The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a professional box lacrosse league in North America. The league comprises 12 teams6 in the United States and 6 in Canada. The NLL is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The NLL once ranked third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the National Hockey League (NHL) and National Basketball Association (NBA). Unlike other box lacrosse leagues, which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring, from December to June. Each year, the playoff teams battle for the National Lacrosse League Cup. The NLL has averaged between 8,900 and 10,700 spectators per game each year since 2004.
Box lacrosse rules
The NLL plays four 15-minute quarters with 2-minute breaks between quarters and a 15-minute half-time. At the start of the each quarter and after every goal, players "face-off" at the center of the field to determine who will get possession. This is done by the two players pushing the heads of their sticks together with the game ball in the middle. A scrum-like match usually happens when the players on either team try and win the ball. Unlike traditional field lacrosse, box lacrosse is played on an standard ice hockey rink with artificial turf and to cover the ice.
If a game is tied after regulation, the two teams play sudden death overtime. Each team may take a 45-second timeout per half. Each team dresses 19 players: 2 goaltenders and 17 "runners". NLL goals are wide and tall. Similar to ice hockey there six players which consist of 5 runners and one goaltender on the field at a time with players playing shifts and constant substitution throughout the game.
The NLL uses a 30-second shot clock, which is similar to a professional or collegiate basketball shot clock. The clock starts its countdown once one team gets possession of the ball. If the offense does not shoot the ball in time, they lose possession. However, if the offense shoots on goal and then retrieves the ball, the shot clock is restarted.
Similar to ice hockey, Fighting is a 5-minute major penalty and does not result in an automatic ejection.
Season and playoffs
Each team in the NLL plays eighteen games during the regular season, nine each at home and away. The league has one standings table for its 14 teams. NLL games are typically played on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays while some weekends see teams play twice.
The regular season begins in December and ends in April. Starting in 2018, the league announced that the playoffs would be expanded to eight teams to accommodate expansion.
Beginning with the 2024 season, the playoffs feature the top 8 teams in the standings. The first round is single-elimination, and the Conference Finals and Championship rounds are best-of-three.
Players Most NLL players have full-time jobs off the floor, such as former Buffalo Bandits player John Tavares, who is a high school teacher in Mississauga, Ontario.
Although six of the thirteen teams are based in the U.S., less than 7% of players are American. Approximately 83% are Canadian and 10% are Haudenosaunee, from either Canada or the U.S.
Teams
Current teams Beginning with the 2024 NLL season, the league eliminated its East and West Conferences that existed during the 2023 NLL season and all teams play in a single division with every team playing every other team at least once.
+Overview of NLL teamsTeamCityArenaCapacityFoundedJoinedHead coachBuffalo BanditsBuffalo, New YorkKeyBank Center 19,070 1991 1992John TavaresCalgary RoughnecksCalgary, AlbertaScotiabank Saddledome 19,289 2001 2002Josh SandersonColorado MammothDenver, ColoradoBall Arena 18,007 1987* 2003Pat CoyleGeorgia SwarmDuluth, GeorgiaGas South Arena 10,500 2004* 2015Ed ComeauHalifax ThunderbirdsHalifax, Nova ScotiaScotiabank Centre 10,595 1995* 2019Mike AccursiLas Vegas Desert DogsHenderson, NevadaLee's Family Forum 5,567 2021 2022Shawn WilliamsOshawa FireWolvesOshawa, OntarioTribute Communities Centre 5,180 1987* 2025Glenn ClarkRochester KnighthawksRochester, New YorkBlue Cross Arena 10,662 2019 2019Randy MearnsSan Diego SealsOceanside, CaliforniaFrontwave Arena 5,500 2017 2018Patrick Merrill Saskatchewan RushSaskatoon, SaskatchewanSaskTel Centre 15,195 2005* 2015Jimmy QuinlanToronto RockHamilton, OntarioTD Coliseum 17,383 1998* 1999Matt SawyerVancouver WarriorsVancouver, British ColumbiaRogers Arena 18,910 2000* 2013Curt Malawsky An asterisk (*) denotes the franchise moved to its present location and has been in one or more previous locations in its history (see franchise timeline below or team pages for relocation history).
Former teams The following lists franchises that are no longer active in the NLL. +Overview of former NLL teamsTeamCityYears activeNotesWashington WaveWashington, D.C.1987–1989Baltimore ThunderBaltimore, Maryland1987–1999Relocated to Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh CrosseFire)New York SaintsUniondale, New York1987–2003Relocated from East Rutherford, New Jersey (New Jersey Saints)Philadelphia WingsPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania1987–2014Relocated to Uncasville (New England Black Wolves)Detroit TurbosDetroit, Michigan1989–1994Boston BlazersBoston, Massachusetts1989–1997Relocated from Worcester, Massachusetts (New England Blazers)Pittsburgh BullsPittsburgh, Pennsylvania1990–1993Rochester KnighthawksRochester, New York1995–2019Relocated to Halifax (Halifax Thunderbirds)Charlotte CobrasCharlotte, North Carolina1996Ontario RaidersHamilton, Ontario, Canada1998Relocated to Toronto (Toronto Rock)Syracuse SmashSyracuse, New York1998–2000Relocated to Ottawa (Ottawa Rebel)Pittsburgh CrosseFirePittsburgh, Pennsylvania2000Relocated to Washington (Washington Power)Albany AttackAlbany, New York2000–2003Relocated to San Jose (San Jose Stealth)Ottawa RebelOttawa, Ontario, Canada2001–2003Relocated to Edmonton (Edmonton Rush)Washington PowerWashington, DC2001-2002Relocated to Denver (Colorado Mammoth)Arizona StingGlendale, Arizona2001–2007Relocated from Columbus, Ohio (Columbus Landsharks)Montreal ExpressMontreal, Quebec, Canada2002Relocated to Saint Paul (Minnesota Swarm) in 2004Anaheim StormAnaheim, California2002–2005Relocated from East Rutherford, New Jersey (New Jersey Storm)Vancouver RavensVancouver, British Columbia2002–2004San Jose StealthSan Jose, California2004–2009Relocated to Everett (Washington Stealth)Minnesota SwarmSaint Paul, Minnesota2004–2015Relocated to Duluth, Georgia (Georgia Swarm)Edmonton RushEdmonton, Alberta, Canada2005–2015Relocated to Saskatoon (Saskatchewan Rush)Portland LumberJaxPortland, Oregon2006–2009Orlando TitansOrlando, Florida2007–2010Relocated from New York City (New York Titans)Chicago ShamroxHoffman Estates, Illinois2007–2008Washington StealthEverett, Washington2010–2013Relocated to Vancouver (Vancouver Warriors)New England Black WolvesUncasville, Connecticut2015–2020Relocated to Albany (Albany FireWolves)New York RiptideUniondale, New York2018–2024Relocated to Ottawa (Ottawa Black Bears) starting in the 2024–25 seasonPanther City Lacrosse ClubFort Worth, Texas2021–2024Albany FireWolvesAlbany, New York2021–2025Relocated to Oshawa (Oshawa FireWolves)Philadelphia Wings Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2018–2026 FoldedOttawa Black Bears Ottawa, Ontario 2024–2026 Folded due to no ownership group
History + NLL Progression Year Teams Games played 1987 4 teams 6 games 1988 8 games 1989 6 teams 1990 1991 10 games 1992 7 teams 8 games 1993 1994 6 teams 1995 1996 7 teams 10 games 1997 6 teams 1998 7 teams 12 games 1999 2000 8 teams 2001 9 teams 14 games 2002 13 teams 16 games 2003 12 teams 2004 10 teams 2005 2006 11 teams 2007 13 teams 2008 12 teams 2009 2010 11 teams 2011 10 teams 2012 9 teams 2013 2014 18 games 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 11 teams 2020 13 teams18 (12 played) 2021Season cancelled 2022 14 teams 18 games 2023 15 teams 2024 2025 14 teams2026202712 teams
Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League
The rebirth of major professional box lacrosse in the United States came on March 13, 1986, with the formation of the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League (EPBLL), which was incorporated by Russ Cline and Chris Fritz. The "Eagle League" moniker was inspired by a meeting with Iroquois leaders, whose culture views the animal as a tutelary spirit. Previously, in 1985, box lacrosse sponsored an event played at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. The USA/Canada Superseries was an eight-game series seen as a precursor to the new league.
Darrell Russell was named commissioner of the league, which had four teams based in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and East Rutherford, New Jersey. The EPBLL opened play for the 1987 season with two games on January 10, 1987: the Philadelphia Wings at the New Jersey Saints (Philadelphia defeated New Jersey 11–8) and the Baltimore Thunder at the Washington Wave.
The four teams contested a six-game regular season before a postseason that saw all four teams qualify for a single knockout tournament, which ended with the Baltimore Thunder being crowned as the EPBLL's first champion. Coached by Bob Griebe, the Baltimore Thunder defeated the Washington Wave by a score of 11–10 to capture the league's first championship.
The league announced that a total of 124,536 fans attended Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League games in its first season.
1988
The same four teams played in the second season of the EPBLL. The teams expanded to an eight-game schedule, and set up a three-team playoff with the regular season winner claiming a bye to the title game. The New Jersey Saints became the second league champions by defeating the Washington Wave 17–16 before 8,125 fans at the Capital Centre. For the Wave, it was the second time in as many years they reached the championship game, only to lose a one-goal game.
After the season, the league announced that the champion Saints would relocate to the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island and be called the New York Saints beginning in the 1989 season. Moreover, the league itself would be changing its name, adopting the more conventional Major Indoor Lacrosse League (MILL) name, as the spiritual implications of its original name proved too cryptic for most people to understand.
The MILL announced that it awarded expansion teams to Detroit and Boston, to begin play in the 1989 season. The Detroit team was named the Turbos, and played at Joe Louis Arena; the Boston entry was called the New England Blazers and they played their home games at the Worcester Centrum.
Major Indoor Lacrosse League
1989
Each of the six teams played an eight-game schedule in 1989, with an even four home and road games.
In its first ever regular season game, 12,171 fans watched the expansion Turbos defeat the Washington Wave 11–9 in Detroit to start 1989 season. As the season went on, regular season attendance figures for the league totaled at 230,724 for 24 regular season games, which made an average of 9,614 people in the stands per game. When adding the postseason, the numbers grew to 255,088 total and an average of 9,811 a game. The Philadelphia Wings captured the league championship in front of a record postseason crowd of 16,042 at the Spectrum, defeating the New York Saints 11–10.
After the championship game, the league announced expansion into Pittsburgh, with a team called the Pittsburgh Bulls. The new team effectively replaced the Washington Wave, who closed operations after three seasons.
1990
In 1990, each of the six teams played an eight-game schedule. Near the end of the season, the New York Saints defeated the Philadelphia Wings 8–5 before the first sellout and the largest crowd in league history: 17,177 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. The Saints' victory forced a playoff rematch the following week. However, the Wings won that game and later went on to become the first team to win a second league championship, defeating the New England Blazers 17–7 in front of 11,479 fans for their second consecutive title.