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.
