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Two major rule changes enacted in Major League Lacrosse
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Boston Cannons fans can expect two new wrinkles to the outdoor game when the 2009 season begins next May.
Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the major outdoor lacrosse league headquartered in Brighton, passed two rule changes during their October league meetings. The first allows nineteen players to dress for regular season games. Prior to this change, only eighteen were allowed per regular season game, with expanded rosters allowed only for playoff games.
"Anytime you can have more fresh legs out there, it's going to make the game flow much better." remarked Denver Outlaws midfielder Jeff Sonke in a phone interview with Lax United on the rule change. "It'll allow some players to get out on the field who wouldn't have (had the chance.)"
MLL officials chalked up the change to the last two years of championship weekends, where semifinal games were more dynamic due to the expanded roster allowed. "Those (games) were thrilling, one-goal games, two of which went into overtime. It is our hope that this move will give fans more of those exciting games," commented league commissioner David Gross.
The second rule change enacted in the league meetings was the addition of a fourth long-pole stick on the field during play. Both high school and college lacrosse allows for a fourth long-pole, and the MLL decided that it would finally end its hold out against its addition.
Originally, the MLL had established their league with only three long-poles due in an effort to create a high-scoring style of play. With this rule change, the league is directly answering critics who claimed that the league lacked defense. "I don't think it'll slow the game down," said Cannons midfielder Paul Rabil. "I don't think there will be less goals scored either."
Sonke confirmed that the addition of the fourth long-pole would add to the defensive side of the game. "It's more difficult to dodge the long pole than the short pole."
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