The new playing rules, approved by the World Lacrosse membership during the organisation's 2019 General Assembly, are due to come into effect on January 1 2020.

The release of the new playing rules follows a comprehensive feedback and evaluation period. 

Lacrosse players worldwide had the opportunity to learn about the proposed changes and provide input before the rule changes were voted on by the World Lacrosse membership.

"Our goal is to make the official playing rules easier to understand and apply for all lacrosse players," Don Blacklock, World Lacrosse's technical director, said.

"We are always looking at every rule to try to find ways to make them more intuitive and straightforward, and we believe these approved changes include many significant improvements.

"It is important that the official playing rules continue to evolve with the way the game is played, but in doing so, we have been careful not to change the game's longstanding character."

Suggested changes to the official playing rules came from the Women's Rules and Officiating Committees and the Board of Directors.

The Committees considered changes that would increase appeal to a wider audience, or how the rules could be simplified in order to be more easily understood and translated to languages other than English, as well as how they could be more easily applied within the context of a game.

World Lacrosse states these principles will continue to be the underlying themes that shape decisions in the future.

Rule changes that allowed for free movement, harmonisation of women's sticks to one common standard across the game, a simplified fan and allowing defensive players to move through the goal circle were all approved by the membership.

It is claimed player safety remains the highest priority in the sport of lacrosse, and World Lacrosse is said to be continuing to evaluate areas of the game in which this can be enhanced.

In this respect, member nations are encouraged to mandate the use of eye guards that comply with the recognised certification requirements of any country, organisation or standard.

World Lacrosse, and its chief medical officer Karen Sutton, intends to continue to monitor changes to equipment specifications which are measurable or impact player safety.

Members have been reminded that the current rules will remain in force until the approved rule changes take effect.

Canadian player and coach Dana Dobbie was among those who welcomed the changes, writing on Twitter: "Free movement, deregulated sticks, and defenders can run through the crease.

"World Lacrosse, thank you for moving the international game forward."