LaxTV Forums | A Forum About The MCLA

This may not completely fit in this forum, so I'd like to apologize to Sonny in advance if he has to move it.

There's an attackman in my rec league who does a very good job of protecting his stick. He keeps his body turned, the stick close to his body and both hands are held fairly high and close to the facemask.

The problem is that while aiming checks for his stick and gloved hand as the rules state, I was glancing off of his gloves and slamming my head into his facemask. The refs were really letting us play on and I think the only foul that got called was when I caught the guy in the helmet trying to trail check.

Naturally and deservedly, the guy got bent. I don't blame him one bit, having played attack I'd be peeved too. I'm still trying to master the nuances of playing longstick because I've only been playing with a pole for a couple of weeks because our squad needed another one.

My question: What can I do to better defend this guy with out fouling and angering him again?

I'm afraid to let him by me a little and try another trail check 1.) Because I don't want to get beaten and have him score an easy goal. 2.) I don't want to run the risk of braining him again.

If he holds his stick in front of his face, his stick is still fair game to be checked. If you check him hard and hit his stick first and his stick in turn hits him in the face or helmet, than that is what he gets for playing the way he does. it is a legal check. That doesn't mean however that some referee somewhere who doesn't have a good grasp of the rules and proper interpretation wont call you for a slash, or that the player wont get mad. However, if you are going to constantly play with your stick close to your body or head, you can expect to take some stick checks to those areas while your opponent is attempting to play your stick in an attempt to dislodge the ball. It would be a good idea for you to read the NCAA rules regarding slashing on pages 59 & 60 as well To better understand the definition of slashing and how this call is made and applied. Also, ask yourself this, if you hypothically were to hold your stick right up against your helmet and I check your stick, have I hit you in the head with my stick? No, I have checked your stick with my stick. Every one will be going insane calling for a slash because of the proximity of the check to the head area, but keep in mind, it was the stick that was struck and not the head as there was still 2 inches of the plastic stick head between my stick and your head. But, depending on the force used to make the check, there is still the possibility of being called for a slash for "swinging a crosse at an opponents crosse or body with deliberate viciousness or recklass abandon, regardless of whether the opponent's crosse or body is struck" Rule 5-7-A

While I agree that checking his stick into his helmet is not a slash. Not sure that's truly what happened every time for this newbie defender.
WyoPoke, if you play for stick checks up around the head, you're likely going to get more penalties than you need. One of the weird things about people's view of lacrosse is that stick checks to the arms, side, back, etc., are viewed as OK - just lettin' 'em play. But ANY hit to the head brings down wails of "Slash!" (My other favorite is the above is passed on, crosse-check holds rarely get called, but let an attackman move his arm, even to lift it off a stick - and cries of WARD! come from benches and stands), so you're best to stay away from the head.

What happened was on more than one ocassion, I glanced off of gloves and into the facemask. A couple of times I went for the hands and straight up got the facemask. Another time I went for a trail check and straight up missed and dinged the back of the guy's helmet.

It was awfully frustrating because I don't want to be viewed as dirty and because I couldn't figure out a way to get at the ball.

Based on your description, it sounds like it was your stick hitting the head - foul. I had to leave earlier and didn't get to finish my thought.
One of the most effective ways to play defense - either middie or D, is to focus on the bottom hand. A player is not going to make a pass or take a shot without putting both hands on the stick - and as a D man you have a major advantage - a six-foot long stick. I usually tell D-men to use their stick less a bludgeon - which can put you off-balance, and more likely to get called for a slash - and use it more like a stiletto. I think the poke check is not taught or emphasized enough. With the D stick you can slide your front hand up on the stick while keeping your back hand on the butt end, and narrow the gap with the attacker. When you drive that stick forward when they put the bottom hand down - good things usually result.
Work on foot movement - slide steps - and work on your patented WyoPoke check - and you should play better D and stay out of the sin bin.

The patented WyoPoke check. I like that. Thanks for the advice.

Here's a piece from another forum:
A move I used to do on defense was to form a V between the stick and my forearm - take your lead hand on the stick and extend your elbow ahead of your grip point to make the V. As an attacker would move towards the stick side I would drive out and catch him in the V of the arm, preventing a quick spin move back. It worked very well for me - never got called for a hold, but this was all before I started reffing! I still think it's a good technique to control an attacker in close-in D.