Is body checking allowed at 12U?
Rule- USA
- USA Lacrosse
- Boys youth lacrosse
- 12U
- Ages 11-12
- USA Lacrosse Boys Youth Rules
- 2026 rules
- Parents
No. Under the 2026 USA Lacrosse boys youth rules, body checking is illegal at 10U and 12U. Some body contact is still allowed:
- legal holds and pushes, from the front or side, with both hands on the stick
- boxing out and riding
- incidental contact
Contact must be below the neck and above the waist. It's only allowed on a player who has the ball, or is within 3 yards of a loose ball. (High school uses 5 yards.)
Body checking starts at 14U. Even then, "take-out" checks (lowering the head or shoulder to put an opponent on the ground) aren't allowed at any youth level.
Targeting an opponent's head or neck, or a defenseless player, is a 3-minute non-releasable penalty plus ejection at every youth level.
Added 21 Oct 2026