Lacrosse at World Games 2022: Preview, schedule and teams to watch
The World Games will see the debut of the Sixes format at a global event. You can watch the action live on Olympics.com.
Lacrosse
Lacrosse will make its second straight appearance at the World Games in 2022. However, its inclusion in Birmingham will feature two changes from the 2017 Games in Poland. First, men's lacrosse will be participating for the first time as an Invitational Sport. Second, the World Games 2022 will one of the first opportunities to see the exciting six-on-six format at a global event.
With the American women as the heavy favourites to defend their gold medal from five years ago, here's what to look for when the action gets underway in Alabama and how to watch right here on Olympics.com..
Lacrosse at World Games 2022: Teams to watch
Nine nations will compete in Lacrosse at the World Games with Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Haudenosaunee, Israel, Japan and the United States taking part in both the men's and women's tournaments. Germany will feature men's play, while the Czech Republic is set for women's action.
It will be a historic appearance for the Haudenosaunee, a Native American tribe that invented the sport thousands of years ago. The Haudenosaunee Nationals' men's squad won the bronze medal at the 2018 worlds, while its women's team is ranked 12th in the world.
The men's gold medal will likely to be a battle between the United States and Canada. The U.S. men have won 10 world titles, while the Canadian men have picked up the remaining three other titles in the event's history.
On the women's side, it could be a three-way competition with the U.S., Australia and Canada vying for medals. As with the men, the U.S. has historically dominated the global competitions, winning eight times. Australia won the event's two other titles, but Canada is currently ranked second in the world setting up a potential showdown at the World Games.
Lacrosse at World Games 2022: Schedule
The men's tournament begins on July 8 with three days of pool play.
Both semifinal match-ups will be decided on 11 July.
The gold and bronze medal games are set for 12 July.
Women's competition will kick off on 12 July and mirror's the men's schedule, with pool play set for 12-14 July, followed by semifinal action on 15 July and medals awards on 16 July.
The complete lacrosse schedule is available here.
Lacrosse at the World Games 2022: How to watch
The Olympic Channel will provide full coverage of the event on Olympics.com, including a 24/7 stream and individual sport feeds.
Olympics.com will also have feature interviews and news articles, and on the @Olympics social media channels.
In addition, fans in the United States have several viewing options including one-hour highlight shows each day on CBS Sports Network and streaming coverage through Paramount+.
German TV channel Sport1 will also be broadcasting more than 100 hours of action to viewers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.