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Team Sports
4–8 players
outdoor
ball, crosse
10 essential rules
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...
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)
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
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
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)
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
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
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)
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
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
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.
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