal because it is not specifically stated in the rule book. Personally, I never try to kick the ball into the goal as I don’t see it as a legitimate way to score a point!
Does it count if you kick the ball into your own goal?
Generally speaking, it does not count as a point if you kick a lacrosse ball into your own goal. While it is not clearly stated in the rule book, most referees consider kicking the ball into any goal an illegal move. A player that kicks the ball into their own goal may be sent to the penalty box.
First of all, I have to say that I hope any player that kicks the lacrosse ball into their own goal did it by accident!
If you see that the opponent has a high chance of scoring and they lose the ball, you could either try to scoop it yourself, try your best to kick the ball in the opposite direction, or towards another defensive player.
*Side Note, I recently wrote an article about The Best Lacrosse Ball Alternatives for Playing Lacrosse. This article talks about the 5 best lacrosse ball substitutes that could be used instead of a lacrosse ball. You can check out this article here!
Either way, you’ll be giving the ground ball a smaller chance of accidentally getting kicked into your own goal by you or another defensive player!
Can you kick another player’s stick?
As a general rule, you are not allowed to kick another player’s lacrosse stick in any way while playing lacrosse whether they have a ball in it or not. Any player that kicks another player’s lacrosse stick will get a 30-second technical foul with a potential loss of possession for the team.
Not kicking another player’s stick is a very strict rule that needs to be followed by all lacrosse players on the field!
The main reason this rule is upheld is that it’s easy to hurt another player if you aim to kick their stick. Another reason is if you kick someone’s stick with the ball inside, it’ll be easy to knock it down on the field which is very unfair.
A third reason is that you can potentially damage a lacrosse player’s stick which could be expensive to fix! Be mindful of other players’ equipment.
Lacrosse sticks can be very hard to break, especially when kicked, but a lacrosse head can be easily bent out of shape.
*Side Note: I recently wrote an article about How Often You Should Replace Your Lacrosse Stick. This article talks about when you should replace your lacrosse stick and head. You can check out this article here!
