Major League Sixes
Major League Sixes is an annual elite lacrosse tournament held in Australia, played to lacrosse sixes rules — the format that will be played at the 2028 Summer Olympics — and bringing fast-paced, dynamic lacrosse to the Australian lacrosse community.
Launched in 2024, Major League Sixes marked a major shift for national lacrosse competition in Australia, with a new franchise-based draft format consisting of five even teams for both women's and men's divisions, representing major cities around the country. This was a departure from the traditional state-based representative team format used in national field and box lacrosse championships, which historically have been dominated by the traditional Australian lacrosse heartlands of Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.
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..The typical major changes for Lacrosse Sixes are as follows:
- 6 against 6 rather than 10 against 10
- 30 second shot-clock
- 4x 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