Lacrosse Sixes·Team Sports

World Lacrosse

🏛️Official — World Lacrosse

World Lacrosse Sixes Rules (v1.1, Dec 2024)· 2024-2026 World Lacrosse Sixes Rules v1.1 (Dec 2024) — 6-on-6 shortened-format lacrosse confirmed for LA 2028 Olympic GamesOpen source

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At a glanceEverything you need to set up a game

4–8 players

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Outdoor

Environment

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Section 1: Introduction

Lacrosse Sixes is the shortened-format variant of lacrosse developed by World Lacrosse to provide a faster, smaller-field, more spectator-friendly version of the game suitable for international and Olympic competition. The format was approved for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games as the lacrosse medal discipline — the sport's return to the Olympic program after a 1908 hiatus. Sixes uses 6-on-6 (5 field players + 1 goalie), shorter games (4 × 8-minute quarters), a smaller field, and a 30-second shot clock. The current ruleset is the World Lacrosse Sixes Rules v1.1 (December 2024). See the sibling World Lacrosse Official Rulebook, NCAA Men's Lacrosse Rules, and NCAA Women's Lacrosse Rules entries for the parent ruleset and college variants.

Section 2: Equipment

Stick (crosse): 40-46" (102-117 cm) for field players (unified men's / women's stick), max 72" for goalie
Ball: standard lacrosse ball (140-149 g, ~6.3 cm diameter), white preferred
Helmet: required for all players (men's-style helmet with full face mask)
Mouthguard: mandatory
Gloves: required for all field players + goalie
Protective pads: shoulder, elbow, rib pads required; less protective than men's traditional field lacrosse (game emphasizes speed over collision)
Goalkeeper: additional chest protector + throat guard + helmet

Section 3: Playing Area

Field: 70 m × 36 m (~76 × 39 yards) — substantially smaller than traditional men's lacrosse (110 × 60 m) or women's (100 × 55 m)
Goal: 1.83 m × 1.83 m (6 ft × 6 ft) — same as field lacrosse
Crease: 2.75 m radius circle around each goal
Restraining boxes near each goal
No traditional offside line — Sixes is fluid, no offside rule

Section 4: Players & Officials

6 per side: 5 field players + 1 goalkeeper
Roster: 12 players per game (6 on field, 6 substitutes); unlimited substitutions on-the-fly
Officials: 3-person crew (referee + 2 umpires) at international/Olympic level
Game director + technical officials at championship events

Section 5: Rules of Play

Game Length

4 quarters × 8 minutes running time (35 minutes total including breaks)
2-minute breaks between quarters; 5-minute halftime
OT: golden goal sudden-death (4-minute periods)

Starting Play

Each quarter begins with a "draw" at center (similar to women's lacrosse) — players from each team contest possession
After a goal, the conceding team's goalkeeper restarts play

Possession + Shot Clock

30-second shot clock — offense must shoot within 30 seconds of gaining possession
Failure to shoot in time → turnover
No traditional "stalling" or "keep-away" — shot clock enforces pace

Movement

No offside rule — players move freely across field
Goalkeeper may participate in play across the field (within crease for goalie privileges)
Body contact substantially reduced vs men's field lacrosse — Sixes emphasizes stick checks, not body checks

Section 6: Scoring

1 goal = 1 point (ball fully crosses goal line, in-bounds, scored from outside crease)
Total game goals decides winner
OT: golden-goal sudden-death
Tournament: knockout bracket with round-robin pool play

Section 7: Violations & Penalties

Personal foul (slashing, illegal body check, cross-check, etc.): 30-second timed penalty (player serves in penalty box; team plays short)
Technical foul (interference, illegal screen, hold, etc.): change-of-possession or 30-second penalty
Crease violation: turnover
Shot-clock violation: turnover
Misconduct (yellow / red card): yellow = 2-minute penalty; red = ejection + 5-minute penalty served by teammate
Excessive contact: stricter enforcement than field lacrosse — Sixes is designed to minimize collisions

Section 8: Safety Considerations

Lacrosse Sixes is designed with reduced-contact rules vs men's field lacrosse — stick checks remain but body checks are heavily restricted. Mandatory helmet + mouthguard + full pad suite. World Lacrosse requires on-site medical (athletic trainer minimum, team physician at international tournament). Concussion protocol: WL Concussion Management Guidelines mirror World Rugby framework — removal-for-evaluation, multi-stage return-to-play, mandatory rest. Heat protocols for summer-season events (mandatory water breaks every quarter, heat-stop authority). AED on-site at all sanctioned tournaments. Goalkeeper-specific protective requirements (chest protector, throat guard, full face mask) enforced strictly.

World Lacrosse

About

Related Sports

Full Rulebook(11 sections)

Overview

How to win

The game

Section 1: Introduction

Section 2: Equipment

Section 3: Playing Area

Section 4: Players & Officials

Section 5: Rules of Play

Game Length

Starting Play

Possession + Shot Clock

Movement

Section 6: Scoring

Section 7: Violations & Penalties

Section 8: Safety Considerations

Playing the ball

Fouls & penalties

Equipment

Version History(1)

Variations of Lacrosse(3)

More from World Lacrosse(1)

Sports with a similar feel(6)