Lacrosse officials: who controls the game.

Crews by discipline

Men's field: authority and the score

In men's field lacrosse the Head Official's decision settles any dispute among the officials, and the officials' authority runs from the moment they appear on the field until the end of the game (Rules 23.1 and 23.2). The on-field officials' record of goals is the official score (Rule 23.4). The Head Official, or a tournament's Official-in-Chief, also decides when lightning or electrical storms make it unwise to continue, and play then stops (Rules 30.1 and 30.2).

Women's field: final decisions

The women's field book makes the officials solely responsible for judging safe and fair play. Their decisions are final and cannot be appealed, and they take charge 35 minutes before the game (Rules 9.A.1 and 9.A.2). The 4th official, who works off the field, may card team staff for misconduct; the scorer and timekeeper are not part of that role (Rule 23.A.4). The text read for this site did not state how many officials work on the field in women's field play.

Officials and equipment checks

Each book gives officials a role in checking sticks and equipment. In sixes, officials may inspect any player's stick at random between quarters and during timeouts (Rule 2.3.3), and box referees may do the same (box Rules 2.4.6 to 2.4.9). Certification marks on helmets, eyewear and pads are checked against the governing body's rule; officials and governing bodies, not players or sellers, decide whether equipment is legal on the day. The equipment section sets out each rule.

Officials and suspected concussion

World Lacrosse's concussion policy (approved August 2020) says any game official with authority to stop play for an injury may stop it for a suspected concussion, and that a player an official declares suspected must leave play for evaluation. The rules of other bodies differ; see concussion by body. A suspected concussion needs medical care, and nothing on this site is a guide to assessing one.

How World Lacrosse certifies officials

World Lacrosse's officials certification protocol (version 1.0, May 2024) sets six steps:

• National bodies may use their own domestic certification and may apply to World Lacrosse to have it recognised.
• An official entering the international programme must hold the equivalent of Domestic 3.
• Each step requires a rules test, a fitness test and competency evaluations by a World Lacrosse certified educator. International certifications also require English at CEFR level B1 or equivalent.
• Domestic rules tests are delivered through World Lacrosse's online WL Virtual Training Center.
• Officials are evaluated on five strands: professionalism, teamwork, game management, rules knowledge and application, and mechanics and positioning.

USA Lacrosse's officials certification page returned an error during the research for this site, so its current pathway is not described here.

US college: video review

NCAA men's lacrosse has changed its video-review rules in two steps, both announced by the NCAA:

• For the 2025 season (approved 17 July 2024), officials' own reviews were limited to the last four minutes of regulation and overtime, while coaches could use their challenges at any point; the faceoff procedure also changed so that the official stands over the players, adjusts them and backs out before the whistle.
• For 2027 (NCAA release of 28 July 2026), officials may review possible contact to the head or neck without first making a call, and rescind such a call if video shows no illegal contact; coaches gain challenges on goals that may have followed offside, too many players or a boundary violation within 15 seconds.

In NCAA women's lacrosse, the 2026-27 changes require officials to stick-check players taking the draw at least once per quarter and before each overtime (NCAA, 12 August 2026).

US high school

The NFHS's Boys Lacrosse Official Timer Guidelines say officials signal penalties of 1, 2 or 3 minutes or 30 seconds, and the NFHS 2027 boys' points of emphasis include the second flag down. Under the NFHS 2027 girls' changes, officials inspecting a crosse must make sure the ball moves freely to touch both sidewalls on the front of the pocket and on the back of the upper third (Rules 2-4-4b and c). The NFHS rule books themselves were not read; see college and high school rules.

Canada

Lacrosse Canada's memo of 28 January 2026 requires first-year officials, and all officials at a national championship, to wear a helmet with a visor in box lacrosse.