Women's lacrosse has endured some fundamental game-play rule changes. Now, over a month into Florida’s season, the athletes and the coaching staff have had to adapt their strategies to adhere to the new regulations.
Starting in the 2026 competitive season, the NCAA has made changes to one-minute releasable penalties, or green cards.
Historically, officials had to give athletes a warning for many minor violations; if the violation was later repeated, the player was given a penalty. Now, officials no longer need to give warnings before issuing a green card.
“I’ll come out and say I’m not a fan of the green card,” UF head coach Amanda O’Leary said.
The second rule change is arguably the most controversial. Minor fouls that didn't used to incentivize a green card, but instead a warning or free-position goal, unless they occurred in the midfield, can now lead to one-minute penalties anywhere on the field.
The NCAA secretary-rules editor and Collegiate Women’s Lacrosse Officiating Association (CWLOA) are also developing a protocol that requires officials to minimize the time the clock is stopped while administering a green card.
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the rule changes on Sept. 13. The NCAA reasoned that the rule changes would simplify penalty structure, enhance student-athletes’ safety and improve the pace of play.
The organization's biggest concern was to speed up the game. The matches had many whistles, warnings and slow restarts. There would be minutes of stagnation in the middle of games.
Initially, the proposal was to eliminate stick checks. A stick check occurs following a goal; the goal scorer drops their stick, and the officials check the pocket depth of the stick to ensure it is legal. That rule did not get approved.
Eliminating the requirement to give warnings and jumping directly to issuing green cards, as well as minimizing the time the clock is stopped for these penalties, has sped the game up. But the ability to administer a one-minute penalty from anywhere in the field, some argue, has done the opposite.
“We had a very fluid game, and now everything is very much choppy,” O’Leary said. “We have to play smarter as a whole … Every time you get one of those, you're playing man down.”
In the first weekend of the season, officials issued 494 green cards across all Division I games, a staggering jump from the estimated 80 green cards normally assessed during opening weekend. Florida and Michigan, however, only accounted for four total green cards that weekend.
Florida has totaled 26 green cards in six games so far. Leading with four in the season is senior midfielder Kaitlyn Davies, followed by graduate student attacker Ava Kristynik’s three. In their first six games last season, the Gators had only accumulated 14 green cards.
In the Gators’ 14-11 loss to No. 10 Navy on Feb. 28, Florida had five green cards to Navy’s two. Navy converted on one of Florida’s one-minute penalties and twice on free-position goals. In a game with a three-point margin, the power plays made a difference.
In their 17-13 win against No. 19 Loyola on Feb. 17, the Gators tallied five green cards and three yellow cards. Of them, Loyola converted on three man-ups and four free-position shots.
“I think as a whole, even against Loyola, we gave up some green cards and some opportunities to get a good flow going,” O’Leary said. “We played man-down against Loyola a little too much.”
Florida is looking to improve the control of its sticks to keep up with the rule changes.
UF hosts Penn at noon on Wednesday.
Contact Coral Uzgiden at cuzgiden@alligator.org. Follow her on X @coraluzgiden.
Coral is a sophomore Sports Journalism student in her first semester with the Alligator covering Lacrosse. She also has experience writing for WRUF and covering beats such as high school football and Gators swim and dive. She is an intern for the Women of the Lowcountry and in her free time enjoys playing waterpolo, going to the gym and being outside.
