World Lacrosse announced the format for the lacrosse competition at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic games on Monday, which also marks three years until the beginning of the games.
The competition will feature six teams from each gender. Teams will play a full round robin, then the first and second ranked teams from each gender will advance to the gold medal game, and the third and fourth teams will play for bronze.
The tournament will run in the final days of the games, from July 24-29. The men’s and women’s brackets will run in parallel to each other, with all medal games taking place on July 29. The closing ceremonies are set for July 30.
The size of the competition is smaller than most lacrosse fans likely anticipated. For comparison 12 teams per gender compete in Rugby 7’s, which is a discipline of rugby which was widely used as a comparison for sixes lacrosse.
The announcement also solidified the location of the games, which will be the Exposition Park Stadium, which is the home field of the Los Angeles Football Club. The full capacity for the stadium is 22,000, though it is unclear exactly how the stadium will be configured for lacrosse.
The small competition size will raise questions about the qualification process for teams around the world. That’s in addition to the ongoing questions regarding Haudenosaunee participation in the games.
The full press release is below.
“With just three years to go until the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028, World Lacrosse is proud to celebrate the sport’s historic return to the Olympic stage as a medal event for the first time since 1908. The men’s and women’s lacrosse tournaments will take place in the second week of the LA28 Games, from July 24–29, at Exposition Park Stadium, home of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club.
Nestled in the heart of LA28’s downtown footprint, Exposition Park Stadium is located beside the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which will host athletics and play a central role in both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. This placement underscores lacrosse’s integration into the core of the Olympic experience and sets the stage for an unforgettable debut for millions of fans around the world.
In the Olympic debut for women’s lacrosse, it will be played in full parallel with the men’s competition, with six teams per gender competing over five days of round-robin play. The tournaments will culminate on July 29, with the gold medal games contested between the top two teams for each gender and the bronze medal games played between the third- and fourth-ranked teams.
WL President Bob DeMarco said: “The new era of lacrosse is now. Returning to the Olympic Games after more than a century – and doing so in such a prominent location and format – is a powerful statement to the growth and global momentum of our sport. LA28 will be a showcase for today’s modern game that is as exciting for spectators as it is for the participating athletes.”
World Lacrosse CEO Jim Scherr said: “We are proud that lacrosse will help write the next chapter of Olympic history at LA28. This is not only a return, but a reimagination – highlighting sixes, our exciting new discipline, and demonstrating our sport’s commitment to gender equality, innovation and global appeal. As the countdown begins, we will continue to work closely with the LA28 Organizing Committee, the IOC and National Governing Bodies to deliver a competition that reflects the passion, skill and unity of the international lacrosse community.”
Lacrosse’s inclusion in LA28 was approved by the International Olympic Committee in October 2023. The featured discipline is sixes, a fast-paced, compact format designed for global accessibility, Olympic suitability and thrilling spectator experience.”