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{{Nota disambigua|altre voci che possono riferirsi alla stessa combinazione di 3 caratteri|[[NLL (disambigua)]]}}
[[Immagine:Box_Lacrosse.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Una partita di lega professionale NLL tra [[Philadelphia Wings]] e [[Minnesota Swarm]]]]
La '''National Lacrosse League''', abbreviata in '''NLL''', è la lega professionale [[nordamerica]]na di [[lacrosse]] praticato in stadi al coperto su superfici di materiale sintetico o gommato: questo tipo di lacrosse è definito ''indoor lacrosse'' o ''box lacrosse''.
 
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Fanno attualmente parte della lega anche i [[Boston Blazers]] ([[Boston (Massachusetts)|Boston]]) e gli [[Arizona Sting]] ([[Glendale (Arizona)|Glendale]]), ma per motivi interni hanno preferito non prendere parte alla stagione 2008; torneranno a giocare in quella successiva.
 
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==Storia==
 
The rebirth of major professional box lacrosse in the United States came on March 13, 1986, with the formation of the '''Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League''' (EPBLL), which was incorporated by [[Russ Cline]] and [[Chris Fritz]].<ref name="hist">{{cite web|url=http://nll.com/laxhistory.php|title=Lax 101: League History|work=NLL.com|accessdate=2007-03-27}}</ref> The league began play for the [[1987 Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League season|1987 season]], opening with two games on [[January 10]], [[1987]]: the [[Philadelphia Wings]] at the [[New Jersey Saints]] and the [[Washington Wave]] hosting the [[Baltimore Thunder]]. Those four teams contested a six-game regular season before a postseason which saw all four teams qualify for a single knockout tournament, which ended with the Baltimore Thunder crowned the EPBLL's first champion.<ref name="hist" />
 
Those same four teams played in the [[1988 Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League season|second season]] of the EPBLL.<ref name="hist" /> The teams expanded to an eight-game schedule, and set up a three-team playoff with the regular season winner claiming a bye to the title game. The league rebranded itself as the '''Major Indoor Lacrosse League''' (MILL) immediately after the season, and announced that the [[Detroit Turbos]] and [[New England Blazers]] (based in [[Worcester, Massachusetts]]) would begin play for the [[1989 MILL season|1989 season]].<ref name="hist" /> Meanwhile, the New Jersey Saints moved to [[Long Island, New York|Long Island]] and were renamed the [[New York Saints]].<ref name="hist" />
 
{| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable" style="margin: 0 1em 1em 1em; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|-
!colspan="2"|Progression of number of regular season games
|-
|1987
|6 games
|-
|1988-1990
|8 games
|-
|1991
|10 games
|-
|1992-1995
|8 games
|-
|1996-1997
|10 games
|-
|1998-2000
|12 games
|-
|2001
|14 games
|-
|2002-present
|16 games
|}
 
Like many young professional leagues, the MILL had its share of franchise instability. After the 1989 season, the Washington Wave folded and the MILL granted the expansion [[Pittsburgh Bulls]] a franchise to remain at 6 teams for the [[1990 MILL season|1990 season]]. [[1991 MILL season|1991]] saw no franchise changes, but the league expanded the schedule again to 10 games, and introduced two divisions.<ref name="hist" /> The American Division consisted of the Baltimore Thunder, Philadelphia Wings, and New York Saints, while the National Division was to be contested between the Detroit Turbos, Pittsburgh Bulls, and New England Blazers. The 1991 postseason consisted solely of a championship game, between the winners of the two divisions.<ref name="hist" />
 
[[1992 MILL season|1992]] brought another franchise move, as New England relocated to [[Boston]] and became the [[Boston Blazers]]. In what would ultimately prove to be the first of the successful expansions, the [[Buffalo Bandits]] joined the American division.<ref name="hist" /> The Bandits dropped their first three games of the season, but then went on a record 22 game winning streak to claim both the 1992 and [[1993 MILL season|1993]] titles. The 1992 and 1993 seasons ended the 10 game schedule, shrinking it back to 8 games, while expanding the playoffs so that 6 of the 7 teams would qualify.<ref name="hist" />
 
[[1994 MILL season|1994]] would mark the first time the league would contract, as the Pittsburgh Bulls folded while no new teams were added. The league remained with the 2 division format with just 6 teams, but would abandon that for a single division in [[1995 MILL season|1995]], which also saw the folding of the Detroit Turbos and the introduction of the [[Rochester Knighthawks]].<ref name="hist" /> The Knighthawks had immediate success as an expansion team, going all the way to the championship game before falling to the Philadelphia Wings in overtime. 1996 brought the ill-fated [[Charlotte Cobras ]] to the league to expand back to seven. The team from [[North Carolina]] went 0-10, and quickly folded camp after the season. At the same time, the league went back to a 10 game season.<ref name="hist" />
 
The [[1997 MILL season|1997 season]] went back to the same 6 franchises as the 1995 season had seen, but any sort of stability was only an illusion. After the 1997 season, a rival league named the '''National Lacrosse League''' was formed, which was to be based on the franchise model traditional in major American sports leagues, instead of the MILL "single entity ownership" model.<ref name="hist" /> After a short battle between the two competitors, the two leagues merged and the 6 MILL franchises joined two NLL franchises, the [[Syracuse Smash]] and the [[Ontario Raiders]] (based in [[Hamilton, Ontario]]), under the NLL umbrella and league structure. The league suffered a setback quickly, as the Boston Blazers suspended operations for one year for the [[1998 NLL season|1998 season]], but never returned to play. The NLL went to a round robin schedule for the 1998 season, so the 7 teams played a 12 game season.<ref name="hist" />
 
The franchise turmoil didn't change with the new league structure, as the Ontario Raiders packed up and moved to [[Toronto, Ontario|Toronto]] after one season, becoming the [[Toronto Rock]]. <ref name="hist" /> The Rock quickly became a major success both on the field and in the box office, selling out [[Maple Leaf Gardens]] and claiming the [[1999 NLL season|1999]] and [[2000 NLL season|2000]] NLL titles. 2000 saw one of the original four teams move, as the Baltimore Thunder went to Pittsburgh to become the [[Pittsburgh CrosseFire]]. The NLL also expanded to 8 teams, introducing the [[Albany Attack]] to play in New York's capital.<ref name="hist" />
 
In [[2001 NLL season|2001]], the league continued to grow to 14 games and introduced its 9th team, the [[Columbus Landsharks]]. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Crossefire continued to search for a place to call home, as they moved to the US capital to become the [[Washington Power]]. The Syracuse Smash became the second team to play north of the border, as they moved to become the [[Ottawa Rebel]].<ref name="hist" />
 
Despite all the turmoil, the league continued to expand to new markets, and [[2002 NLL season|2002]] was a major part of their nationwide expansion aspirations. For the first time, the league moved out of the Eastern time zone, adding the [[Vancouver Ravens]] and [[Calgary Roughnecks]], as well as adding the [[Montreal Express]] and [[New Jersey Storm]].<ref name="hist" /> The expansion to 13 teams necessitated dividing the league up into divisions for the first time since 1994, as the Central, Eastern, and Northern Divisions were born. The league also expanded the schedule to 16 games, where it still stands today. While the 2002 expansion ultimately proved unsuccessful (3 of the 4 teams have since folded), it did set the stage for the league to grow to a national scope. It also marked the only time the higher seeded team did not host a NLL playoff game, as the Washington Power surrendered the quarterfinal game against Philadelphia to the Wings for financial reasons. <ref name="hist" />
 
[[2003 NLL season|2003]] saw the Montreal franchise suspend operations, becoming the second team in league history to be in existence for only one season.<ref name="hist" /> The Power, who had struggled to draw fans in Washington, made their 3rd move in 4 season to [[Denver, Colorado|Denver]] to become the [[Colorado Mammoth]].<ref name="hist" /> This move was finally successful, as the Mammoth have become one of the flagship franchises in the league.
 
In [[2004 NLL season|2004]], for the first time since 1990, the league lost one of the original franchises as the New York Saints went dark. Contraction from the 2002 high of 13 teams continued, as the Storm moved across the country to [[Anaheim, California]], becoming the [[Anaheim Storm]], while the Ottawa Rebel folded. The Albany Attack and Columbus Landsharks followed the Storm westward, settling in as the [[San Jose Stealth]] and [[Arizona Sting]] respectively. <ref name="hist" /> The league consolidated into a 4 team Eastern Division (Philadelphia, Buffalo, Rochester, and Toronto) and a 6 team Western Division (Colorado, Arizona, San Jose, Vancouver, Calgary, and Anaheim). [[2005 NLL season|2005]] then saw the Ravens folded due to lease and ownership issues, while the Montreal franchise rights were bought by the [[NHL]]'s [[Minnesota Wild]] to create the [[Minnesota Swarm]] in the Eastern Division. This type of transaction, where an expansion franchise is formed using the rights of a team that had suspended operations, would be used again in the NLL for the next few years, as a glut of teams that were suspended would make those franchise rights more affordable than the league expansion fee of several million dollars.<ref name="hist" />
 
[[2006 NLL season|2006]] saw the Anaheim storm suspend operations, while an ownership group led by [[Angela Batinovich]] bought an expansion franchise called the [[Portland LumberJax]], and Bruce Urban bought the rights to the suspended Ottawa franchise to form a team in [[Edmonton, Alberta|Edmonton]] named the [[Edmonton Rush|Rush]].<ref name="hist" /> [[2007 NLL season|2007]] saw the league finally get back to its 2002 size of thirteen teams, with the addition of the [[New York Titans (lacrosse)|New York Titans]] and the [[Chicago Shamrox]], while all of the 11 teams from 2006 stayed in place, a first since the 2002 expansion.<ref name="hist" /> The [[2008 NLL season|2008 season]] will see yet another expansion team, as the NLL returns to [[Boston]].<ref name="Boston">{{cite web | title = Expansion team awarded to Boston for 2008| work=NLL.com | date = [[May 9]], [[2007]] | url = http://www.nll.com/article.php?id=2944| accessdate = 2007-05-09 }}</ref>
 
 
==Season and playoffs==
Each team in the NLL plays sixteen games during the regular season, eight at home and eight away.<ref name="lax101">{{cite web|url=http://nll.com/laxoverview.php|title=Lax 101: Overview|work=NLL.com|accessdate=2007-03-03}}</ref> The teams are divided into two divisions, the Eastern division and the Western division. Each team plays at least twelve of its sixteen regular season games against division opponents.
 
The regular season begins in late December and ends in April. At the end the regular season, the top four teams in each division make the [[playoff]]s, which consist of three single-game elimination rounds. In the first round (the ''Division Semi-finals''), each division winner hosts the fourth-place team in its division, and the second-place team hosts the third-place team. In the second round (the ''Division Finals''), the two remaining teams in each division play; the higher-seeded team hosts the game. Two weeks after the Division Finals, the division winners face off for the [[Champion's Cup]].
 
All NLL games are played on weekends, save for the occasional Thursday night game.<ref>During the [[2007 NLL season|2007 season]], three games were held on Thursday nights, the most since the [[2003 NLL season|2003 season]].</ref> Most NLL players have full-time jobs off the floor; notable examples include Toronto's [[Dan Ladouceur]], a [[Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario|Durham Region]] [[police officer]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_04.28.05/city/lacrosse.php|title=And yet, what is this quintessence of nets?|work=[[Eye Weekly]]|date=[[April 28]], [[2005]]|accessdate=2007-03-03}}</ref> and Buffalo's [[John Tavares (lacrosse)|John Tavares]], a high school [[teacher]] in [[Toronto]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tsn.ca/tsn_talent/columnists/bob_mckenzie/?ID=106431|title=Tavares may have to share his handle|work=[[The Sports Network|TSN]].ca|author=[[Bob McKenzie (broadcaster)|McKenzie, Bob]]|date=[[November 30]], [[2004]]|accessdate=2007-03-03}}</ref>
 
 
===Commissioners===
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5"
| Darrel Russell
| align="center" | 1987–1997
|-
| John Livsey Jr
| align="center" | 1997–2000
|-
| Jim Jennings
| align="center" | 2000–
|-
|}
 
== Current League Structure ==
 
The National Lacrosse League currently plays a 16 game regular season, with 4 teams from each division qualifying for postseason play. The 1st and 4th seed in each division meet in a divisional semifinal game, while the 2nd and 3rd seeds meet in the other. The next round are the Eastern Division and Western Division champions. The divisional champions then meet in the Champions Cup final for the league title.
 
Each year, the league holds a mid-season [[National Lacrosse League All-Star Game|All Star Game]] between two teams representing the Eastern and Western divisions.
 
==Expansion==
 
NLL commissioner Jim Jennings' ambitious plan for expansion includes 24 teams and possibly a 20-game schedule within 5 years. He says that [[Montreal]], [[Vancouver]], and [[Winnipeg]] "are the front-runners for expansion in Canada."<ref>{{cite news | last = Stevens| first = Neil| title = NLL boss eyes more expansion| publisher = [[Victoria Times-Colonist]]| date = [[October 4]], [[2006]]| url = http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/sports/story.html?id=c888db1c-7ed6-45fb-87f3-6bba7d6e3e60&k=83427| accessdate = 2006-10-30 }}</ref> A group of investors put down a deposit with the NLL in [[June 2006]] for a franchise to play in [[Seattle, Washington]] in [[2008 NLL season|2008]]. The proposed arena for this possible team is [[KeyArena]], which is the current home of the [[Seattle SuperSonics]] of the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]].<ref>{{cite news |last = Andriesen| first = David| title = Pro lacrosse on the horizon?| publisher = [[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]| date = [[November 8]], [[2006]]| url = http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/othersports/291498_lacrosse08.html| accessdate = 2006-11-08 }}</ref> Ownership groups from [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]], [[Cleveland, Ohio|Cleveland]], [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]] and [[Florida]] have also expressed interest in an expansion team.<ref>{{cite news | author = Inside Lacrosse Staff| title = NLL to announce expansion plans Friday| publisher = [http://insidelacrosse.com Inside Lacrosse]| date = [[June 22]], [[2006]]| url = http://insidelacrosse.com/page.cfm?pagerid=2&news=fdetail&storyid=130810| accessdate = 2006-11-10 }}</ref> The league has also considered possibly expanding into [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma|Oklahoma City]]'s [[Ford Center]] in [[2008]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsok.com/article/3032594|date=[[March 28]], [[2007]]|accessdate=2007-03-28|title=Lacrosse Pro-League looks at Oklahoma City|work=NewsOk.com|author=Staff, Daily Oklahoman}}</ref> as well as [[Salt Lake City, Utah|Salt Lake City]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://laxmagazine.cstv.com/sports/s-inter/content/122806aaa.html|date=[[December 28]], [[2006]]|accessdate=2006-12-30|title=Jennings Talks Expansion, Outdoor League|work=Lacrosse Magazine|author=Coyne, Zac}}</ref>.
 
==Media==
 
In [[May 2001]], ''[[Blast Lacrosse]]'', a video game based on the NLL, was released. It was the first lacrosse video game ever and included all nine teams of their [[2000 NLL season|14th season]], including mascots.
 
On [[February 15]], [[2005]], the NLL announced that [[Activision]] would produce a new video game. The game will probably be released for the 2007 season.<ref>{{cite web| title = Activision Value to create NLL video game| work= NLL.com| date = [[February 15]], [[2005]]| url = http://nll.com/article.php?id=1097| accessdate = 2006-11-27 }}</ref>
 
In [[2007]], the NLL will have a regularly scheduled "Game of the Week" on [[Versus (TV channel)|Versus]], the network formerly known as OLN and home of the [[NHL]], [[Tour De France]], and [[Professional Bull Riders, Inc.|PBR]]. Previously, the NLL has had its All-Star Games and Championship games on National TV, with [[NBC]] in 2005 and [[ESPN2]] in 2006. In the early [[2000s]], [[CNN Sports Illustrated]] aired NLL games regularly.
 
Also in [[2007]], the NLL signed an agreement with [[Sirius Satellite Radio]], who has been named "Official Satellite Radio Partner". The pact includes a "Game of the Week" as well as weekly highlight show.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nll.com/article.php?id=2709|title=NLL & Sirius Sign Broadcasting Agreement|work=NLL.com|date=[[February 1]], [[2007]]|accessdate=2007-02-28}}</ref>
 
==Player origin==
Although 10 of the league's 13 teams are American, about 73% of the players are [[Canada|Canadian]]. The rest are either [[United States|American]] or [[Iroquois]], with one [[Australia]]n.
 
The makeup of the 13 teams is:<ref>[http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/teamstats.html?leagueid=230&seasonid=1322 NLL Team Rosters] on [http://www.pointstreak.com/ Pointstreak.com], as of [[March 25]], [[2007]]</ref>
 
*214 (73.3%) Canadian
*65 (22.3%) American
*12 (4.1%) Iroquois
*1 (0.3%) Australian
 
==Awards==
*[[National Lacrosse League Weekly Awards]]
*[[National Lacrosse League Monthly Awards]]
*[[National Lacrosse League MVP Award|MVP Award]]
*[[National Lacrosse League Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year Award]]
*[[Les Bartley Award]] (coach of the year)
*[[National Lacrosse League GM of the Year Award|GM of the Year Award]]
*[[National Lacrosse League Executive of the Year Award|Executive of the Year Award]]
*[[National Lacrosse League Defensive Player of the Year Award|Defensive Player of the Year Award]]
*[[National Lacrosse League Transition Player of the Year Award|Transition Player of the Year Award]]
*[[National Lacrosse League Goaltender of the Year Award|Goaltender of the Year Award]]
*[[National Lacrosse League Sportsmanship Award|Sportsmanship Award]]
*[[Tom Borrelli Award]] (writer of the year)
 
==References==
{{reflist}}
 
==See also==
*[[Lacrosse]]
*[[Box lacrosse]]
*[[List of NLL seasons]]
*[[National Lacrosse League All-Star Game]]
*[[National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame]]
*[[Major League Lacrosse]] - the men's [[Lacrosse#Field lacrosse|field lacrosse]] league of the [[United States]]
*[[List of sports attendance figures]]
*[[List of professional lacrosse players]]
*[[List of family relations in the National Lacrosse League]]
 
==External links==
*[http://www.nll.com/ League's Website]
*[http://www.lacrosse-network.com/outsidersguide/index.htm Outsider's Guide to the National Lacrosse League]
 
===Team links===
* [http://www.arizonasting.com/ Arizona Sting]
* [http://www.bostonindoorlacrosse.com/ Boston]
* [http://www.bandits.com/ Buffalo Bandits]
* [http://www.calgaryroughnecks.com/ Calgary Roughnecks]
* [http://www.chicagoshamrox.com/ Chicago Shamrox]
* [http://www.coloradomammoth.com/ Colorado Mammoth]
* [http://www.edmontonrush.com/ Edmonton Rush]
* [http://www.mnswarm.com/ Minnesota Swarm]
* [http://www.nytitanslacrosse.com/ New York Titans]
* [http://www.wingslax.com/ Philadelphia Wings]
* [http://www.portlandjax.com/ Portland LumberJax]
* [http://www.knighthawks.net/ Rochester Knighthawks]
* [http://www.sjstealth.com/ San Jose Stealth]
* [http://www.torontorock.com/ Toronto Rock]
 
{{NLL seasons}}
{{NLL}}
{{NLL Arenas}}
{{Professional Lacrosse}}
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[[Categoria:Leghe sportive professionistiche americane]]
 
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