Section 5: Rules of Play
The Play - Rule 1: The ball is in play once thrown in or pucked to start or restart play, and remains in play until the Referee signals a stop, the ball passes completely over a boundary line or strikes a boundary flag, or is prevented from crossing a boundary by anyone other than a player (Rule 1.1). It may be struck with the hurley on the ground, in the air, or lifted with the hurley (Rule 1.2). A player may run with the ball balanced or hopping on the hurley (Rule 1.3). A player may catch the ball, play it on the hurley, and bring it back into the hand once; a player who has not caught the ball may play it from the hurley into the hand twice (Rule 1.4). The ball may be struck with the hand, kicked, or lifted off the ground with the feet (Rule 1.5), but may not be touched on the ground with the hand(s) except when a player is knocked down or falls and the ball in hand touches the ground (Rule 1.6). A player in possession may carry the ball in the hand for a maximum of four consecutive steps, or hold it no longer than the time needed to take four steps, before it must be released and struck with a definite striking action of a hand (Rule 1.7).
Players may tackle an opponent for the ball (Rule 1.8). Provided the player has at least one foot on the ground, a shoulder-to-shoulder charge is permitted on an opponent who is in possession of the ball, playing the ball, or moving in the direction of the ball to play it (Rule 1.9). The goalkeeper may not be charged while within the small rectangle, though the goalkeeper's possession may be challenged and the goalkeeper's puck, kick, or pass may be blocked; incidental contact while playing the ball is permitted.
Set Play - Rule 2: The Referee starts the game, and restarts it after half-time, by throwing in the ball between two players from each team standing on their own defensive side of the halfway line (Rule 2.1). After a foul, play restarts with a free puck or throw-in where the foul occurred, subject to specified exceptions for fouls inside the large or small rectangle (Rule 2.2). A Penalty Puck for an Aggressive Foul by a defending player within the large rectangle is awarded from the centre point of the 20m line; a Free Puck is awarded for a Technical Foul in the same circumstances (Rule 2.2(a)). A Penalty Puck is struck either from the centre point of the 20m line or from within the semi-circular 20m arc, brought back to 7m from the 20m line; only one defending player may stand on the goal-line before the ball is struck (Rule 2.4(b)).
When the ball is played over the endline by the attacking team, or after a score, play restarts with a puck-out taken from within the small rectangle; the ball must travel 13m before being played by another player of the defending team, and all players other than the goalkeeper and the player taking the puck-out must be outside the 20m line until the ball is struck (Rule 2.6). A team playing the ball over the sideline concedes a free puck (sideline puck) from the ground to the opposing team at the point the ball crossed (Rule 2.8).