For fans of the National Lacrosse League (NLL), based on the 2025-26 Official Rules, the latest published. Covers game length, overtime, shot clock, penalties, fighting, penalty shots and coach's challenges.
A game is 60 minutes, split into four 15-minute quarters (Rule 9). There is a 2-minute break between the first and second quarters and between the third and fourth, and a 15-minute half time between the second and third (Rule 10, unless league TV broadcast requires more or less time).
If the score is tied after regulation, play continues after a two-minute interval with sudden-death overtime. Each overtime period is 15 minutes, and the game ends on the first goal (Rule 12). If more than one period is needed there is a two-minute interval between them.
Teams change ends at the end of each quarter, including sudden-death periods (10.3).
Source: NLL Official Rules 2025-26, Rules 9, 10 and 12.
A team has six players on the floor at the start of a game, under contract to the club (Rule 23.1). Each team may have at most 19 players dressed in a game: 17 runners and 2 goaltenders, if available (24.1). Only one goalkeeper may be on the floor at a time (24.3), and a goaltender cannot be the designated "in-home" player (24.2).
Each team hands the Crew Chief two identical lists of its eligible players no later than 45 minutes before the game, and must submit its six starters (24.2).
Source: NLL Official Rules 2025-26, Rules 23 and 24.
Each team gets one 45-second time-out per half, and unused time-outs do not carry over (Rule 14). During live play a team must have possession to call a time-out. In dead-ball situations either team that still has its time-out can call one.
If a team calls a time-out it does not have, it is assessed a two-minute delay of game penalty, the opponent gets possession and the time-out is not granted (14.4). A time-out for an injured player does not count as a charged time-out if the player leaves the floor (14.1).
The league also schedules promotional time-outs at the first stoppage of play (other than a goal) under the 10 minute mark and under the 5 minute mark of each quarter (14.2).
Source: NLL Official Rules 2025-26, Rule 14.
The team in possession must take a shot on goal within 30 seconds of gaining possession (Rule 49.1). If it does not, the 30-second clock sounds a horn and possession goes to the non-offending team. The referee is responsible for signalling the violation, and has authority to reset the clock to cover any unusual situation not covered by the rules.
There are two 30-second clocks, behind each goal outside the playing enclosure (49.2). If one stops working during play, both are turned off. The clock operator then keeps track of time, sounds the horn when a violation occurs, and 10 seconds remaining is announced to both benches (49.6).
Source: NLL Official Rules 2025-26, Rule 49.
Under Rule 49.3:
Source: NLL Official Rules 2025-26, Rules 11.2, 49.3 and 49.5.
8-second count (Rule 47): a team that gains possession in its defensive half must get the ball across the centre line within 8 seconds. The trailing referee counts with a chopping wave of the hand. If either team calls a time-out before the count expires, a new 8-second count starts after the time-out. When the face-off player gains possession and passes the ball back legally, the count starts once the ball crosses the centre line.
Back-court (Rule 48): once a team has moved the ball into its offensive half, it must keep it there. Carrying the ball back over the line with both feet, or a loose ball or the player with possession touching the centre line for any reason other than a shot on goal or the defence touching it last, is a back-court violation. Possession goes to the non-offending team.
Source: NLL Official Rules 2025-26, Rules 47 and 48.
Penalties in the 2025-26 NLL rules:
A goalie cannot be the in-home player. Penalties assessed to a goalie are served by the in-home player or another player (24.2, 38.4).
Source: NLL Official Rules 2025-26, Rules 36 to 41.
If a team is short-handed by one or more minor or bench minor penalties and the opponent scores, the first of those penalties ends automatically (Rule 37.4). "Short-handed" means the team has fewer players on the floor than its opponent when the goal is scored. If it is serving more than one minor, the minor with the least time left on the clock ends (37.5).
Coincidental minors to both teams do not make either side short-handed. The penalized players take their places in the box and teams play 4-on-4 (37.6). Coincidental majors mean 5-on-5.
For a major, if two extra-man goals are scored on the penalized team, that team may put a player back on the floor to get to even strength (38.1). The offender still serves the full five minutes. Three extra-man goals are needed to release the in-home player serving a five-minute match penalty (41.1).
Source: NLL Official Rules 2025-26, Rules 37, 38 and 41.
Under Rule 80, a fight is an incident where at least one player is penalized for throwing punches or blows at an opponent. Referees have wide discretion: they can assess minor penalties for roughing or a major penalty for fighting, depending on the violence involved.
An "unwilling combatant" is a player who only defends himself, keeps his gloves on and does not return punches initially.
Source: NLL Official Rules 2025-26, Rule 80.
A penalty shot restores a scoring opportunity lost to a foul. Any dressed player on the offended team may take it (Rule 43). Examples in the 2025-26 rules:
A breakaway means a player in control of the ball, transitioning from defence to offence with an unobstructed path to the goal and a reasonable scoring opportunity.
Source: NLL Official Rules 2025-26, Rules 43 and 71.
The Head Coach challenges a play by throwing a challenge flag. The 2025-26 rules limit challenges to a set list of plays (Rule 17.81):
How many: the Head Coach may challenge two times per game, with an opportunity up to a maximum of three times, in regulation only. The Head Coach gets one extra challenge in overtime.
Cost of losing: a timeout is charged to the team that loses a challenge. A team with no timeouts left that loses a challenge gets a bench minor penalty.
Timing: the flag must be thrown within 30 seconds of the play. The officials must have conclusive evidence to overturn the call on the floor, and they try to finish the review within two minutes.
Late in the game: with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter and in overtime, the officials start reviews themselves on close goal or no-goal calls. A coach who throws a flag in that window is still charged a challenge.
Penalties for flags: a flag thrown under two minutes in the fourth quarter or in overtime to disrupt play brings a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. A flag thrown on a non-reviewable play brings a bench minor.
Source: NLL Official Rules 2025-26, Rule 17.8.