Hello newbies to GULC! To give you a little more insight into the sport and how it’s played, here’s a list of the most basic, need-to-know rules in the game. There are other rules that will be explained as you start playing in matches, but this is a quick summary just to give you a feel for the game. If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask any of the captains or our development officers.
WOMENS RULES
General
When the ball is down the attacking end of the pitch, four players must stay behind the restrainer line. This is the line that goes across the pitch between the centre circle and the goal.
When the ball goes off the pitch from a player, it goes to the other team
Any kind of dangerous play is illegal. This includes
Swiping – pretty self-explanatory, you can’t make a swiping action across another player
Checks to the head – This is when your stick head makes contact/ has the potential to make contact with another players head. This is yellow carded, and you will be sent off the pitch
Pushing/ barging
You can’t go in the goal circle
Defence
There are two fan shaped pitch markings around the goal circle, the inner is called the eleven and the outer is called the fifteen. When defending, players cannot be in the eleven for more than three seconds without marking an attacker
Shooting space. You cannot be blocking the goal with your body if an attacker is trying to shoot. This is a tricky one because it mainly falls into the opinion of the referee. A good general rule of thumb is to run to defend with your stick first, making sure your body isn’t in the way.
Goalie rules
If the goalie saves the shot she has ten seconds to clear it to a player
A goalie cannot roll/ carry the ball into her goalie circle
Attack
Dangerous shot/ propelling. This links in quite a lot with shooting space. Attackers cannot take a shot if it may injure another player, for example if a player is not in shooting space and is defending correctly and the attacker takes the shot at risk to the defender, it is illegal.
Attackers cannot shoot directly at the goalie
MENS RULES
There are ten players on each team – 1 goalkeeper, 3 defenders, 3 midfielders and 3 attackers. Substitutes are rolling and continue throughout the game even when the ball is in play
Each team aims to score a goal by throwing the ball with their stick into the oppositions goal – 1 point per goal
The ball is moved by being carried in the stick or kicked – the ball cannot be touched with the hand
The pitch setup is similar to ice hockey in that players are allowed to go behind the goal and remain in the field of play
When any player is in possession of the ball or within 9 feet of the ball, opposition players may make contact with their body or their stick
Defenders may hit a player’s stick with their own stick, or hit the opposition with their body (not their stick!) providing the hit is from the front or side and between the hip and neck (no hits in the back, the head or the legs)
All players must wear protective helmets and gloves as the game is highly physical
At all times a team must have 4 players (3 defenders and a goalie) in their defensive half and 3 players in their attacking half (attackers)