TV SCHEDULE
All times Eastern; All games on ESPN+ unless otherwise noted
Tuesday, Feb. 11
7 p.m.: Maryland Charm vs. New York Charging
9 p.m.: Maryland Whipsnakes vs. New York Atlas
Wednesday, Feb. 12
7 p.m.: Boston Cannons vs. Utah Archers
9 p.m.: Boston Guard vs. California Palms
Thursday, Feb. 13
7 p.m.: Maryland Whipsnakes vs. Boston Cannons
9 p.m.: Maryland Charm vs. Boston Guard
Friday, Feb. 14
7 p.m.: California Palms vs. New York Charging
9 p.m.: New York Atlas vs. Utah Archers
Saturday, Feb. 15
12:30 p.m.: Maryland Charm vs. California Palms
2:30 p.m.: New York Charging vs. Boston Guard
6 p.m.: New York Atlas vs. Boston Cannons
8 p.m.: Maryland Whipsnakes vs. Utah Archers
Sunday, Feb. 16
10:30 a.m., ESPN2: WLL No. 2 seed vs. WLL No. 3 seed
6 p.m., ESPN2: PLL No. 2 seed vs. PLL No. 3 seed
Monday, Feb. 17
11 a.m., ESPN2: WLL No. 2/3 seed vs. WLL No. 1 seed
1:30 p.m., ESPN2: PLL No. 2/3 seed vs. PLL No. 1 seed
FORMAT AND RULES
Lacrosse’s appearance in the 2028 Olympics will be in the Sixes format, a 6-v-6 discipline in which players must play both offense and defense. Every player carries a short stick and essentially play like midfielders. The field is 70-by-36 meters.
There are three distinct features in traditional Sixes that make the discipline compelling.
Firstly, possession is supreme. If a shot goes out of bounds, it is a turnover — unlike the field game. Secondly, there is a 30-second shot clock — the fastest in the sport. And finally, there are no faceoffs after goals. There is essentially an inbound pass like in basketball, with the goalie picking up the ball out of the cage and starting the next play.
The PLL and WLL Championship Series’ are round-robin regular-season tournaments that determine seeding for the semifinals. Unlike past years when each team made the playoffs, now the No. 1 seed earns a bye, and the No. 4 seed is eliminated outright.
Rules were altered after last year to eliminate the sudden victory overtime period. Now, there will be a four-minute overtime to determine a winner in such an instance. After a four-minute period, if it’s still tied, then there will be sudden victory.
There is also now a 10-second clearing clock as opposed to a 20-second clearing clock, encouraging teams to cross the midfield line quicker. Will this encourage more full-court presses like in basketball?
The WLL will follow many of the same rules. The inclusion of the two-point line in the Championship Series makes for an interesting offshoot of Olympic sixes, which does not emphasize distance shooting.
