The Sixes format is still in it’s infancy, but at British Lacrosse we live and breathe Sixes.
Why?
Apart from being a fast, athletic and exciting format of lacrosse, our teams will be competing for medals this summer at The World Games. This will be the debut for Sixes at a global multi-sport event.
Fresh off the back of their Sixes victory at the Eurolax Sixes Cup in Portugal last month we caught up with a few of our players to find out more about Sixes.
What is the biggest difference between Sixes and 10s?
Iona Dryden: I’d say the biggest difference is the speed of the game. If you thought 10s was fast… Sixes is rapid.
Resh Panesar: The biggest difference is the need to be able to do everything. In 10s, you have specialist defensive players, face-offs, wings etc. In Sixes, every player must be able to do all of that and at speed.
Alex Russell: There is much less time to think, you must make decisions on the fly. Sixes is also less physical than 10s with the loss of long-sticks. The “equal force rule” is just one of the rules that tilts the game in favour of the attacking team.
Hannah Grant: That’s funny. I was going to say Sixes is more physical!
no specialists
rapid
What skills are most transferable?
think fast
handling
Chloe Chan: All of them. From knowledge of the game to stick skills, I think they’re all relevant.
Alex: Handling has always been important in 10s and its arguably more vital in Sixes . High lacrosse IQ is extremely transferable due to the time pressure you’re under, and making the right decision quickly is key.
Iona: With 6s being even faster, the ability to think fast and scan the field for the second/third play leads to rapid ball movement and fast break goals. It’s definitely taught me that 30 seconds is actually plenty of time to get creative and work for the best goal lay-up if the fast break isn’t the option.
What are you having to learn new?
Hal Dwobeng: Definitely what tactics we want to implement as a team. Every session we spend is about learning methods of play we can implement in the new format. At the end of the day there’s no lacrosse person on the planet that is experienced with this format so learning and adapting is key to our success.
Resh: I have learnt to play the game faster, make decisions quicker and to move on from mistakes better. There is no time to dwell on a missed shot or ground ball in Sixes.
Hannah: As well as the different on-field rules the Sixes format is also tactically a very different game. We are learning how to best utilise the 30 second possession to our advantage in attack and how to minimise our opponent’s possession through our defensive plays.
Alex: I have played midfield growing up then got moved into attack for senior lacrosse and back to offensive midfield for my NCAA career. As you can see defence wasn’t high in my skill set! So, learning defensive footwork and positioning are the areas where I need the most work.
What advice would you have for young athletes wanting to try Sixes?
Hal: Definitely play it. It’s so exciting for both player and fan, and really brings in so many skill elements that can be transfers to other formats of the game.
Chloe: Put yourself out there and learn all aspects of the game. It’s a fantastic opportunity to enhance your own skills and further develop new ones.
Alex: Firstly, do it. it is a whole lot of fun! To be good at it, I would tell them to continue to work on their handling get it as sharp as possible. Together with getting into great shape so they are able to keep up with the fast-paced nature of the game and not be fatigued into making bad decisions.
Iona: Say YES to every opportunity you get to play, whether that be Sixes or 10s.
Resh: I would encourage them to play Sixes as they get more touches of the ball than in regular 10s. My top tips: Be to be a team player, take pride in the little things of the game – ground balls, defensive stops and clearing the ball, and above all have fun!
Want to read more about Sixes?
Click here to read about what GB & England player Torz Anderson had to say about Sixes, in her guest blog post for England Lacrosse: Will the future of our sport destroy or develop its heritage and heartland?
