Why was the new rule created?

The NCAA's Associate Director of Rules Administration, Ty Haplin, says that the new 2010 lacrosse head specifications were made to promote the free dislodgement of the ball. The rule is based on the theory that widening the throat of the head will make it easier for defenders to knock the ball loose. "It's much harder than it used to be to get the ball out," Haplin said. "We don't want it to be because of the equipment".

In today's game, players are able to retain ball control while running through checks from multiple defenders because over the past decade, heads have become narrower and "off-set", which creates greater centrifugal force while cradling, keeping the ball in the pocket with less effort. Players weren't able to dodge through multiple defenders like this a decade ago, when they used wider, non off-set heads. As a result, some of the core components of offense, like ball movement and teamwork, have become less important as players no longer need to rely on quick, crisp passing to score goals. The game has become more about an offensive player trying to score by going 1 on 1 with his defender rather than attempting to score with tactical ball-movement. Supporters of the 2010 rule change hope that by widening the throat of the head, players will have a more difficult time dodging through multiple defenders, and the offense will once again focus on passing and teamwork.

The NCAA also hopes that the new rule will promote safety, Haplin said. The belief is that if a wider head makes it easier for a defender to dislodge the ball, then the defender won't have to be as forceful while checking his opponent. If defenders begin using less forceful checks, then the number of illegal slashing and checking penalties should decrease, and so should injuries.

Others say they support the rule because the tempo of the game has become too slow. There are a number of lacrosse enthusiasts who believe the narrower, off-set heads are the reason that the tempo of the game is slower than it used to be, particularly collegiate lacrosse games. They argue that defenders are having trouble taking the ball away from opponents because of the narrow lacrosse heads, and opposing teams are able to hold onto the ball and "milk" the clock. Teams like Maryland and Princeton are notorious for slowing the pace of the game down like this by holding onto the ball, making for an often effective, but boring, offense.

These supporters want to see the re-emergence of the "run-and-gun" offense that was played in the 80's and 90's, when heads were wider and the ball came out easier. The run-and-gun is an offense revolving around ball movement, motion, and teamwork. This style involves causing as many turnovers as possible on the defensive end to score as many goals as possible on the offensive end, as more turnovers mean more opportunities to score. This fast-paced style of lacrosse was exciting to both play and watch, as the games tended to be very high scoring. If the 2010 rule change is effective in making it easier to dislodge the ball, we may see the re-emergence of the exciting run-and-gun style offense. Only time will tell.