Aloha Lacrosse Rules of Play
**All Players must complete the online player waiver prior to participation. Mouth guards (of any color/design) must be worn at all times along with appropriate equipment.**
All Aloha Tournament events are smoke free, pet free and alcohol-free events. No grills, generators, noisemakers, or air horns are allowed. Thank you for respecting our fans and players!

RULES:
NFHS/USA Lacrosse/Modified NCAA rules with the following modifications and/or points of emphasis..

SAFETY
In the event of any inclement weather, extreme temperature, visibility issue and/or dangerous field conditions our directors may recommend modifications to game time for safety reasons.
All rules will be in accordance with Current NCAA standards unless otherwise noted. The tournament will consist of pool play games and playoffs.

GAME TIME:
Playing time will consist of 2 twenty-minute running time halves with a 2-minute halftime. Games will begin promptly.
One (1) 45 second timeout will be permitted in every game. The clock will stop for the timeout, and it may be called at any time during the game. Timeouts must be called on your offensive end in accordance with NCAA rules.
Pool Play Overtime – There is no overtime in pool play. Each team will receive 1 point.
Championship Overtime – Championship game will consist of unlimited 4-minute periods until a goal is scored. Each team will be awarded one time out and the clock will stop.

Club Boys Rules:

Games are running time unless the Tournament Director communicates otherwise.
There will be no overtime in regulation games.
Penalties are stop-start starting on the whistle (30 or 60 Sec). Penalty time stops during injuries, time-outs, between quarters and halves, and while another penalty is being assessed. Penalties will not be time and a half.

FACEOFF RULES: No Motorgrip, no Knee Down. Faceoff sticks require tape of a different color than your shaft.

Substitutions will be on the fly only, except on a time serving penalty. In that case the teams will have a quick substitution to get EMO or EMD on the field.
There will be no stick checks or requests by the opposing coaches. Sticks must meet either NCAA or NFHS standards.

RULES OF PLAY GIRLS

All Aloha Tournament events are smoke free, pet free, and alcohol-free events. No grills, generators, noisemakers, or air horns are allowed. Thank you for respecting our fans and players!

Girls Field

2024 USA Lacrosse Women’s Rules will be used for ALL graduation years 2025-2034 with the following exceptions:

2031-2034 teams will play MODIFIED CHECKING.

SAFETY

In the event of any inclement weather, extreme temperature, visibility issue and/or dangerous field conditions our Director of Health and Participant Safety may recommend modifications to game time for safety reasons.

GAME TIME

Playing time will consist of two (2) twenty-minute running time halves, with a 2-minute halftime. Running clock. (1) 45-second time-out per game.

PENALTIES

Yellow cards: If a yellow card is issued, it is a 2-minute NON-RELEASABLE penalty that begins once the player exits the field. If a penalty occurs immediately before the end of the 1st half, the penalty will continue into the second half until the full two minutes have been served. If two yellow cards are issued, a player is ineligible for the rest of the game. If a red card is issued, that player is removed from that game and the following game. If 4 yellow cards are issued to a single team in a single game, the offending team must play man-down for the remainder of the contest.

8-meter shot: At end of a game, if whistle has already blown to stop play before time expires for a major foul in the arc, one 8m. shot will be permitted. No pass, no rebound play. If play is stopped for another major foul by the defense, the free position will reset.

First alternate possession goes to team with light jerseys.

No deputy goalies allowed at ANY level, even HS.

SHOOTING:

2025-2028 The stick may enter the circle on the shot.

2029-2035: The stick MAY NOT enter the circle on the shot.

STICKS

There will be no stick checks prior to the start of a game. Coaches cannot request a stick check of an opposing player. All sticks must comply with NFHS and USA Lacrosse guidelines.

CHECKING

All Divisions participate in checking corresponding to USA Lacrosse and NFHS rules.*

2025-2028: Full Checking

2029: Transitional check in with option to full check if agreed upon by coaches.

2030: Transitional

2031-2035: Modified

*Special note for 2029 Division: This age group may do full-checking if both teams agree prior to playing; If both teams are playing with full-checking then all USL High School rules apply; If one team wants to play with modified checking, and one does not wish to play with full checking, then the modified checking rule will stand, and all USA Lacrosse U13 rules will stand.

No noise makers will be allowed at any field (horns, whistles, sirens, cowbells, etc.) Offenders will be asked to leave the field.
Any player, fan or coach ejected from a game will be prohibited from competing in/coaching/watching his/her team’s next game. If a player/coach/fan is ejected for a second time he/she will be disqualified from the tournament.

Fighting is an automatic ejection from the game and will be determined by the officiating crew of that game.

In the event of a forfeit, the winning team will be awarded 7 goals in reference to the 7-goal max differential. If a team forfeits a game, they will be ineligible for championship bracket play.

Official Scores will be kept by the field coordinator. Post game the field coordinator will certify the official score with both coaches and officials. Once scores are certified & reported they may not be challenged. If a dispute arises, please call a tournament director to the field. If a coach has concerns about the final score of a game, the coach should immediately bring the concern to the attention of the field coordinator and game referees prior to that score being reported to the tournament directors. Once reported, scores may not be challenged. Tournament Directors will only communicate with club directors and head coaches.

The Substitution Box will be 10 yards in accordance with the 2024 NCAA rules.
Over and Back rules in effect. After offensive team touches ball in offensive zone, ball cannot cross midline.

No shot clock will be in effect, Officials will issue a stalling warning if the winning team is stalling, a timer on call will be assessed and the team has 30 seconds to get a shot on goal.
Clearing Counts of 20 seconds to cross midline. After 20 seconds of possession, the ball cannot cross back into your defensive half.

MERCY RULE (Youth Divisions Only): Applied when there is a (7) goal deficit in pool play. Teams down by (7) or more goals will get a free clear after each goal. Coaches can agree to waive this rule.

Boys 2026-2032 Rules:
Quick Start: If an opposing player is within five yards of the player that has been awarded the ball, and the official blows the whistle to restart play, the opposing player is not allowed to defend the ball until he reaches a distance of five yards from the opponent. A violation will be a flag down (slow whistle) for delay of game.
No Crease Dives

Boys 2033 & Younger Rules:
FACEOFF RULES: No Motorgrip, no Knee Down. Faceoff sticks require tape of a different color than your shaft
No Counts. Exception is a 4 sec goalie count when clearing.
No “take out” body checks. Body contact is allowed.
Sticks must be between 36″-72″
No Crease Dives
There will be no advancement rules
FACEOFF RULES: No Motorgrip, no Knee Down. Faceoff sticks require tape of a different color than your shaft

All Levels
No deputy goalie allowed – no unprotected player is allowed in the goal circle at any time.

Roster Rules
No player may compete, or be rostered, on more than one team during the tournament.
Placement on a grade based team ( 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2031, 2032, 2033, 2034/2035) is dictated by the highest grade of any player on the team.
Any violation of the tournament roster rules will result in forfeiture of any games in which the ineligible player participated and may result in disqualification from the tournament.

Scoring
Points will be awarded after each game in the following manner:
3 points for a win
1 point for a tie
0 points for a loss
Playoff Seeds
1) Head-to-Head
2) Goals Against
3) Goal differential (max 7 per game +/-)
4) Coin flip.
In the event of a 3+ team tie, the tiebreaker process starts at step 2. Once a team is selected as winning the 3+ team tiebreaker. The process starts at step 1 once 2 teams are remaining.

LIGHTNING SAFETY: Three (3) blasts of an air horn indicate LIGHTNING and all fields must be cleared IMMEDIATELY. Players and fans must go to the tournament’s designated safe shelter. Safe shelter is considered any fully enclosed building that involves plumbing and/or electrical wires that act to electrically ground the structure-places that people live or work. If such a shelter cannot be found, take shelter in any vehicle with a hard metal roof and closed windows. No outdoor activities are to be resumed until 30 minutes after the last sign of lightning/thunder or the all-clear email has been received. For every strike observed, the 30-minute timer is reset. Five (5) blasts means the field is now open and play can resume.

HOT WEATHER SAFETY: Tournament Director will monitor the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature. When indicated by the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, tournament game times will be modified to comply with current recommendations.

ISSUES OR CONCERNS
Tournament Directors will only communicate with Club Directors and/or head coaches serving as deputy club directors on site.

WEATHER POLICY

In the event of adverse weather conditions, the tournament director reserves the right to:

• Reduce the game times in order to catch up with the schedule or cancel games as needed
• Finish games before inclement weather arrives or to preserve field conditions.
• Reschedule games, if possible.
• Convert tournament to a “Festival” format without playoffs or championships to provide the majority of the teams the opportunity to play as many games as possible.
• Every attempt will be made to update cancellations on the Aloha Tournaments website. However, weather conditions can change rapidly, and all teams should be prepared to play as soon as weather clears and fields are playable.

If thunder or lightning is observed at any location, play will be suspended immediately, and players and fans will be required to leave the field. Play will be allowed to resume 30 minutes after the last sound of thunder or sight of lightning is observed.  If a game is in progress:

• The period will end immediately.
• If a game is in the second half of running time period the game will be considered final and the score at that point will be recorded.
• If a game is in the first half of running time when play resumes it will be the start of the second half of the running time period.
• Every attempt will be made to begin subsequent games on time. If the start of the second half of the suspended game delays the onset of the subsequent game the following actions will occur:
• The suspended game will play a 20 minute running time second half.

Subsequent games will begin immediately after the preceding games (teams will warm up on the sideline prior to the game). These games will consist of one 25 minute running time period until games are back on schedule.  Teams will have one 30 second timeout per game not to be used in the last two minutes of the  game (the clock will not stop during these timeouts).

• Once games are back on schedule, they will revert back to  25 minute running time periods.
• We will make every attempt to play every minute of every game, but we will not jeopardize the safety of any player.
• All games canceled due to weather will be considered a 4 – 2 win for both teams.

TOURNAMENT POLICIES 

All Aloha Tournament events are smoke free, pet free and alcohol free events. No grills, generators, drones, noisemakers or air horns are allowed.  Thank you for respecting our fans and players! 

CREDIT & REFUND POLICY** 

INVOLUNTARY CANCELLATION POLICY – WEATHER, FACILITY CLOSURE, COVID-19, ETC. 

Deposits are non-refundable for all Aloha Tournaments Lacrosse team events. Teams attending an Aloha Tournaments Lacrosse team event must pay an initial deposit with the full balance due in full 60 days prior to the event. If an event is involuntarily cancelled, teams paid in full will be offered a 90% credit or a 50% refund of their paid in full balance. Those teams not paid in full (deposit only or partial balance) will receive a 50% credit of the balance paid. Credits or refunds will be processed a minimum of 60 days after the event. Aloha Tournaments Lacrosse will not be responsible for any ancillary or related expenses incurred by any individual, team, club or organization if the tournament is canceled in whole or in part. 

VOLUNTARY CANCELLATION POLICY – TEAM CHOOSES TO WITHDRAW 

Deposits are non-refundable for all Aloha Tournaments Lacrosse team events. Teams attending an Aloha Tournaments Lacrosse team event must pay an initial deposit with the final balance due in full 60 days prior to the event. If a team that has paid in full wishes to withdraw and submits a request at least 60 days prior to the scheduled event date, Aloha Tournaments Lacrosse will issue a full credit less the initial deposit amount or a full refund less the initial deposit amount. No credit or refund requests of any kind will be granted if a cancelation is made less than 60 days prior to the scheduled event date. Credits or refunds will be processed a minimum of 60 days after the date of the request to withdraw. Aloha Tournaments Lacrosse will not be responsible for any ancillary or related expenses incurred by any individual, team, club or organization if the team wishes to withdraw in whole or in part. 

REFUND POLICY 

• No refunds will be issues for any team that is disqualified due to a violation of roster or tournament rules. 
• No refunds will be issued for games cancelled for forfeits, no shows, etc. 

• No refunds will be issued for games shortened or cancelled due to weather. 
• No refunds will be issued for playoff or championship games canceled due to weather.