The PLL Championship Series is an annual winter lacrosse tournament in the lacrosse sixes format. It is hosted by the Premier Lacrosse League. It features the top four teams in the regular season standings of the previous Premier Lacrosse League season. The inaugural championship series occurred in 2023.
Announced in May 2022, the Championship Series was created for a variety of reasons: incentivize a teams regular season finishing position (as of 2023 only the last place team in the standings does not qualify for playoffs in the PLL), provide more playing opportunities for PLL players that do not play in the NLL, aid in the broader push for lacrosse's inclusion in the Olympics, and to create more inventory for the PLL's broadcasting partners.[1]
The four qualifying teams were allowed to roster 12 players, ten field players and two goalkeepers.
Lacrosse sixes and rule differences
The lacrosse sixes format is a version of lacrosse which aims to provide greater access to lacrosse by eliminating barriers of entry. This format is also designed to be more applicable for the modern olympic framework.[2] The Championship Series selected this format as part of its broader push to be included in the 2028 Olympics.[1]
The typical major changes for Lacrosse Sixes are as follows:
6 against 6 rather than 9 against 9 (excluding goalkeepers)
30 second shot-clock
4, 8-minute quarters
Goalkeepers begin play when a goal is scored, face-offs only occur at the beginning of each quarter
Field size is 70 by 36 meters
Everyone plays on both sides of the field
No long poles are permitted
No shot back up, a missed shot results in a change of possession all of the time rather than possession being determined by who is closest to the ball when it goes out
For the Championship Series, the PLL also included a 13-yard 2-point arc.[3]
Results
2023 Championship Series
The 2023 Championship Series took place from February 22, 2023 to February 26, 2023. The round-robin games took place from February 22, to February 24. The semifinals games took place on February 25, and the finals took place on February 26. The participants were the Whipsnakes, the eventual champion Chrome, the Archers, and the eventual runner-up Atlas
The 2024 Championship Series final saw a 24% increase in average viewership on ESPN2 and a 42% increase in viewership on ESPN+. There was a 32% increase in attendance with a 46% increase in total ticket revenue.[12]
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