Peter Lasagna's column appears in the August Issue of Inside Lacrosse, which features the "Armadillo Game" on the cover. Purchase it in print or digitally.

Atsap squeals into the home driveway he has not seen for six weeks. He opens the noble 2006 Subaru’s back hatch. Out tumbles soiled socks, moldy rain gear and forests worth of Showcase booklets.

With 24 hours before he departs for the next event, he must work efficiently. Do laundry. Mow jungle. Contact 2018s. Reunite with the almost perfect Mrs. Atsap. Not necessarily in that order. A UPS driver interrupts the couple’s “Welcome back!” embrace.

Atsap thanks the man in brown and wonders what the parcel contains? Packing peanuts erupt to reveal a neatly lettered card resting on a crust-covered baking dish.

“From Your Friends on the Rules Committee. Enjoy this Humble Pie.”

While doing this is not his chief strength, Atsap admits he was wrong about at least one aspect of the 2015/16 rules changes — the latest face-off mechanics, prohibition on prolonged ball-carrying on the back of the crosse did not destroy the game forever. Specialists still thrived. Career-threatening concussions did not abound. In fact, the new emphasis created exactly what the NCAA Rules folks wanted. More violations and more possessions won by someone other than the face-off man.

This season’s Division I information brings a higher face-off sample size than last year (1,058 more than in 2014) due to slightly increased scoring, two additional teams (NJIT, UMass Lowell) and a slight uptick in games played. This season saw 81 more violations called. There were 492 fewer groundballs gathered by the face-off specialists in 2015. By contrast, 1,011 more possessions were won by wing men. However, a quick glance at the biggest winners indicates that “He with the most talented draw man still hoists the trophy.”

Tufts’ Conor Helfrich went 24-of-34 and gobbled 13 groundballs on the way to NCAA title game MVP and third-team All-America. Limestone’s Kevin Reisman grabbed 14-of-19, nine GBs in the Saints’ championship and was named first-team All-America. While frosh sensation Trevor Baptiste battled evenly vs. Maryland, his season-long dominance (68%,140 GBs) keyed Denver’s title run and earned him first-team All-America honors. Did the new FO rules promote more 50/50 loose balls? Yes. But the best people still often controlled the ball to themselves.

Chalk this one up to the committee. There was less cheating. The ball was largely in play faster. Falling sky averted. Atsap calls on two, highly successful coaches to learn how others view this year’s version of the college game. What is the chatter out there this summer? What do college coaches love? Are we getting a shot clock after this rules cycle? What’s next?

North Carolina’s Joe Breschi and Colby’s Jack Sandler both offer informed perspectives. Breschi served on the NCAA Rules Committee during the four years leading up to the most recent changes. Sandler sits on the USILA Executive Board that interacts with the college officials associations. Breschi and Sandler have solicited opinions of fellow skippers along the recruiting trail.

The Heels’ mentor relates the majority find that the face-off changes “have been terrific. The skilled FOGO athlete still succeeds, but we’ve brought the other four men back to the play,” says Breschi. Sandler originally opposed the new techniques. He didn’t see changes when the Lyle and Miles Thompson rewrote the offensive record books, “But a few dominant face-off men make us change the mechanics two rules cycles in a row?!”

Sandler became a convert as the season progressed. He found fewer violations whistled in his games and more loose balls. “This may be a function of the officials spending more time pre-face off to ensure legal setup.” He hopes the rules in this area stay status quo. “First, because they work. Second, I believe the face-off specialists deserve a few seasons to hone their craft.”

Both men find benefit in the visible “timer-on” clock. They and their colleagues found a stimulated pace of play and increased shots per game. Sandler and his DIII associates would still like to remove the subjectivity when “timer on!” is invoked.

“The clarification of what constitutes stalling needs to be more tightly defined to help officials be consistent from game to game,” Sandler asserts. “Inherently, there is nothing wrong with forcing teams to attack the goal. It’s exciting for the players, coaches and fans.”

Coaches in all divisions convey that the game within the stalling game needs addressing.

“What team,” asks Breschi, “doesn’t have a shoot it over the cage [to avoid the timer-on] call? I know the refs do the best they can, but this is the next level of enforcing the rule’s intent.” Despite this loophole, Breschi reports that his DI peers continue to “vote heavily against a straight shot clock.”

Sandler and Breschi both believe the dive will command the committee’s attention next time. The play is called differently too often. Sandler requested each game crew’s interpretation of what “grounded” meant. “I left confused each time. I say bring the dive back. It will simplify the crease call and allow the officials to focus on things like late hits.”

Breschi also loves the dive. He remembers creative acrobats like Knight, Watson and the Gaits. His answer to reward athleticism and enhance player safety? “Expand the crease. Give them more space. If the player leaves outside the crease and the ball goes in before he’s in, it’s good!”

Atsap accepts the Rules Committee’s Humble Pie as he folds his last load of laundry. But he does not surrender his Cranky Old Thorn in Refs’ Sides card easily. The “bull dodge ward,” “over and back” and discrepancies between DI and DIII foul calls merit discussion in the future.

Atsap does not believe that rules impact crowd size at the Final Four. He maintains that rules that promote the most fun, player-first style are what the next NCAA rules makers should settle on. Let players and coaches process and adapt to consistently enforced laws for an extended period of time and enjoy the show.

Peter Lasagna is the head coach at Bates College. The ’94 Coach of the Year at Brown and ’15, ’13 and ’05 NESCAC Coach of the Year at Bates, he’s a member of the Greater Rochester Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Peter Lasagna's column appears in the August Issue of Inside Lacrosse, which features the "Armadillo Game" on the cover. Purchase it in print or digitally.