Prior to commencement of the game, head coaches must state to the officials that they have taught the rules of play with emphasis on personal fouls and agree to abide by the CONNY Code of Conduct. Officials must state that they have read and understand the CONNY Rules of Bantam Play.
Officials should “call it tight” to keep the game under control.
Bantam Division Eligibility:
Players must meet both CONNY regulations. They must be:
1) Under age 9 on the December 31st preceding the start of the season, and
2) Not members of a team from another CONNY-member program.
Bantam Division Philosophy:
Non-competitive (no official scorekeeping, no standings, no post-season tournament leading to a championship, no overtime play) and instructional. Grades may play together. Multiple teams within a program should be balanced.
NFHS Rule 1-1. The Game—Number of Players
10 players per side on the field; however games can be played with as few as 7 per side on the field if coaches agree. The CONNY principle is to maximize each player’s touches and participation in the play of the game. Therefore, CONNY encourages Bantam coaches to play 7-on-7 or 8-on-8 contests whenever possible.
NFHS Rule 1-6. Crosse Dimensions
The length of the crosse may be 37 to 42 inches. No exceptions, except for the goalkeeper’s crosse, which may be 37 to 60 inches long.
NFHS Rules 1-6, 1-7, 1-8, 1-9. Player Equipment, Helmet, Face Mask
All players are required to wear protective gloves, arm pads, shoulder pads, shoes, mouthpieces, cups, jerseys, and helmets.Rib pads are strongly recommended.
In addition, goalies MUST wear chest pads, throat guards, shin guards, and knee pads. Thigh pads are recommended for goalies.
CONNY recommends NOCSAE-approved lacrosse helmets, but HECC-approved hockey helmets are allowed. Programs are urged to achieve 100% NOCSAE compliance as soon as possible. Color requirements for mouthpieces and helmets, etc. are waived.
NFHS Rules 2-4, 2-8, 2-9. Responsibility of the Home Team
a. In the event that the uniform jerseys of two teams are too close in color, the home team should supply and wear contrasting color jerseys. These may be unnumbered mesh practice jerseys.
[Recommendation — Bantam programs should issue reversible tank-top jerseys with a dark and light side and with numbers on the back to aid in officiating the game and to help parents identify their children.]
b. The home team will supply all equipment for the officials (i.e., horn, clock/stopwatches, etc.).
c. CONNY recommends the use of certified officials, if possible. High school students aged 16 and older may officiate Bantam games if they complete a US Lacrosse or CONNY apprentice official training clinic, pass the CONNY Online Rules Test, and are properly equipped. In the event a certified official or properly qualified high school student official is not available, each team should provide one official for the contest.
d. The goal of Bantam play is instructional. Thus, each team is encouraged to have one coach on the field providing instruction during play. Whenever possible, the same person should not act as both an official and an instructor. The goal is to provide instruction while not disrupting the flow of the game.
NFHS Rule 3-1. Time Factors and Scoring
Contests shall be four quarters of 15 minutes running time each with no overtime. The clock stops for injuries and timeouts. Quarters can be lengthened with mutual agreement of the coaches prior to the start of the game.
NFHS Rule 4. Play of the Game
The game is to be played with emphasis on the proper development of stick, team, and sportsmanship skills.
NFHS Rule 4-3. Face Off
Although official score is not kept, if at any point during a game it appears that the score is lop-sided, (an apparent 4-goal lead) the team that appears to be trailing will be given the ball at the midfield line in lieu of a face-off until the apparent lead is less than four goals. This rule can be waived at any time by the trailing coach. [Recommendation – The spirit of good sportsmanship must be a part of all contests, particularly those where teams are mismatched. If a mismatch becomes apparent, CONNY urges the coaches of the stronger team to employ unobtrusive stratagems to “level the playing field,” while not embarrassing the opponent. Use of a three attempted pass rule prior to shooting on goal, substitution for stronger players, repositioning of stronger players, etc. all should be considered.]
NFHS Rules 4-14 & 4-15. Advancing the Ball
No 10-second or 20-second counts shall apply to Bantam play.
NFHS Rules 4-21. Ball Out Of Play
Add: If the ball is not moving in a scrum, the game official will blow the whistle and re-start play using the alternate possession rule.
NFHS Rules 4-28. Team Time-Outs
A team shall be limited to four team nonconsecutive time-outs per game, with no more than two taken in any half.
NFHS Rules 4-16 & 5-3. Body Checking
NO BODY CHECKS OF ANY KIND ARE PERMITTED IN BANTAM PLAY.Incidental body contact is the only type of contact permitted at the Bantam level. This includes no man/ball, or clear-the-body type of pushing.
NFHS Rules 5-2 & 5-6. Stick Checks
THE ONLY LEGAL STICK CHECK IN BANTAM PLAY IS A POKE CHECK TO THE CROSSE OR THE GLOVED HAND ON THE CROSSE. NO EXCEPTIONS.
a. Any poke check not making contact with the gloved hand holding the stick or the stick itself shall be considered a slash.
b. Any one-handed check shall be considered a slash.
c. Slap checks are not permitted and are considered slashes.
d. Contact on an opponent’s body by any part of a defender’s crosse that is between his two hands on his crosse is a cross check and illegal.(CONNY Interpretation, NFHS Rule 5-2)
NFHS Rule 5-9. Unsportsmanlike Conduct/Foul Language/Excessive Penalties
a. Unsportsmanlike Conduct fouls are three-minute non-releasable penalties in all cases.
(CONNY Interpretation, NFHS Rule 5-9 ART 3)
b. A second Unsportsmanlike Conduct foul results in expulsion.
(NFHS Rule 5-11 ART 3)
c. Any player with an excessive number of personal fouls will be asked to sit out of the game for a reasonable period of time. Coaches and officials should define excessive and reasonable prior to the start of the game.
(Changes NFHS Rule 5-10)
NFHS Rule 6-10. Offensive Stalling
No offensive stalling rule.
NFHS Rule 7. Penalty Enforcement
There will be no time-serving penalties and no extra-man-offense or man-down-defense in Bantam play.
Instead, a fast break shall be awarded to the player against whom the foul was committed. The fouled player shall be awarded the ball at the "X" at the center of the field, the appropriate attackmen, defensemen, and goalkeeper shall be in the penalized team’s Defensive Area, and all other players shall be behind the penalized team’s offensive end Goal Area Line (formerly called Restraining Line). At the whistle, the player with the ball may advance to try to execute a four-on-three fast break. Also at the whistle, all other players are released to join the play.
In the case of personal fouls only, the player committing the foul must leave the field, but may be replaced.
