LaxTV Forums | A Forum About The MCLA

As you hopefully know, the NCAA book has a stacking rule, which limits the number of players in the penalty box at any one time to three from a team. I had my first encounter with it last weekend when we had four from Team B with penalties.

Let's say that Team B received 4 technical foul flags on one play. B1, 2 & 3 are in the penalty box for 30 seconds each. B4 is on the bench, awaiting his turn to serve his penalty, under the "stacking" rule.
If A should happen to score during the 30 second penalties, only B1-3 are released. B4 now goes into the box to serve his penalty of 30 seconds. This is very important! If you have stacking, only the players currently serving time are released!! Until the others start serving their penalties they are not released by a goal scored.
(I just thought of a question - what if A had scored on the FDSW with four flags down. Are ALL the technicals cancelled? My gut feeling is Yes.)

Another point on the stacking rule (which I had to use for the first time last weekend). When you are at the table explaining all of this, it would be a very good idea to explain to the stacked coach that when his player's time expires and the timer yells "release!", that the player is NOT released to the field, that he has to go to the bench to be replaced in the penalty area by one of the stacked players. We neglected to do this, so the man in the penalty box came on the field after his time elapsed, which gave his team "too many men" and another 30 second penalty. When we discussed this after the game I decided that when we encounter this again I will instruct the table and teams on the release procedure.

(I'm also hoping I don't encounter the stacking rule again for a while!)

This was my take on explaining this difficult situation:

NCAA Rule 7 wrote:A.R. 1. A1, A2, A3 and A4 receive one-minute releasable penalties which are all reported
during the same dead ball. A1, A2 and A3 begin to serve their penalties at the same time,
while A4 waits in the bench area immediately next to the scorer's table but not in the
special-substitution area. Team A restarts play with seven players on the field. (1) Team
B scores a goal after 30 seconds. (2) Team B does not score a goal in the next minute.
RULING: (1) A1, A2 and A3 are released, and A4 begins serving his one-minute
penalty. (2) A1 and A2 may enter the field. A3 must exit to the bench area, and A4 steps
into the special-substitution area and begins serving his penalty. Team A is now playing
with nine players on the field. A3 may now substitute into the game in the normal manner,
if desired.

Good job!

I must be missing something....

When A1, A2, and A3 are released because of the goal, as I read it, A1 and A2 enter the field, A3 leaves the box, goes to the bench area, and is replaced by A4 who begins to serve his one minute. Then, A3 may enter the field only as a normal substitution - in other words, only when he replaces someone coming off the field. This means, even though 3 players have been released by the goal (making it a single man down situation), team A is still playing with 2 men down since A3 can not enter the field...what am I missing?

A1 and A2 went on the field, leaving team A only 1 man down.

I think I see what I missed. Even though there are 4 penalties, play resumes with just 3 men down - 7 players on the field. Then when the goal is scored, though 3 players are released, the fourth penalty still needs to be served so Team A stays one man down for another minute....got it!

Personally, I think the best way to handle this situation is to not have 4 penalties at once!

tduggan wrote:I think I see what I missed. Even though there are 4 penalties, play resumes with just 3 men down - 7 players on the field. Then when the goal is scored, though 3 players are released, the fourth penalty still needs to be served so Team A stays one man down for another minute....got it!

Personally, I think the best way to handle this situation is to not have 4 penalties at once!

Agreed!

I used to not like this rule, since I felt like the team should play 6 men downfor one minute if they had six personal foul penalties. But this is actually a better penalty from the offended team's perspective if they are any good, since they'd get two 1:00 man up penalties and the chance to score two goals. Under NFHS rules, the 6 penalties basically get you one goal and then you're back to even strength.

Of course, if the penalties are non-releasable, I think I'd rather have the 6-on-0 (vs. the GK only).

so in NFHS rules, you would have to play 6 men down?

since offside rules are apparently trumped by penalties, could you put 4 on defense and 0 on the attack side of the ball?

and what do you have against goalies?

The key is that you have to maintain 3 people on the attack side (assuming you're not more than 7 down). So if you have 6 in the box under NFHS rules, it would be 6 against the goalie. "Good luck, Keep!!"
Unlike the NCAA, if they are releaseable penalties all 6 would be back on the field after one goal is scored.

LaxRef wrote:I used to not like this rule, since I felt like the team should play 6 men downfor one minute if they had six personal foul penalties. But this is actually a better penalty from the offended team's perspective if they are any good, since they'd get two 1:00 man up penalties and the chance to score two goals. Under NFHS rules, the 6 penalties basically get you one goal and then you're back to even strength.

Of course, if the penalties are non-releasable, I think I'd rather have the 6-on-0 (vs. the GK only).

This is why I prefer the ILF rules. All personal fouls are non-releasable. Under the US codes, the difference between a 1 minute penalty and a 2 or 3 minute penalty is not as great. All a team has to do is play defence longer. The most a team could give up due to the penalty is one goal. Under ILF rules, the longer penalties are more of a punishment, as an EMO team could get a few goals out of a penalty.

jcurrie wrote:

LaxRef wrote:I used to not like this rule, since I felt like the team should play 6 men downfor one minute if they had six personal foul penalties. But this is actually a better penalty from the offended team's perspective if they are any good, since they'd get two 1:00 man up penalties and the chance to score two goals. Under NFHS rules, the 6 penalties basically get you one goal and then you're back to even strength.

Of course, if the penalties are non-releasable, I think I'd rather have the 6-on-0 (vs. the GK only).

This is why I prefer the ILF rules. All personal fouls are non-releasable. Under the US codes, the difference between a 1 minute penalty and a 2 or 3 minute penalty is not as great. All a team has to do is play defence longer. The most a team could give up due to the penalty is one goal. Under ILF rules, the longer penalties are more of a punishment, as an EMO team could get a few goals out of a penalty.

Well, a few things:

The chances of scoring on a 2- or 3-minute penalty are greater; that's why they're a bigger penalty, even though only one goal can be scored. Plus, thes penalties are relatively rare. And finally, when we have these longer penalties, they're often of the nonreleasable variety (equipment, USC, spearing) anyway.