PLL will try the no-fans approach
League plans a two-week quarantined tournament
In an interview with the Baltimore Sun Media Group last month, Paul Rabil said organizers of the Premier Lacrosse League had formulated three options for how to approach the 2020 season.
Rabil said the top options included a late start with a full slate of games as originally scheduled or a delayed start with a compressed season. If the coronavirus environment did not allow for fans, the co-founder of the PLL said a “more innovative and creative” scenario would be considered.
After careful consideration, Rabil and the rest of the PLL executive committee have chosen Door No. 3.
On Wednesday, the PLL announced it will conduct a quarantined tournament without fans from July 25 through Aug. 9. Throughout the tournament, the PLL will implement regular coronavirus preventative measures and restrict all travel in and out of the selected location.
Titled the “PLL Championship Series Powered by Ticketmaster,” the tournament will feature one week of roundrobin group play with all seven teams playing four games via random draw. Teams will be ranked based on win-loss record and goal differential for a singleelimination playoff the second week.
NBC will broadcast all 20 games live across its various platforms. All seven PLL teams will play a minimum of five games and a maximum of seven. The top seed for the playoffs will receive a bye into the semifinals.
“The Premier Lacrosse League is excited to be a leader in the return of pro sports this July,” Rabil said in a statement. “Although we’ve pivoted our originally scheduled season to a fully quarantined, fan-less model, our PLL Championship Series will bring sports fans an innovative and thrilling experience that only the best players in the
world can provide. It’s taken a village of top-notch executives to develop, and this is a testament to the forward-thinking prowess that the PLL has become renowned for.”
During the April interview with Baltimore Sun Media Group, Rabil said the health and safety of players, coaches, support personnel and fans would be “at the forefront of any decision we make.”
To that end, the PLL formed a medical committee headed by league doctor Catherine Logan and including infectious disease experts that was tasked with outlining procedures aimed at ensuring safety.
During an appearance on The Today Show on Wednesday, Rabil said the committee is still formulating a thorough plan for the two-week tournament. It will include some level of self-quarantining for a period before and after the event along with testing and on-site quarantining for the duration of play.
Rabil said there will be three phases of testing and no tests will be taken out of the hands of the general public. It is estimated about 300 people — players, coaches, officials, trainers and other support personnel — will be on site.
PLL management has not settled on a venue for the championship tournament, though Chief Operating Officer Andrew Sinnenberg told Inside Lacrosse that IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and the Lawrenceville School in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, are among the locations being considered.
PLL players were informed of the championship tournament format Tuesday night through a virtual meeting on the Zoom platform. Tim Troutner Jr., an Annapolis native who was starting goalie for Redwoods, is excited about the plan.
“I didn’t think there was going to be any sort of season, so this is awesome news to hear. I’m super excited to get out there and play,” said Troutner, who was named PLL Rookie of the Year after stopping 116 shots and posting a .571 save percentage.
Troutner feels comfortable with the safety protocol outlined by PLL executives and is not concerned about catching the coronavirus during the two-week tournament.
“We were told the medical team will be doing everything possible to make sure everyone involved stays healthy throughout,” he said.
Troutner is an assistant with the boys’ lacrosse program at Westlake High in Austin, Texas, and is also an instructor with the PLL Academy. Westlake, whose head coach is Anne Arundel County native Zach Burke, had its season canceled. All PLL Academy clinics scheduled for this summer have also been canceled.
“Fortunately, I’m available to play in the entire tournament,” said Troutner, while acknowledging some players with full-time jobs may have work conflicts.
“I’ve talked to some of the guys on my team and some have said it’s definitely going to be tough to ask the boss for two weeks off. It might be a challenge for some guys to participate,” he said. “On the positive side, it would open opportunities for other players. It’s the next-man-up mentality.”
Troutner has been taking shots from Westlake High players along with roommate and former High Point University teammate Keegan O’Connor (Boys’ Latin) to keep his goalkeeping skills sharp.
The St. Mary’s High graduate believes it will be incumbent upon every PLL player to get themselves into playing shape conditioning-wise.
“It’s going to be a lot of lacrosse over the span of three weeks. I think a huge factor is going to be rehabbing and recovering after practices and workouts,” he said.
The Premier Lacrosse League’s second season was originally scheduled to begin the weekend of May 29-30 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
However, PLL announced the season would be postponed indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic.