Johnathan Walker:Premier Lacrosse League Championship Series offers glimpse at Olympic lacrosse format

ALEXANDRIA,Johnathan Walker Va. — The future of lacrosse was on display all President’s Day weekend. 

For the second straight year, in the middle of its offseason, the Premier Lacrosse League hosted a round-robin championship series between the top four teams from the regular season in a six-on-six format (PLL is 10-on-10, including goaltenders). 

In between the two tournaments, lacrosse’s "sixes" format was chosen by the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic host committee to be included in the Summer Games’ sport program. The 2023 championship series played a significant role in that decision − and made even founders Mike and Paul Rabil ponder the direction of the entire league.

"We had discussions on, is there gonna be a future where 'sixes' is the primary thing?" PLL co-founder Paul Rabil said Wednesday.

For now, though, the championship series will conclude Monday (11:30 a.m. ET, ESPN2) when the Boston Cannons face the Philadelphia Waterdogs. The top four teams from the season prior earned invites to the offseason tournament with more than a chance to play a different style of lacrosse. The 2023 champion, Chrome LC − now the Denver Outlaws − were awarded $120,000.

PLL CEO Mike Rabil said that, considering the league’s current structure, the championship series is one way the PLL can install a relegation-type component. 

"Players are getting paid a lot more to play in this," Mike Rabil said. "It’s only one week. It’s televised on national TV. That’s really fun. 

"Last year, guys – they didn’t know what to expect, and now players really want to play in the champ series. The regular season, just those standings mean a lot." 

After the first iteration of the championship series, both Rabil brothers fielded calls from ESPN and other partners − they even spoke to professional athletes in other leagues − "that have reached out, and their first reaction was like, ‘That  was incredible. What's the plan for the future for this event?’" Paul Rabil said. 

Another question: What does the championship series look like with international invites? That’s another adjustment PLL leadership will discuss in future years − especially as the 2028 Olympics approach. 

2024 PLL Championship Series

The Waterdogs breezed through round-robin play with an unblemished 3-0 record. Boston finished third at 1-2. One of their losses came to the California Redwoods in the first game of the week, a 26-25 overtime showdown. The Cannons bested the Redwoods in the semifinals, though, and the Utah Archers never won a game. 

That all set up the Philly-Boston showdown in the final.

Organizers took player feedback to include an off day − Thursday − in the tournament schedule. Round-robin games were played Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with the semifinals taking place Sunday. 

PLL Championship Series includes women’s All-Star Game, HBCU outreach

In partnership with Athletes Unlimited, the PLL helped stage the "Unleashed All-Star Game" to lead into the men’s doubleheader Saturday. Team North against Team South was played in the Olympic sixes format, featured the best professional women’s players in the world, and was a tied game going into the third quarter. Former Boston College star and two-time national champion Charlotte North led the aptly named North team to an 18-12 victory. North, who had six goals and two assists, was named the game’s MVP. 

Later on Saturday, the PLL hosted local Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in a sixes tournament.

How Olympics 2028 will impact Premier Lacrosse League

The IOC wanted to ensure that if this new format got into the Olympics, that the best players in the world were also playing it.

"It’s going to be a new day for lacrosse," Paul Rabil said. 

On average, Paul Rabil said, there are 15 possessions per 10 minutes in the six-on-six format, compared to eight possessions per 10 minutes in 10-on-10. 

"So there's just more volume," Rabil said. "And I love the fact that your best players are on the field more, playing offense and defense, like throwback lacrosse, and then more  likely to have the ball on their stick." 

The 30-second shot clock and two-point arc are current differences compared to the international sixes format. Paul Rabil said there is plenty of flexibility in regard to international rules, as World Lacrosse still must compose qualification criteria for countries. 

"Through the testing portal of the championship series," Paul Rabil said, "we’re now able to add more color to a lot of the rules discussions."