A season can falter for a number of reasons: not enough sticks to go around, no field to book, not enough participants, no coaches volunteered. These are the barriers that keep new lacrosse programs from getting off the ground, and exactly what Flex6 Lacrosse® was built to remove.

Flex6 is a fast-paced, non-contact version of the game, played under an official set of USA Lacrosse guidelines. It's built for communities that want to offer accessible lacrosse — schools, parks and rec departments, clubs, and PE classrooms — to people of any age and any skill level, in a format flexible enough to fit the space, the roster, and the coaching they actually have.

Flex6's guidelines are standardized for safety. Almost everything else about how it's played is built to flex to what a program has on hand. 

What’s really required is a small group of players, a stick, the right ball, and roughly a quarter of a regulation field. Every player is a field player. There is no goalie, no faceoff, and no draw. After a goal, the defending team simply pulls the ball from the goal and restarts play.

• Get the Official Flex6 Rules and Guidelines

Flex6 doesn't replace traditional lacrosse played under USA Lacrosse Youth Rules, NFHS rules, or NCAA rules, and it isn't meant to. It’s built on USA Lacrosse's Athlete Development Model, the framework that shapes competition and instruction around the athlete. Flex6 puts three of the Model's principles directly into practice: small-sided games that maximize every player's touches, an inclusive format that welcomes any age or ability, and competition rules that scale to the athletes on the field rather than a rulebook built for elite play. 

• Explore the Athlete Development Model

It works especially well for:

• Schools bringing lacrosse into PE class or an after-school program
• Parks and rec departments or clubs starting a program from scratch, with no
  existing lacrosse infrastructure
• Community programs that want a fun, inclusive option before committing to full-
  contact, full-gear play
• Any age or skill level: Flex6 works as well for a first-time 8-year-old as it does for a
  rec league of adults

USA Lacrosse recommends at least one responsible adult present during Flex6 play to help
keep it safe — ideally a coach member of USA Lacrosse.

• Bring Flex6 to Your PE Class

Goochland, Virginia

When Goochland County, Virginia lost its youth lacrosse program mid-season, Matthew Dalon didn't have a roster, a coach, or a plan — he had a stick bag and a park. He founded the Goochland Lacrosse Club, secured a USA Lacrosse First Stick Program grant, and built the whole thing around Flex6.

"Without the Flex6 program, I know we wouldn't have had enough kids that would have had the full gear to make teams and to play around us, so the program would have died. Flex6 really eliminated the barriers to entry, because all you need is a stick
to play. It's a great low-cost entry into the sport." — Matthew Dalon, founder, Goochland Lacrosse Club

Fifty kids from kindergarten through eighth grade showed up. Some threw dodgeball-style Gator balls before they ever picked up a stick. All of them, Dalon said, answered the same question the same way at the end of every practice: did you have fun? Yes.

• Read the full story

Casper, Wyoming

Two thousand miles away, the Boys & Girls Club of Central Wyoming used the same format to introduce lacrosse to a community where hunting, fishing and skiing dominate the outdoor calendar. With sticks and equipment from USA Lacrosse, a two-day Flex6 clinic and tournament drew more than 200 youth participants.

"Casper is ready for lacrosse. There's a tremendous amount of resources in the community dedicated to kids' health that will assist with funding new programs." — Lyn Porterfield, USA Lacrosse Regional Director, Pacific Region

"We believe in building resilient futures, and the clinic and games were designed to empower young people with the tools to strengthen both body and mind." — Ashley Bright, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming

Here's where to start if you are interested in learning more:

Launching a Flex6 Program? 

Contact your Reginal Manager to get hands-on help launching Flex6 in your community and a complimentary copy of the official guidelines.

Not yet a member? 

Program Membership gives you the tools to register, insure and run it.

Interested in adding it to your school’s PE curriculum?

See if your school qualifies for a PE grant.