2025 Rulebook
Link to the Complete 2025 Rulebook...
MISSION STATEMENT
MHSLA’s mission is to organize, develop and promote high school lacrosse in Montana; to honor the game by instilling the values of scholastic achievement, sportsmanship, teamwork, individual development and fair play.
I. NAME AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ORGANIZATION
A. The name of this organization shall be the Montana High School Lacrosse Association (MHSLA), and this document shall serve as the official handbook of the MHSLA. It contains policies, directives and guidelines for members of the association.
B. The responsibility of the MHSLA shall be to organize, develop and promote high school lacrosse in Montana. It will further be the responsibility of the MHSLA to supervise and administer boy’s and girls’ high school lacrosse in Montana.
C. MHSLA is a non-profit organization doing business in the state of Montana and a federally recognized 501(c)(3) tax exempt non-profit organization.
II. PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Program Requirements
a. Each program will operate under a Board of Directors who oversee eligibility and coaches/player conduct.
b. At a minimum, the Board of Directors will include a President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer. The board may also include other officers or representatives.
c. The Varsity boy’s or girl’s head coaches may not hold one of the above-named positions and may NOT be a voting member of this board, unless approved by the MHSLA board. New programs are exempt from this requirement until their third season.
d. Teams newly admitted to the MHSLA must establish a Board of Directors by the November meeting following their first season as a provisional member.
B. Insurance Requirements
a. Each MHSLA member program shall be registered with US Lacrosse. Each MHSLA program shall require all players and coaches to be members of US Lacrosse. US Lacrosse membership must be valid from the first day of the season through the championship weekend. (To be included in MHSLA compliance file).
C. Concussions and Sudden Cardiac Arrest
a. Each MHSLA member program will certify and submit proof showing all players and parents have reviewed, signed and returned a concussion/head injury and sudden cardiac arrest acknowledgment form. (To be included in MHSLA compliance file).
D. Code of Conduct
a. Each MHSLA member program will certify, have available and submit proof showing program’s code of conduct. (To be included in MHSLA compliance file).
E. Photo Release of MHSLA Events
a. Each player, parent, coach, referee, spectator or other person participating in any MHSLA event implicitly authorizes MHSLA to use any photos, video or other means of capturing the event for use by the MHSLA in print, online, or video-based marketing materials, as well as other MHSLA publications. Each player, parent, coach, referee, spectator or participant acknowledges that such participation is voluntary and that they are not entitled to financial compensation of any type associated with the taking or publication of any photo, video or other means of capturing the event.
F. Membership Fees
a. Every MHSLA member program will pay a membership fee for each team in its organization. The fee will be determined by the board during the November General Meeting. The membership fees will be used to cover the expenses needed to run the MHSLA. The membership fee must be paid by the winter membership meeting.
G. Game Fees
a. Each MHSLA member program will pay Game Fees to cover referee expenses throughout the season. These fees are determined by the contract between the MHSLA and the referee association MLOA. Game fees will be collected twice per season (if applicable). An invoice for all initial MHSLA scheduled games will be sent between January 1st and January 15th and must be paid in full by March 1st. An invoice for all late added non-MHSLA and playoff games will be sent by May 1st and must be paid in full by June 1st. Any conflicts preventing MHSLA payments by stated deadlines requires a plan be arranged with the MHSLA treasurer PRIOR to stated deadlines.
b. In the event that a program, or team of a program with more than one team, must fold during the season, the Membership Fee will NOT be refunded. Unused Game Fees will be refunded to the program.
c. All member programs will be notified of fee deadlines one week prior to the actual deadline date. Notices will be sent via email.
H. MHSLA Compliance File
a. Each member program will submit an electronic compliance file at least five days prior to the first day of spring practice. This file demonstrates proof that all requirements for players and coaches are in place.
b. The compliance file must include:
- Cover Page – checklist located on MHSLA website.
- Proof of program liability insurance.
- Proof that all players and coaches are members of US Lacrosse.
- Proof of compliance with concussions for players, parents and coaches.
- Proof of compliance with sudden cardiac arrest for players, parents and coaches.
- Proof of program Code of Conduct.
- Proof of national scope background check for all coaches.
- Proof of abuse prevention for all coaches.
- Proof that at least one coach for each team of a member program is CPR and First Aid certified.
- Proof that all coaches possess, at a minimum, the Bronze Level certification through US Lacrosse.
c. Non-compliance by first day of practice will delay the program’s first allowable practice day (day for a day).
I. Rosters
a. Each member program must submit an official Program Roster to the MHSLA, via email, by the third Monday of each season. The roster will be completed using an official template to include Name, Address, Year/Grade, and School Attending for every player in the program.
b. If any player(s) are added after the program roster is submitted, a new program roster must be submitted with a note of the new player(s) that were added. Player(s) are not eligible for competition until the MHSLA confirms receipt of late additions and status.
c. Each member program must post their teams rosters online via the MHSLA mandated website, Sports Engine, at least one day prior to the first scheduled game of the season and one week prior to any state tournament game.
d. No player may appear in a Varsity contest without first being properly listed on the online roster.
e. Any discrepancy from a posted roster must be disclosed to the opposing head coach prior to the contest in which the discrepancy is to occur.
f. Member programs will not share players between the program’s same divisions.
g. Failure to disclose all information accurately on either roster may result in the use of an ineligible player and could cause forfeitures and/or suspensions.
h. Players may be rostered on both a Varsity and JV roster simultaneously.
III. ADMISSION OF NEW TEAMS
A. New teams may apply for provisional membership providing they meet all the criteria in Article III Section Hb of the MHSLA By-laws.
B. New teams must have at least one new official(s) registered with MLOA. The official must not hold the position of head coach and must be available to officiate games.
C. In cities with more than one program, parents and players can choose which program they want to play for.
D. The current structure of the MHSLA is one classification and one championship. A structure of one classification will remain in place unless the board is given the authority by the general membership per Article E of the MHSLA By-laws to change the number of classifications/championships.
E. The board, per the by-laws, has the authority to reclassify programs as deemed necessary due to the dynamic nature of growth in the MHSLA. The status of CP’s will be evaluated yearly by the board.
F. It is the responsibility of the board to create and structure conferences as deemed best by the board, to manage regular season and post-season play.
IV. COACHES QUALIFICATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
A. The Head Coach of each team shall be at least 21 years of age unless the Board, prior to the first day of the season, has granted a waiver.
B. The Head Coach will be held responsible for knowing the rules of the MHSLA and ensuring that all those coaching and acting under the Head Coaches Authority comply with the said rules.
C. All coaches are required to be current members of US Lacrosse. US Lacrosse membership must be valid from the first day of the season through the championship weekend. (To be included in MHSLA Compliance File)
D. All coaches are required to undergo and pass a national scope background check prior to any contact with participants. (To be included in MHSLA Compliance File)
E. All coaches are required to read and agree to abide by the MHSLA Code of Conduct. (To be included in MHSLA Compliance File)
F. One member of the coaching staff for each of a program’s teams must be both First Aid certified and CPR certified. (To be included in MHSLA Compliance File)
G. All coaches must be Bronze Level Certified by US Lacrosse. (To be included in MHSLA Compliance File).
V. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
A. To be eligible to participate in an association contest, a player shall meet the following criteria:
a. A player must be enrolled, and in regular attendance half time or more in a school or a registered home-based instructional school.
b. No player may establish eligibility concurrently at two member programs. Dual eligibility is not recognized for the purposes of eligibility in MHSLA activities.
c. Any player who meets any of the following criteria shall be ineligible to participate in any MHSLA activities:
- The player is a graduate of a regular four-year high school.
- The player is a graduate of a secondary school which has the same requirements for graduation as a regular four-year high school.
- The player has earned enough credits to graduate and has completed eight semesters of high school
- The player has received a high school equivalency diploma.
- Any player who has ever participated in athletics in an institution of learning higher than secondary rank
- Any player who has turned nineteen years old on or before August 31 of a given year.
6a. A player who is ineligible by reason of this age rule may seek a waiver from MHSLA. The waiver request is due sixty days prior to the first activity for which he/she seeks the waiver.
7.Member programs must notify the MHSLA two weeks prior to the first scheduled league game of the season if they intend to have seniors playing on a JV team
d. Players in the eighth grade are allowed to play in the MHSLA.
VI. SCHEDULING
A. MHSLA league sanctioned games will be scheduled by an assigned scheduler(s).
B. MHSLA league sanctioned games will not be played before the second Friday of March.
C. MHSLA league sanctioned games will not start after 8:30 pm.
D. Changes to an MHSLA league sanctioned game must be agreed upon by both head coaches of the affected teams.
E. MHSLA league sanctioned games will not be added to the schedule to be played after the beginning of post season play.
F. Member programs shall not have official practices before January 1st.
G. Programs affected by a game cancellation will arrange a makeup if necessary.
H. If a cancelled game between two teams was to occur at a neutral site, the offended team will be given the first choice to host the make-up game on their home field.
I. Doubleheaders scheduled at the same location will be scheduled to start 2 hours apart. Should the first game run long, all efforts to ensure the second game starts at the scheduled time shall occur. Teams must be given no less than 20 minutes to warm up for injury prevention.
J. Contests scheduled by anyone other than the MHSLA assigned scheduler are considered non-MHSLA games. These games do not count toward MHSLA standings. All contests of this nature must be reported to the MHSLA scheduler and be added to the master MHSLA schedule.
K. Every program shall have the opportunity to host at least two game weekends.
L. All contests must be reported to the MHSLA scheduler for inclusion on the master MHSLA schedule prior to that contest being played. Failure to report total contests may place the program on probation and/or result in sanctions placed against the program and/or coach.
VII. STATISTICS
A. The home team is responsible for keeping the official scorebook.
B. Each team must have one trained statistician or use of video assisted statistics for each game.
C. Statistics training can be found on the US-Lacrosse website.
D. The following statistics will be submitted by each member program for each MHSLA league sanctioned game their teams play. Submissions must be completed by the first Monday following the MHSLA league sanctioned game.
Girls Statistics:
1. Goals
2. Assists
3. Shots on Goal
4. Total shots
5. Turnovers
6. Ground balls
7. Caused turnovers
8. Draw controls
9. Cards issued
10. Goalie saves
E. The most up to date statistic definitions provided by US Lacrosse will be used for MHSLA games.
VIII. ALL STATE AWARDS
A. The Head Coaches of each division will select an All-State Team through a
nomination and voting process.
B. The criteria and process can be seen in Addendum 1 at the end of this handbook.
IX. MHSLA LACROSSE RULES AND REGULATIONS
(Rule E, F, G do not apply to JV players swinging to Varsity).
A. The MHSLA will utilize the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) high school lacrosse rulebook for game play.
D. Every player must have at least three practices with their respective team prior to participating in a MHSLA league sanctioned contest.
E. Every team and player are allowed to compete in a maximum of twenty MHSLA League sanctioned contests per season.
G. Every GIRLS player shall have at least a 1.5-hour break between MHSLA league sanctioned games unless agreed upon by the head coaches.
H. Every team will be classified as either a Varsity or Junior Varsity team.
J. Every GIRLS team may schedule and participate in 3 regulation contests per day.
K. A contest is defined as any four quarter, MHSLA or non-MHSLA scheduled game or a controlled scrimmage and/or a practice with an opponent. Overtime quarters will not be taken into account. Each interscholastic contest played must be credited as a contest to a definite squad.
L. Players rostered on a Junior Varsity team are allowed to swing up to a Varsity team at the coach’s discretion.
M. Varsity rostered players are not allowed to play on any Junior Varsity team.
N. Programs are not permitted to float players between teams in the same division/level at any time.
O. All games, including playoff games, will be played 12 v 12 (girls) with the following exceptions for JV teams. Coaches, referees and program leaders should recognize the spirit of JV as a developmental league and make game-time decisions that will get players on the field and promote the growth of the game.
a. 10 v 10 (girls) games may be played if both coaches agree or either team has less than or 20 players (girls).
b. 6 v 6 games will be allowed if needed, based on player numbers.
c. These short-sided games will be considered as regulation MHSLA contests.
P. All member programs will submit a State Tournament roster for each of their teams to the MHSLA board, two weeks prior to the start of the tournament. These rosters will go into effect at the beginning of the State Tournament.
Q. Officials
a. A minimum of 2 officials are required for a MHSLA Varsity league sanctioned contest to be played. If less than 2 officials are available, the contest must be postponed and rescheduled.
b. If less than 2 officials are available for a MHSLA JV league sanctioned contest, the contest may be played at the discretion of the head coaches and officiated by agreed upon people (minimum of 2).
- Contests played under rule IX.Q.b will not count toward league standings
- Games may be rescheduled if feasible.
R. Tie-Breakers for Playoff Seeding
a. Two Team Tie Breakers
- Head-to-head (best win-loss percentage in games between the teams involved).
- Head-to-head goal differential (best goal differential in games between teams involved).
- Overall least goals allowed (in MHSLA league sanctioned games).
X. STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND
A. MHSLA will determine which program(s) will host the State Championship weekend through a bidding process.
B. Program members must submit their bids/proposals to the MHSLA Board to be considered for selection.
C. All players must have participated in at least four MHSLA league sanctioned games to be eligible to compete in the State Championship weekend.
D. All team rosters will be capped at thirty-one total players for girl’s teams, unless the roster at the beginning of the season already exceeded thirty-one players.
E. Teams must play each team in their division at least once to qualify for the state championship weekend.
F. Varsity state championship weekend games must be played 12 v 12 for girls.
G. Junior Varsity state championship games should be played 12 v 12 for girls but may be played 10 v 10 (girls), pending approval from the MHSLA board.
H. Seeding for the state championship weekend will be determined from their divisional record.
I. Teams will participate in a single elimination tournament with a consolation bracket.
J. The referees officiating the championship games shall not be affiliated with the participating teams, if possible.
XI. RULES VIOLATIONS
The strength of the Montana High School Lacrosse Association lies in the willingness and ability of the membership to support the rules and regulations adopted and to support the penalties placed upon members, if it is determined those same rules and regulations have been violated. Violation of MHSLA By-Laws, policies, rules and regulations can cause, but is not limited to, sanctions placed upon individual players, coaches and/or programs. Sanctions can include, but are not limited to fines, game suspension, season suspension, forfeiture of games, forfeiture of post-season play (playoffs), probation, and expulsion from the Association. Each situation is unique and will be handled at the discretion of the Board. Multiple, repeated infractions and/or those deemed to intentionally defy MHSLA policy will cause stiffer sanctions. Members must cooperate in any investigation of a possible violation of MHSLA By-laws, policies, or directives. See By-laws A.c.i.
A. Use Of an Ineligible Player
a. An ineligible player “takes part” in a game when he/she steps onto the playing field during an MHSLA league sanctioned contest in which he/she is ineligible.
b. The use of an ineligible player may result in forfeiture of all games in which that player participated.
c. The executive board may determine that the ineligible player’s participation did not affect the result of that contest. In such a case, the executive board may rule to let the result of the game stand and impose sanctions on the coach and/or ineligible player.
d. Eligibility is measured from the start of a game through the conclusion of a game, even when that game is finished at a later date.
B. Ejections – Misconduct by Players and/or Coaches
a. Upon ANY ejection from a MHSLA league sanctioned contest, the Head Coach of the penalized team must report the ejection to the executive board within 12 hours of the ejection. Failure to report any ejection may cause further suspensions of the coach and/or player.
C. Assaulting An Official
a. Any player or coach who makes physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature with a sports official or causes reasonable apprehension of bodily injury in connection with a MHSLA league sanctioned game immediately becomes ineligible for further MHSLA competition.
b. The tournament manager or president of the hosting program shall notify the executive board of the incident as soon as possible.
c. The official involved must report the incident, in writing, to the executive board within three days.
d. The head coach of the involved player is responsible for keeping that player from further league participation, pending a ruling by the executive board.
e. The executive board has the authority to suspend the violating participant from further league participation for a period not to exceed one year from the date of infraction.
D. Contesting sanctions
a. Any decision of the board may be appealed to the general membership under the provision of the MHSLA By-laws in Article III section Ac.
E. Crowd Control
a. Member programs shall make efforts to control their players, staff members and fans at all Association contests.
b. When a violation of the principles of good sportsmanship occurs that endangers the personal safety of any individuals, hinders the normal progress of
an Association contest or create situations that may lead to restriction or
discontinuation of league competition, the Executive Board of the MHSLA shall
contact the administration of the program(s) involved to discuss the situation
and attempt to cooperatively formulate a solution to the problem.
c. If the violation is flagrant or the situation persists, the Executive Board shall have the authority to invoke penalties upon the member program(s). The penalties
that may be imposed against the member program are outlined in the MHSLA
Code of Conduct.
d. Spectators are to remain on the opposite side of the field from the teams during games. The home team is allowed 3 people at the scorer’s table and the away team is allowed 2.
e. External sound playing devices, alcoholic beverages and other items or events of the same nature are banned from the premises of any MHSLA event.
XII. SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY
A. All MHSLA members should be able to participate in MHSLA sponsored activities in an environment that is free from sexual harassment and sexual violence. Each member program is responsible for taking such action and enacting such policies as may be necessary to address incidents of sexual harassment and sexual violence and to ensure that an environment free of such prohibited conduct is maintained.
a. Any member program which tolerates such activity is subject to expulsion from the MHSLA.
XIII. DRUG/ALCOHOL POLICY
A. The MHSLA prohibits the use and/or possession of tobacco, alcohol, mood altering or illegal drugs during competition. Violators will be disqualified from further participation at that event.
XIV. CONCUSSIONS/SERIOUS INJURY REQUIREMENTS AND RETURN TO PLAY
A. Any player exhibiting signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion will be immediately removed from further participation in all MHSLA league sanctioned contests.
a. The player cannot return to play until he/she is evaluated and receives written clearance from a licensed health care professional.
B. Any player exhibiting signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a serious injury will be immediately removed from further participation in all MHSLA league sanctioned contests.
a. The player cannot return to play until he/she is evaluated and cleared by a licensed health care professional.
XV. RULEBOOK APPROVAL
A. The MHSLA board shall publish a single handbook that will govern the MHSLA.
B. The handbook shall be approved by a two-third vote of the MHSLA board.
C. Rulebook revisions shall be presented to the MHSLA board one month prior to the November general membership meeting.
D. The MHSLA board may assemble a committee to evaluate a specific issue, policy or task when needed.
E. The MHSLA board will identify any changes to this handbook, in a summary form, to program members and display changes on the league website.
F. It is the responsibility of each program’s HEAD COACH(es) and the person overseeing the program to ensure that their program is abiding by all MHSLA policies.
ADDENDUM 1
MHSLA All-State Selection Process
A. All-State Purpose and Selection Process- The head coaches of the league will keep track of nominations throughout the year and select an All-State team through a voting process at the end of the season. The All-State process, numbers of positions, and teams selected follow a process similar to USA Lacrosse.
The nomination and voting process will be labeled Addendum 1 in the MHSLA Handbook and will remain the same from year-to-year unless the handbook is amended. As the All-state Selection Process is seeking to select the top-talent in our state, All-State Selections will be inclusive of all Divisions and only the top team(s) from each program shall have players nominated for all-state selections.
1- Purpose and Player Selection Criteria- The purpose of the All-State selections is to recognize the most impactful players in our game across the state. It is an honor to be able to vote in the all-state process and the approach should be taken seriously by all participants. The goal is to recognize the most-impactful players, regardless of team affiliation. To keep honor and validity to the process, coaches should be cognizant that they are seeking the best players in the state and should be aware of their own biases towards their players. All-State selections should be made based on the following criteria.
- Attitude Towards Refs
- Sportsmanship
- Stats
- Character
- Impact on the Game, as notated in tracking section below
Girls Positions- Girls’ 1st Team and 2nd Team All-State team may contain a maximum of (15) players each, defined by:
- Four (4) Attack
- Four (4) Midfield
- Four (4) Defense
- One (1) Goalie
- Two (2) Additional Players from any Position, that will be named into the category in which they play
4- Honorable Mention for Boys and Girls- An Honorable Mention category is available to a maximum of (10) players for both Boys and Girls selection. Honorable Mention should be used to recognize players who were extremely close to making the All-State Selection.
5- Junior Varsity All State Selections- A singular team up to a maximum of (10) players for both Boys and Girls teams.
6- Head Coach of Year- A boys and girls Head Coach of the Year will be voted on as well. The criteria for this should be as follows:
- Character and Sportsmanship of Team
- Success on the Field
- Attitude and Behavior Towards Refs
7- All-State Tracking- At the end of each game, for both Varsity and Junior Varsity games, coaches will submit to the scorebook (4) players from the opposing team who stood out to them during that game. The following process will be followed:
a. After coaches meet with their teams, each coach will write those names in their scorebook AND the opposing team’s scorebook.
b. Each entry should include player name, player number, and player position.
c. Coaches will discuss the selections with one another and may use one another to identify proper names, numbers, and positions.
d. Coaches will sign and date each entry.
e. If for some reason an entry is missed, a make-up entry must be submitted within a week via an email communication between the coaches. That email communication should then be printed and attached into the score book.
8- All-State Nomination Process- On the Monday of the last week of the season, an All-State Nomination Form will be sent out to each eligible program head coach. The form must be filled out by the Friday of the last week of the season. Should a coach miss the deadline, their votes will not be counted. When the form is received, the coach will adhere to the following process:
a. Each coach will review their notes, official scorebook, and stats from the season to determine the most impactful players and coaches from opposing teams.
b. Those players and a coach will be entered into the form in the format as outlined in sections A.2, A.3, A.4, and A.5.
c. Coaches may nominate opposing team players AND their own players.
d. Coaches must nominate an opposing coach for Coach of the Year.
e. Those nominations will be tallied by the MHSLA President or his designee to determine the Preliminary All-State selections based on number of votes per player/position and coach.
f. The Preliminary All-State selections will be shared with coaches on Wednesday of the State Championship weekend for review.
g. Those results are to be held in absolute confidence until the final All-State Selection meeting is held.
9- All-State Selection Meeting
a. On Friday night of the State Championship Weekend, a 1-Hour meeting will be held for Head Coaches to discuss, debate, and conduct a final vote on all positions. Separate meetings will be held for Boys and Girls and the process will commence in the following order-1st Team, 2nd Team, Honorable Mention.
b. That night the final All-State list will be created and sent to the MHSLA President.
c. The MHSLA President will oversee creating the All-State Certificates.
d. An All-State Ceremony will be held on the Saturday of the State Tournament and awards will be presented in person.
e. All decisions for All-State are to be held confidential until they are announced during the ceremony.