Beginning in the 2021-22 academic year, the shot clock in men's lacrosse will reset to 60 seconds when the offensive team retains possession after taking a valid shot and in other specific situations in the offensive half of the field. The change was approved Wednesday by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel.
The shot clock will not reset during flag down, slow whistle scenarios. Once adjudicated, the shot clock will reset to 60 seconds after loose-ball technical fouls in the offensive half of the field. If a foul is committed and the clock is above 60 seconds, the shot clock will be reset to 80 seconds.
Once play is stopped in flag down, slow whistle scenarios and the shot clock is at or below 60 seconds while possession remains in the offensive half of the field, the shot clock will reset to 60 seconds. If the shot clock is above 60 seconds, the clock will reset to 80 seconds.
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When play is stopped for a defensive injury and the shot clock is above 60 seconds, the reset will be 80 seconds. If the shot clock is at or below 60 seconds in the offensive half of the field, it will be reset to 60 seconds.
When the visible all-possession shot clock was implemented in spring 2019, the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Rules Committee wanted a clock that could display the 20 seconds a team has to clear the defensive half of the field and then reset the shot clock to 60 seconds once a team crossed midfield. However, financial and technology obstacles at that time did not allow the committee to fully implement this concept. The result was a visible 80-second all-possession shot clock.
