The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) is a newly founded professional lacrosse league. Paul Rabil, one of the greatest players in NCAA lacrosse history, announced in September 2018 that he was founding a new professional lacrosse league in the United States and Canada. Opposed to the current professional lacrosse league, Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the PLL will become the future of professional lacrosse.
Paul Rabil was a midfielder at Johns Hopkins lacrosse, the winningest program in Division I college lacrosse history, from 2005 to 2008. He won two national championships and was a 3-time first team all American. Paul Rabil is known as one of the best scorers in college lacrosse and in professional lacrosse through the MLL and world championship play. Paul was a 3 time offensive player of the year in the MLL and a two time MLL MVP. He played his first 7 years in the MLL for the Boston Cannons, then his last 3 for the Long Island Lizards. Paul won the world championship for team USA in 2010, and was the championship MVP.
Rabil has become a large critic of the way the MLL is run. Many of the best players in college lacrosse history have opted out of playing professional lacrosse in the MLL. MLL players are not paid a sufficient salary, and often have to have a second job. Players may love the game, but have a hard time playing in a league where they can not even afford to fly to next week’s game. Aside from the pay, players believe that the MLL changed too many rules from college lacrosse. The MLL has a two-point rule, like the NBA where a shot from yards out counts as 2 points. This rule is new to players, even after years of playing in different leagues.
As two many players decide not to play professionally in the MLL, professional lacrosse is not quite the level of play that it should be. Because of this, Paul Rabil has decided to found this new league. As the founder of the league, Rabil has decided that players should receive $25,000 starting salary, health benefits, and equity in the league. The costs of playing will be covered by the league’s management. These costs include travel, equipment, jerseys, hotels and other costs associated with playing in the league. The league play will go from June 1st to the end of September. This will allow for players to play in the indoor professional lacrosse league, the National Lacrosse League (NLL).
The PLL will have 14 weeks of play this year. There will be 6 non-affiliated teams. This means that the teams will not yet represent a city, but will in the following few years. The PLL has signed a contract with NBC Sports to televise their games over summer 2019. A televised game schedule will allow for more recognition publicly, which was another major downfall of the MLL. It was announced this week that June 1st and 2nd will feature the first games played in Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA. The rest of the game schedule and city selection will take place in the following few months.
With major investors, a televised game schedule, and a solid group of players earning a steady salary and benefits, the PLL is looking to be strong in its inaugural season. More information on the league will be released as we get closer to the season. It is very exciting for a new professional sports league to be introduced, and for now we will have to wait and see for more details.