PLL Announces Changes to Shot Clock, 2-Point Arc and Timeout Structure

The fastest game on two feet just got faster ... at least, that appears to be the hope of the Premier Lacrosse League with the three new rule changes announced for the upcoming summer season.

The season, which begins June 3 in Albany, New York, will feature changes to the shot clock, two-point arc and timeout structure.

The shot clock change figures to be the most talked about, as it directly relates to the impact made by faceoff athletes. After possession is gained off a faceoff, a new 32-second shot clock will begin. The 32-second clock will also trigger after a shot on goal when the offense retains possession for a shot clock reset (but only if the clock is at or below 32 seconds at the time of the shot).

The reigning PLL MVP is a faceoff athlete — Trevor Baptiste of the Atlas — so it will be interesting to see if this mitigates the impact of dominant players at the dot.

The second rule change comes in the placement of the two-point arc. It will remain at 15 yards at the top of the arc and on the left- and right-center wings, but the distance was shortened to 13 years on either side of goal-line extended. Will this encourage more shooting from lesser angles? The risk is now more worth the reward.

Finally, the PLL adopted a hybrid NBA model of offering half-timeouts to coaches. Instead of three full timeouts, PLL coaches will have two full timeouts and one 30-second timeout per game.

Rule Updates ahead of the 2023 Season

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) May 22, 2023