SPARKS, Md. — USA Lacrosse is excited to announce the first wave of boys’ club lacrosse tournaments that will use its age verification services during the 2023-24 season.
Earlier this year, the National Lacrosse Federation (NLF), an organization comprised of the top boys’ club lacrosse programs in the country, and USA Lacrosse entered into a transformational partnership to bring age verification to the boys’ club lacrosse landscape. The goal is to improve the integrity of competition, the quality of experience for all participants and player safety.
The initial round of major events that have committed to requiring age verification for all participating teams and players include:
Big 4 Champions League – HHH
The Club Lacrosse Nationals – MDLX Events
CrabFeast – Crabs
The Gauntlet – Eclipse
The Lax Clash – Express
Legacy Invitation – LXC
Long Island Lax Fest – My Lacrosse Tournaments
NLF Fall Invitational
NLF Futures
NLF National Championships
NLF Summer Kickoff
Platinum Cup – West Coast Starz
Primetime Shootout – Primetime
Sweetlax Summer Challenge – ML8 Events
Western Shootout – West Coast Starz
Discussions are underway with more event operators and this list will grow in the coming weeks.
For the 2023-24 club year, in graduation years 2029 and younger, the NLF has chosen to implement a 15-month timeframe (June 1 birthdate through August 31 of the following year) for its age groupings. The NLF clubs will continue using graduation years as the team names, but all players will fit within the 15-month groupings. This will help minimize team roster disruptions and to incentivize classmates playing together.
USA Lacrosse has had a proven age verification system in place since 2017 used for other organizations. As a U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Recognized Sports Organization, USA Lacrosse brings credibility and neutrality to the process. The NLF’s leadership in endorsing and implementing age verification for its events will drive even greater adoption of player segmentation by age throughout all levels of youth lacrosse.
At the high school level, the NLF will continue to group players by graduation year to assist with the college recruiting process. High-school aged NLF players and tournament participants will be required to maintain an active USA Lacrosse membership, but they will not be required to go through the age verification process.
Click here for more information about the partnership and the age verification process.
About the National Lacrosse Federation
The National Lacrosse Federation is an organization of the top boys’ club lacrosse programs in the country that has a goal of creating the most competitive and enjoyable events for club programs, players and parents. The NLF is comprised of six founding members — Baltimore Crabs, Big 4 HHH, Laxachusetts, Leading Edge, Long Island Express and Team 91 Long Island — and eight affiliate organizations — Denver Elite, Eclipse, Madlax, Primetime, Resolute, Sweetlax, Thunder and West Coast Starz. Learn more at https://nationallacrossefederation.com/
About USA Lacrosse
USA Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is a Recognized Sports Organization of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. As the governing body of men’s and women’s lacrosse in the United States, USA Lacrosse leads the U.S. National Teams Program and establishes universal standards. With more than 400,000 members across the country, USA Lacrosse unites the community of players, coaches, officials, parents, and program leaders. Working together, we inspire participation, enrich the athlete experience, and support the growth of the sport.
