NCAA Changes Ball Color, Expands Video Review for Men's Lacrosse

Say goodbye to white lacrosse balls.

The NCAA is recommending for 2026-27 and mandating for 2027-28 that standard game balls for men’s lacrosse be fluorescent green or yellow to improve visibility.

The Premier Lacrosse League uses an optic yellow ball that's optimized for TV, a trend that started with tennis in the 1970s. Women's lacrosse has been played with a yellow ball since the advent of the modern college game.

Ball color was among the rule changes approved Monday by the Division I Men’s Lacrosse Oversight Committee after the Division II and III Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved them last week.

Also of note:

• Expanded video review rules will allow coaches to challenge goals if they believe the opponent was offsides, had too many players on the field or stepped on a boundary line while in possession of the ball. Officials also can now initiate a review on plays where there is potential contact to the head/neck.
• Until the winning goal is scored, overtime will be played in 15-minute periods. All timeout and video challenge rules will remain unchanged. Previously, overtime was conducted in four-minute periods, with the teams switching sides of the field until the game-winning goal was scored. 
• In the fall, teams can experiment with a rule that if a player releases the ball below the restraining line on the defensive end of the field, it will be considered a legitimate shot only if a goal is scored or the ball hits the pipe. This would affect the decision to hurl the ball the length of the field to break a 10-man ride or avoid a time violation.