Overtime Losses

I decided to take a break from writing about the rules to address a more current issue. That is the misery of overtime losses. While some have suggested they would rather have a 5 minute period over sudden death/victory. I would disagree. I like the intensity of 1 goal deciding it all. That being said, nothing is more instantly depressing and painful as being scored on in OT.

This past Saturday concluded in our second overtime loss of the season. On January 31st 6’ 6” Peter Morgan snuck through our defense and caught a feed on top of Cosmo to end our night 1:13 into OT. On Saturday Matt Lyons ripped a shot off of the side of Bob Watson’s leg pad that caromed off the post to Toronto’s Scott Campbell who went end to end and fired a shot just under the cross bar to spoil our comeback.

It’s Tuesday now and the pain is starting to dissipate. I am not a person to sit and agonize “what if I did this or that.” I believe in devoting my week to preparation. When the game comes giving everything you can to help your team win. The rest is out of your control and if you gave it all and still lost you can more easily accept that. At least as a player I found that to be true. As a coach it is hard to feel like you did everything you could to affect the game. I can’t go out there and dive for a loose ball or sprint back on defense. And in a game of inches it is much easier to second guess.

Both Toronto and Portland played very good games against us and one could argue they deserved to win. I think you have to take a loss and say what can I do better next time? What can I learn from this? We are a good team, but we are not a team that can show up and expect to win without the proper preparation and effort. Records don’t mean a thing. If anything our records set us up for taking the Rock lightly. Toronto wanted it more than we did on Saturday. If there is one thing that I have learned over my years in this league, it’s that the team who is willing to put forth the effort and pay the price will walk away the winner 90% of the time regardless of record. Looking forward to our next game on the road against a very hot Rochester we have our work cut out for us. At least we have the pain of a close loss to reevaluate our effort and to motivate ourselves in the week and a half to come.

Rule 59: OFFENSIVE SCREENS/PICKS/BLOCKS

With all the contact that happens on a typical offensive possession it can be hard to distinguish a legal pick or screen from an illegal one. This can be further complicated by the variance on how it is called from one game to the next. Over the past couple years it has been a priority by the referees to clean up this part of the game. I am happy to see we have come to a middle ground where the offensive players are given some leeway in order to set their picks. In the past the defense had been allowed to clutch and grab and otherwise impede the offensive flow. I feel this has also been adequately addressed leaving us with an exciting brand of lacrosse.

According to the the NLL Rulebook a screen, pick or block is legal if applied to the front or back or side of an opponent or on the arms, below the shoulder and above the waist. At the discretion of the referee, screens, picks or blocks are allowed as long as forceful contact with the body, and/or excessive cross checking during the application of the screen, pick or block is not made against an opponent.

An OFFENSIVE SCREEN is the legal action by an attacking player attempting to impede the defensive coverage of a defender, on an attacking player “without” possession, while looking to receive a pass.

An OFFENSIVE PICK is the legal action by an attacking player attempting to impede the defensive coverage of a defender, on an attacking player with possession, while looking to receive a pass.

An OFFENSIVE BLOCK is the legal action by an attacking player attempting to impede the defensive coverage of a defender, on an attacking player with or without possession, with no intent of receiving a pass.

The application of these rules typically result in players being allowed to set slightly moving picks or screens along with pushing off a bit as long as the attacker does not knock the defender over or significantly blow him off his line. This is obviously a gray area that is left up to the referee’s discretion.

NLL RULES

For those fans new to Indoor Lacrosse, the rules and more specifically the penalties can be a bit confusing. The game is rough and even violent at times. What distinguishes a penalty from a good play? One rule that has a bit of gray area is illegal cross checking.

As defined in the 2009 NLL Rulebook, A legal crosscheck shall be a check on the arms below the shoulders and above the waist rendered with both hands on the stick, on an opponent with possession of the ball. The extension of the arms while the check is being delivered is permissible. An illegal cross check shall be a check on an opponent above the shoulders, below the waist or on the back. The League may at their discretion, review any penalty assessed under this rule. A defender who cross-checks a player, who is in a stationary position and not in possession of the ball shall be assessed a penalty. A player who uses excessive unequal pressure and force to cross check a non-stationary opponent not in possession of the ball, shall be assessed a penalty.

You would think the definition might clear up all confusion, but I am afraid it is not that simple. Traditional “box lacrosse” rules allow for cross checking of an offensive player who is not in possession of the ball whether stationary or not. The NLL typically calls it somewhere in between the stated version and how the game is played in Canada and on the Reservations throughout the summer. The key phrase here is “equal pressure.” You are usually allowed to give an offensive player a couple “how you doin’” cross checks off ball to keep him honest. If this is “excessive” you can be called for illegal cross checking or roughing. If a player is cutting the middle you are allowed to cross check with equal pressure which means you can give him a shot as long as you don’t knock him back or blast him off his line. This is a bit of a judgment call.

If the player has the ball you can pretty much tee off on him as long as it is not from behind. The league has cracked down on head shots in the past couple years, so anything in the head is deemed a 5 minute major. Illegal Cross Checking can be called slightly different from game to game. Defenders must make appropriate adjustments in their aggression based on how tightly the referees are calling this and other infractions on a game to game basis. I hope this clears up some confusion. I will be addressing the roughing call along with illegal picks and screens in coming weeks.

Tom's NESN Interview from Bruins Game

Special Guest Blogger: Dan Dawson

What's shakin’ Kevin Bacon? Dan Dawson here, blogging for the Boston Blazers from the ‘City of Champions’, aka Beantown.

Our training Camp has been really intense thus far. We have 40 guys auditioning for 23 roster spots, and everyone is giving 110%, which is a great sign for us heading into our inaugural season. Coach Ryan and Coach Fraser have done a terrific job over the past year assembling the best players they could find from all over North America, and it is a very talented, diverse group of athletes here, all of whom appreciate having been given an opportunity to showcase there talents at the first ever Blazers training camp.

We are very fortunate that the team has secured three great apartments for us in addition to a very nice team house (we call it ‘The Blazer Den’) in the North End of Boston. The North End is located in Little Italy, with hundreds of restaurants and shops within walking distance from our doorstep. Italian food is my all-time favourite cuisine, so there will definitely be no shortage of carbs in my diet this season! Remember kids, you don't put dirt in a Ferrari; your body is a temple. We currently have 13 guys living here in Boston, which makes for a lot of good old fashioned ‘male bonding’ time. Between team meals, Rock Band video game sessions, and practical jokes galore, I can assure you that there is never a dull moment amongst the Blazer players.

This week we had our media day as well as our first experience on the floor at the TD Bank North Gardens, the home of the Celtics, Bruins and now the Boston Blazers. Bostonians are the most knowledgeable and passionate spots fans I have ever been around and we are all incredibly excited to represent the city with pride throughout the upcoming season – both on and off the floor.

This is the second time the Blazers have been in Boston and we were lucky enough to meet some of the old Boston Blazers at the team office this week. It was awesome getting to hear old ‘war stories; from the original Blazers players, and to see that the friendships that they forged over the years remain strong. The alumni are all very excited to be part of the new generation of Blazers, and we look forward to continuing the great tradition that they started.

Being an expansion team, we know that we must work harder than other teams in order to win games. Working hard is exactly what we are doing on the floor during our practices and off the floor in our workouts. Sean Morris, Mitch Belise and I have been working with Zato Barry and he is absolutely CRUSHING us with his strength and conditioning program. I am built like a European super model – tall and skinny – which means I must train harder than other players in the league in order to get the weight gains I need to be effective on the floor. I haven't been doing many curls for the girls this off-season, but a sports specific program geared to lacrosse has given me a level of conditioning I’ve never had before… I can’t wait to use that conditioning and get the season started!

Check out my video blog "The Danger Zone”.

Happy Holidays and GO BLAZERS!!

Daws