Crease and Goalkeeper Protection — Part I
From Officiating.com
By Bob Lowe
April 15, 2002

There is no greater cause of confusion--among referees, coaches and lacrosse fans--than crease violations and goalkeeper interference. This series wil try to simplify these calls.
Goalkeeper Protection
There are a number of reasons that goalie interference is confusing. Let’s start with the goalkeeper’s halo.
Halo Like a Hoops Goal
Compare the halo similar to the cylinder of a basketball goal. If a player touches the ball above the imaginary cylinder, he’s called for goaltending. Similarly, if a lacrosse player makes contact with a goalie while he’s within the cylinder (i.e., the crease extended upward), there’s goalie interference.
The contact can be a stick check, body check or any contact the opposing team makes with the keeper.
Remember: Interference with the goalie is a play-on. If it’s a loose ball, give the offended team a play-on opportunity to pick up the ball. If they don’t gain possession, award the ball to the offended team.
Possession is Key
If the keeper has possession and the defensive team interferes, it’s also a play-on. Yet if the goalkeeper’s clearing pass is incomplete, blow the whistle and award a free clear. If the pass is complete and the clearing team clears the ball past midfield, the play-on is over.
What if, however, the keeper makes a clearing pass that is complete but the defensive team loses the ball before they reach the midline?
This play can be tricky to enforce since there’s debate as to whether the play-on advantage was gained by simply catching the clearing pass.
One play-on interpretation allows the offended team to gain possession (i.e. advantage gained) past the midline. Since the team that was interfered with would have had a free-clear at worst, interpreters say anything less should be blown dead and awarded a free clear.
My association believes the offended team’s play-on should be no worse than the free clear. Check with your association as to how to call this play.
Crease Protection
A team may not step in or on the opposing team’s crease (Note: a defender touching the line is in the crease.) In loose ball cases within the crease, it is a play-on.
If the ball is loose, wait for the offended team to gain possession. If the keeper has the ball and a defender violates the crease, it’s also a play-on. Much like goalie interference, the offended team gets the opportunity to make a clearing pass.
What if the ball is loose outside the crease? Blow the whistle and award the ball outside the restraining box.

Part II
By Bob Lowe
April 25, 2002

On our first high school game of the season, my crew had a strange play. Team B was clearing the ball and was in possession about half-way between the crease and midline. The trail official, however, was back with the goal area.
He threw the flag.
Was he right?
The answer is yes and no.

A crease violation when someone other than the goalie has possession outside the crease, is a technical foul. So the official was correct.
The important thing to ask, however, is why the trail official was in a position to see the particular play? In this two-man game, the ref should’ve been working his way up the field and toward the sideline.
Instead, he saw a player step on the crease line. In the grand scheme of things, the violation was incidental and little or no advantage was gained by the defensive team. One could argue that the flag was warranted in this situation because the rule book states it so. Conversely, another view would be that no advantage was gained and good game management would ignore the step on the line.
What do you call?

Play: Ball is loose in the crease, attackman steps on crease line.
Call: Play-on/Award ball outside of the box.
Play: Ball is loose in the crease, attackman interferes with goalkeeper.
Call: Play-on/award ball outside of the box.
Play: Ball is loose outside the crease, attackman steps on crease line.
Call: Blow it dead and award the ball outside the box.

Play: Ball is loose outside the crease, interferes with goalkeeper.

Call: Blow it dead and award the ball outside the box.
Play: Goalkeeper does not have possession. With his feet inside crease keeper extends his crosse outside crease area to scoop ball.
Call: No call…Yes, the opposing team whack at the goalkeeper’s stick in this scenario. Play: Goalkeeper has possession in his crease. Attackman steps on the crease line.

Call: Play-on, free clear.
Play: Goalkeeper has possession in his crease. Attackman interferes with or checks keeper.
Call: Play-on, free clear.
Play: With his feet inside crease keeper extends his crosse outside crease area and scoops the ball. After he brings his crosse back inside the crease area, he is checked.
Call: Play-on, free clear.
Play: A defensive player is running away from his goal and is clearing the ball. An attackman steps in the crease or interferes with the goalie.
Call: Play-on, flag down. If clearing team does not score, attackman serves a 30-second penalty.
Play: Ball is loose outside of the crease and offensive player violates crease.
Call: Blow the whistle and award the ball to defensive/clearing team outside the box.