How does a delayed penalty work?

Question

Accepted Answer

If a defending player commits a personal penalty against an opponent while the non-offending team has possession, the official raises their hand and withholds the whistle until the team in possession completes its play (Rule 6.14.1).

"Completion of play" means:

the ball goes out of bounds;
a technical violation is committed;
a goal is scored;
the shot clock or game clock expires;
an offensive player commits a penalty;
a loose ball crosses the centre line and is rolling toward the unattended goal;
an opposing player gains possession and control of the ball, or the ball is frozen.

It does not include a rebound off the goalkeeper, the goal or the boards, or accidental contact with an opposing player's body or equipment.

Related: if the defensive team has too many players on the floor, a delayed penalty is imposed on it. If the offensive team has too many players, play stops and a two-minute penalty is imposed on the offensive team (Rules 6.13.6 and 6.13.7).

Source: https://lacrosse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/WL-26-28-Box-Rule-Book_Feb26.pdf