Turn a Box Lacrosse Faceoff Into Controlled Possession

A lacrosse faceoff is a contest for possession between two opposing players, with the ball between their stick heads. In box lacrosse, winning the first touch is not enough: the ball must come free, someone must collect it legally, and teammates must be ready to support possession or recover on defense.

The rules below follow World Lacrosse’s 2026–2028 box rulebook. National bodies may adapt those rules or follow a different implementation timeline, so check your league and age-group rules before applying them.

Choose the faceoff phase to check which actions are legal and what happens next.

Center Faceoffs Start Periods and Follow Goals

Under World Lacrosse’s rules, a center faceoff starts each quarter and overtime period and follows each goal. Delaying the faceoff can result in possession being awarded to the opponent. World Lacrosse box rulebook, introduction and Rule 6.2

For the wider indoor-game context, see our beginner’s guide to box lacrosse.

A Legal Setup Keeps Hands and Feet Left of the Throat

The two faceoff players line up on the side of the centerline nearest the goal they defend. Rule 6.2.2 requires the following setup:

Part of Setup	Required Position
Stick heads	On the floor, parallel to the centerline; sidewalls approximately eight inches apart, with sticks not touching
Hands	Both on the handle and touching the floor, without touching strings
Hands and feet	Left of the stick’s throat—the narrow section connecting the head to the shaft
Feet	Behind the centerline, without touching the stick
Body	No encroaching into the opponent’s territory and making body contact

Once the referee says “set,” remain motionless until the whistle. Have a coach check your position rather than assuming your field-lacrosse setup is legal in box. World Lacrosse Rule 6.2.2

The Ball Must Come Free, Not Stay Pinned

At the whistle, both faceoff players must contest the ball, and it must come out of the small dotted circle around the center spot. The playing objective is direct, collect, protect: move the ball toward a useful space, secure it, then make the next action safely.

The rules prohibit trapping, clamping or holding a motionless stick over the ball, the opponent’s stick or the opponent’s body with the intent to withhold play. That qualification matters; do not turn it into a blanket claim that every momentary stick action over the ball is the same violation.

An over-clamp—placing your stick on top of an existing clamp—is also a violation. Other ways to concede possession include:

• Moving after “set” but before the whistle.
• Stepping on or kicking the opponent’s stick.
• Getting the ball stuck in the back of your stick.

If you gain possession on the reverse side of the stick, you cannot take more than one step without moving, raking or directing the ball to yourself or a teammate. The reverse-side restriction is separate from the violation for a ball stuck in the back of the stick. World Lacrosse Rules 6.2.3–6.2.4

Supporting Runners Release at the Whistle

The other runners start in an offensive or defensive zone, behind the restraining lines separating those zones from the center area. They release at the whistle—not when a player gains possession. Before the whistle, they may move behind their zone line but may not contact an opponent.

Supporting players may enter the outside faceoff circle during the draw. However, striking a faceoff participant there before that player becomes upright draws the appropriate time penalty. Entering the circle and striking a bent-over participant are not the same action. World Lacrosse Rules 6.3.2–6.3.3

That release timing makes the draw a team play. A faceoff player can direct the ball well and still lose possession if the supporting runner arrives late or cannot collect it. Each runner also needs a defensive assignment for a lost draw, rather than watching the ball and reacting only after the opponent controls it.

Practice the Draw Through the First Pass

Use proper box equipment and coach supervision. Begin without body contact; add pressure only when players can execute safely within their competition’s rules.

Set Targets and Defensive Assignments

Use the center markings, two faceoff players and one supporting runner per team behind a restraining line. Agree on a target area outside the dotted circle for each team to direct the ball toward.

Before the draw, each supporting runner identifies the opponent they will cover if their team loses possession. This gives both possible outcomes a next action: collect and pass on a win, recover and cover on a loss.

Complete the Collection Before Resetting

1. The coach checks positioning, calls “set,” then varies the delay before the whistle.
2. The faceoff players attempt a controlled rake or sweep toward their target area, keeping the ball moving rather than pinning it.
3. Supporting runners release on the whistle and pursue the loose ball without striking either faceoff player.
4. The collecting team completes one controlled pass. The losing team recovers into defensive position.
5. Reset and rotate roles.

Track clean setups, legal releases, successful collections and completed first passes, not just who touches the ball first. Those checkpoints distinguish a legal draw from a useful possession.

If players repeatedly pin the ball or collide while bent over, remove opposition and rehearse the movement slowly before restoring pressure.

The team emphasis fits the Canadian Lacrosse Association’s 2004 box coaching manual, which recommends identifying defensive assignments before faceoffs and developing team involvement in the draw. Box coaching manual, Appendix A

To build the next action, pair this drill with passing in box lacrosse.