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.
| Sport | Lacrosse Sixes |
|---|---|
| First season | 2023 |
| No. of teams | 4 |
| Most recent champion(s) | Boston Cannons |
| Most titles | Chrome LC (1) Boston Cannons (1) |
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
editThe 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
edit2023 Championship Series
editThe 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
Finals
edit| Winning Team | Runner-Up | Score | Venue | Winners Purse | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome LC | Atlas LC | 24-23 | The St. James | $120,000 | [4] |
Bracket
edit| Semifinals February 25 | Finals February 26 | ||||||||
| 1 | Atlas | 30 | |||||||
| 4 | Whipsnakes | 21 | |||||||
| 1 | Atlas | 23 | |||||||
| 3 | Chrome | 24 | |||||||
| 3 | Chrome | 21 | |||||||
| 2 | Archers | 18 | |||||||
Round Robin
edit| 2023 Championship Series Round Robin | Whipsnakes | Chrome | Archers | Atlas | ||
| 1 | Whipsnakes | 14-18 | 23-26 | 16-29 | 0-3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Chrome | 18-14 | 22-23(OT) | 20-29 | 1-2 | |
| 3 | Archers | 26-23 | 23(OT)-22 | 26-31 | 2-1 | |
| 4 | Atlas | 29-16 | 29-20 | 31-26 | 3-0 |
Round-robin teams are listed in their 2022 PLL regular season standings order.
2024 Championship Series
editThe 2024 Championship Series featured the top 4 regular season finishers of the 2023 Premier Lacrosse League season; including the 2023 PLL Champion Utah Archers. The other competing teams were the eventual champion Boston Cannons, Philadelphia Waterdogs, and California Redwoods. It took place from February 14-19, 2023 at the St. James in Springfield, VA.[9] Round robin play was from February 14-17, 2024, the semifinals were on February 18, and the finals were on February 19.[10]
Finals
edit| Winning Team | Losing Team | Score | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Cannons | Philadelphia Waterdogs | 23-22 (OT) | The St. James | [11] |
Notable Statistics
editThe 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]
Golden Stick Award
editThe Golden Stick Award is given to the player that had the most points during the Championship Series.
| Year | Player | Team | Points (Scoring Points, Assists) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Romar Dennis | Atlas LC | 38 (34 SP, 4 A) | [13] |
| 2024 | Kieran McArdle | Philadelphia Waterdogs | 38 (26 SP, 12 A) | [14] |
References
edit- ^ a b Inside Lacrosse Staff (May 18, 2022). "Breaking: PLL To Host Offseason Tournament Utilizing Sixes Format". Inside Lacrosse. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Inside Lacrosse Staff (May 18, 2021). "World Lacrosse Debuts 'Sixes' Brand, Another Step Toward New Discipline's Launch". Inside Lacrosse. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Brown, Kevin (November 16, 2022). "PLL Announces Championship Series Set for February in Northern Virginia". Inside Lacrosse. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ PLL (2023-02-26). "Premier Lacrosse League Announces Winners Purse for Inaugural Championship Series". Premier Lacrosse League. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ Brown, Kevin (February 26, 2023). "Finish Strong: Chrome Wins Inaugural PLL Championship Series". Inside Lacrosse. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Brown, Kevin (February 25, 2023). "'All About Your Will': PLL Championship Series Semifinals Set For Saturday". Inside Lacrosse. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ "championship-series-2-2023-2-25 Archives". Premier Lacrosse League. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
- ^ "championship-series-1-2023-2-25 Archives". Premier Lacrosse League. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
- ^ "2024 PLL Championship Series Returns to Springfield, Va., in February". www.usalaxmagazine.com. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- ^ PLL (2023-12-20). "2024 PLL Championship Series Schedule Announced". Premier Lacrosse League. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ "Boston Cannons' Turnaround Continues with Championship Series Victory". USA Lacrosse. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ PLL (2024-03-05). "Premier Lacrosse League Charts Double-Digit Growth in Second Championship Series, Powered by Ticketmaster". Premier Lacrosse League. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ Merola, Lauren (2023-03-06). "Romar Dennis through the eyes of the Bulls". Premier Lacrosse League. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ Miller, Wyatt (2024-02-20). "Why the Golden Stick Award means "not much" to Kieran McArdle". Premier Lacrosse League. Retrieved 2024-03-20.