Montgomery County Boys Lacrosse League

For Walter Johnson High School boys’ lacrosse senior Harris Cope, it used to be “face off, get off.” Win the draw, then leave the field at the next timeout to make room for an offensive-minded midfielder.

But now, thanks to a new rule change, teams will have a much harder time substituting their specialists, even in dead-ball situations.

Effective this season, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Boys’ Lacrosse Rules Committee has eliminated the sideline horn that gave coaches a 20-second substitution timeout.