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Now is the Time to Think Overtime
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By Bob Lowe
February 18, 2002 from 
Perhaps there is no more confusing aspect to lacrosse
officiating than applying overtime procedures. Despite
the fact that overtime is spelled out in the rule book
(rule 3 , section, 5 and rule 4, section 31), there
are a number of reasons this phenomenon occurs.
One reason: A lacrosse official may have five overtime
games in a season, or he may go two years without an
extra period game. In many cases, it’s not like
overtime procedures become a regular part of an official’s
repertoire.
Another fact is that many of overtime rules are unique
to the game of lacrosse. Lacrosse, in fact, has a special
name for the period for breaking ties: sudden victory.
What Lacrosse Overtime is Not
Lacrosse sudden victory is not an extension of the fourth
quarter. I encountered a veteran lacrosse official who
insisted on this point last season. Unlike basketball,
the overtime period has no connection to the fourth
quarter.
Captains and the Coin Toss
Following a two-minute break, respective team captains
meet a the center X for a coin toss. Just like the beginning
of the game, the visiting team captain calls heads or
tails. The winner of the coin toss gets to choose which
goal to defend. The alternate possession arrow stays
the same way it was pointing at the end of regulation.
Time-outs do not carry over: Each team gets one for
the sudden victory period. A face-off starts the overtime
unless there was a time-serving penalty and a team had
possession at the end of regulation. In that case, the
team with possession starts sudden victory with the
ball. (In other words, extra periods are like any other
period in this regard.)
Four Minute OT Periods(s)
According to the NCAA rule book, sudden victory periods
are 4 minutes. A goal, of course, ends the period and
the game. If there are no goals scored, a two minute
break occurs once again. Teams then switch goals and
each will get one time out for the additional period.--just
like before, no carry over. The same procedures-- goals,
face-off, and one time out per period--pcontinue for
all subsequent overtimes.
Note that a player who commits five personal fouls is
out of the game. If he has five during regulation play,
he cannot play in the new period. If the player picks
up his fifth personal in a sudden victory period, he
is disqualified.
A brief discussion with head coaches explaining what
will occur in OT is good game management. The coach
likely isn’t sure of all that governs sudden victory,
so your communication will be helpful.
Officials' Motto: Be Prepared
Most junior high school or youth league do not play
overtime. Check your local rules for any variance.
In all cases, overtime should be a part of your pre-game
conference. In addition, carrying a "cheat sheet"
is a good idea. An index card with OT procedures in
your pocket can be a great reference.
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Prior to the start of the game, the winner of the coin
toss gets to choose which goal to defend. The loser
gets the first alternate possession arrow. What about
overtime?
As mentioned in a previous story on OT, before the extra
period, there's another coin toss. The winner, again,
gets to choose which goal to defend.
But what about the arrow? In this instance, the arrow
stays the way it was at the end of regulation.
This nuance needs to noted because the OT coin toss
is practiced less frequently. The variance, however,
does make a lot sense: The team that had the arrow should
not lose a possession it never received
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