The National Lacrosse League has announced the experimental implementation of the shootout immediately following NLL preseason games this December as teams prepare for the upcoming regular season.
For the first time in league history, a shootout will be held upon the conclusion of several exhibition games, regardless of the final score. The league’s Competition Committee intends to collect data and analyze the mechanics of the shootout in order to determine if the concept might be of interest in the future.
The post-game shootout mechanics will be as follows:
The teams will not change ends for the shootout. The home team shall have the choice of shooting first or second. The teams shall alternate shots. Three (3) players from each team shall participate in the shootout and they shall proceed in such order as the Coach selects. All players are eligible to participate in the shootout unless they are serving a ten-minute misconduct or have been assessed a game misconduct or match penalty.
Once the shootout begins, the goalkeeper cannot be replaced unless he is injured. No warm up shall be permitted for a substitute goalkeeper. Each team will be given three shots, unless the outcome is determined earlier in the shootout. After each team has taken three shots, if the score remains tied, the shootout will proceed to a “sudden death” format. No player may shoot twice until everyone who is eligible has shot.
If, however, because of injury or penalty, one team has fewer players eligible for the shootout than its opponent, both teams may select from among the players who have already shot. This procedure would continue until the team with fewer players has again used all eligible shooters.
The 2015 NLL regular season, the 29th year of pro indoor lacrosse featuring the world’s best players, opens the weekend of January 2-3.
