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 added another wrinkle with a two-point arc that encourages shooting from distance.