When Syracuse opens up its season at home on Feb. 7, it will do so with a shot clock set up behind the goals.

In a flurry of rule changes announced by the NCAA in September, Division I lacrosse facilities are now mandated to install 30-second clocks on each end of the field by 2016.

The rule was implemented to prevent teams from running the game clock down, requiring the offensive team to shoot within 30 seconds after the referee signals the stalling clock to begin.

Syracuse head coach John Desko said the clocks have already been installed in the new Ensley Athletic Center, and will also be in the Carrier Dome for the season opener.

“It relieves a lot of confusion and it’s great to have them visual,” Desko said. “The players can take a quick look on the field to see where they’re at.”

Before the implementation of visual clocks this year, referees enforced the stalling rule by shouting “Timer on” and starting a countdown. No actual timer was used, and the official used the game clock to watch the first 20 seconds tick down.

The referee counted the final 10 seconds on his hand, and if time expired before a shot was taken then possession was awarded to the defensive team.

The clock is only activated when an official feels the offensive team is trying to work around having to take a shot, and then they will have 30 seconds to do so. Desko implied that the trick may be to pick up the tempo of the offense to counteract starting the visual clocks.

“As a team, if you’re trying to take time off the clock you have to stall fast now,” Desko said. “Maybe take a couple shots wide of the goal and look like you’re playing to score another goal.”

To acclimate itself to the different rules, the team held a meeting at the start of the school year to watch a 20-minute video covering all the changes. Senior attack Randy Staats and defender Brandon Mullins both said the meeting was extremely beneficial and made the team comfortable with the new rules.

Syracuse Assistant Athletics Director for Donor Relations and NCAA lacrosse referee Matt Palumb also sat in on the meeting to give his interpretation of the new rules to the team.

While adding visual clocks might not be a huge adjustment, there are some tactical changes that come into play as the new clock will be winding down in games.

“From a coaching standpoint, (the clock) shows that you can’t be slow to set your plays up,” midfielder Randy Simmons said. “You have to get things going quick.”

There was a consensus among players that the unofficial clock used by the referees often caused confusion on the field, but the new changes seem to remedy all of the players’ previous concerns.

“You used to be scrambling around looking to see who had the timer,” Staats said. “If the ref who had the timer was on the other side of field then you’re wondering ‘OK, how do you know?’

“It’s just better now.”

Published on January 21, 2015 at 12:07 am

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