The most striking thing about women's lacrosse may be the way
penalties and
fouls are assessed.
In the NCAA women's game, fouls are handled by stopping play, but with all players freezing and holding their positions. The offending player is moved out of position behind the ball-carrier or the player who got fouled. The action is then restarted with all other players in the same position. Some easy shots can result from this system, because the ball-carrier is often wide open at the restart.
Fouls near the goal are also handled differently than in the men's game. There is an arc and a box surrounding the goal where fouls produce a direct or indirect shot, depending on the foul.
Penalties are resolved by removing the penalized player from the match for the duration of the penalty. However, the team is allowed to substitute another player, so no power play results. The removal of a starter is considered a large enough disadvantage for the team.