Introducing the new Olympic sports for Los Angeles 2028
With the IOC |A|
approving six additional sports |B|
to appear at the |C|
Los Angeles 2028 Olympic |D|
Games – Baseball, Cricket, |E|
Flag Football, Lacrosse, Squash, |F|
Softball – heres what |G|
you can expect from |H|
each sport. |J|Lacrosse
Team |K| / Individual: Team Sport
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Aim of the |M| Game: Score more goals |O| than the opposition
|P| dir="ltr">Olympic Format: Six-a-side Sixes
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Match Length: 32 |R| minutes (four eight-minute quarters)
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World Ranking (AUS): |U| Women 3rd & Men |V| 6th
Lacrosse is a |Y| contact team sport, where |Z| each team can have |A| six or 10 athletes |B| a side depending on |C| the format. Players try |D| to sling a rubber |E| ball into the opposition |F| goal using one stick |G| each with a net |H| on its end. Nets |J| are used to carry, |K| pass, catch and shoot |L| - with only goalkeepers |M| allowed to touch the |O| ball with their hands.
|P| dir="ltr">The sport has been |Q| played in Australia since |R| the 19th century. At |S| the 2023 World Lacrosse |U| Mens Championship event in |V| San Diego, USA, Australia |Y| was one of 30 |Z| teams from around the |A| world to compete. The |B| Aussies, ranked no.4 entering |C| the event, played the |D| Haudenosaunee just fell short |E| of a bronze medal |F| in losing 11-6.
The |G| format being included in |H| the 2028 Olympics is |J| the six-a-side or sixes |K| version, which is played |L| on a 70m x |M| 36m pitch featuring goals |O| 10m in from the |P| end boundary lines.
Teams |Q| are made up of |R| one goalkeeper and five |S| outfield players on the |U| pitch at any one |V| time. Six substitutes are |Y| available on the bench |Z| for teams to use |A| during the four eight-minute |B| quarters.
The 30-second shot |C| clock is unique to |D| Lacrosse sixes, making it |E| a faster paced version |F| than the 10-a-side game.
|G| dir="ltr">After 32 minutes of |H| gameplay (about an hour |J| in real time) the |K| team with the most |L| goals wins. Ties are |M| settled by playing four-minute |O| sudden death overtime periods |P| until a goal is |Q| scored.
Foul play can |R| be penalised by sending |S| a player to the |U| penalty box for 30 |V| seconds (minor infringement) or |Y| 60 seconds (major infringement).
|Z| dir="ltr">Olympic History
Lacrosse is |A| not new to the |B| Olympic Games. It was |C| staged at the 1904 |D| and 1908 Olympics (pictured |E| below).
Absent for some |F| time until it became |G| a demonstration sport for |H| the Amsterdam 1928, Los |J| Angeles 1932 and London |K| 1948 Games - now |L| Lacrosse is embarking on |M| a return to the |O| Olympic Games thats been |P| 80 years in the |Q| making.
Only three nations |R| have competed in Lacrosse |S| at the Olympic level |U| - Canada, Great Britain |V| and the United States |Y| - with Canada the |Z| only nation to secure |A| the gold medals in |B| 1904 and 1908 (medals |C| are not tallied for |D| demonstration sport events).
Cricket
|E| dir="ltr">Fast Facts
Team |F| / Individual: Team Sport
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Aim of the |H| Game: Score more runs |J| than the opposition
|K| dir="ltr">Olympic Format: Twenty20
|L| dir="ltr">Match Length: 20 overs |M| each side
World |O| Ranking (AUS): Women 1st |P| & Men 5th
Twenty20 |Q| cricket is on for |R| the LA 2028 Olympics. |S| It follows the return |U| cricket made to the |V| Commonwealth Games at Birmingham |Y| 2022, where a womens |Z| Twenty20 competition was held. |A| Australia won the inaugural |B| gold medal, defeating India |C| in the final by |D| seven runs.
Prior to |E| 2022, a mens 50-over |F| cricket tournament was played |G| at the Kuala Lumpur |H| 1998 Commonwealth Games where |J| South Africa won the |K| gold and Australia got |L| silver.
Australia currently has |M| the highest ranked T20I |O| womens side in the |P| world, while the mens |Q| team is the fifth |R| best T20I nation.
Olympic |S| History
Test cricket was |U| played between Great Britain |V| and France at the |Y| Paris 1900 Olympic Games, |Z| but it was not |A| a first class match. |B| Cricket will make its |C| first class debut at |D| Los Angeles 2028.
Flag |E| Football
Fast Facts
|F| dir="ltr">Team / Individual: Team |G| Sport
Aim of |H| the Game: Score more |J| points than the opposition
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Olympic Format: Five-a-side
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Match Length: 40 |M| minutes (two 20 minute |O| halves)
World Ranking |P| (AUS): Unknown
Sharing many |Q| similarities with American football, |R| the aim of Flag |S| Football is to move |U| the ball into the |V| oppositions endzone to score |Y| points. It is however |Z| a non-contact sport, with |A| tackles replaced by removing |B| one of three flags |C| that are attached to |D| a fabric belt on |E| each players waist.
There |F| are five players on |G| each team on the |H| field from the 12-person |J| squads. Players often specialise |K| in either offence or |L| defence.
A Flag Football |M| field is 70 x |O| 30 yards (64m x |P| 27.4m) with 10 yards |Q| (9.1m) allotted to each |R| of the two endzones. |S| Each match consists of |U| two 20-minute halves and |V| if the scores are |Y| tied after 40 minutes, |Z| sudden-death overtime is played |A| until points are scored.
|B| dir="ltr">Next week Australian Flag |C| Football history will be |D| made, when Australia competes |E| in an international event |F| for the first time. |G| An Australian mens team |H| and womens team have |J| been entered in the |K| Intercontinental Cups in Malaysia |L| next week.
Flag Football |M| started out as a |O| means of recreation for |P| American soldiers during World |Q| War II, who then |R| brought the game back |S| with them.
National Football |U| League icon Tom Brady |V| played Flag Football as |Y| a primary school student.
|Z| dir="ltr">Olympic History
Flag Football |A| will make its Olympic |B| debut at Los Angeles |C| 2028.
Baseball (men)
Fast |D| Facts
Team / |E| Individual: Team Sport
|F| dir="ltr">Aim of the Game: |G| Score more runs than |H| the opposition
Olympic |J| Format: Nine-a-side
Match |K| Length: Nine innings each
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World Ranking (AUS): |M| 10th
Baseball is played |O| between two teams taking |P| turns batting and fielding.
|Q| dir="ltr">Batters run from base |R| to base around the |S| diamond, after hitting the |U| ball. The fielding team |V| also has a pitcher, |Y| who throws the ball |Z| towards the batter to |A| generate play.
The |B| objective is to score |C| the most runs in |D| nine innings. Each teams |E| turn at bat ends |F| when three of its |G| batters strike out or |H| are given out.
If |J| the score is tied |K| after nine innings, the |L| teams play another inning |M| at a time until |O| one team leads.
At |P| the 2023 Baseball World |Q| Championships Australia achieved their |R| best ever result, making |S| the quarter-finals for the |U| first time and finished |V| seventh overall.
Olympic History
|Y| dir="ltr">Baseball became a full |Z| medal sport at the |A| 1992 Olympic Games in |B| Barcelona, having been a |C| demonstration sport six times |D| prior (including Melbourne in |E| 1956).
In Barcelona and |F| Atlanta 1996, Baseball was |G| only open to amateur |H| players but by Sydney |J| 2000 professionals were permitted |K| to compete. Cuba was |L| the dominant force in |M| Olympic baseball winning the |O| gold in 1992, 1996 |P| and 2004.
At the |Q| IOC meeting on 7 |R| July 2005, Baseball and |S| Softball were voted out |U| of the 2012 Summer |V| Olympics in London, England. |Y| Then 11 years later, |Z| the IOC approved the |A| return of baseball and |B| softball to the Olympic |C| program for Tokyo 2020 |D| (held in 2021).
The |E| Australian Baseball men did |F| not qualify for the |G| Tokyo 2020 Games. Australias |H| first and only Olympic |J| baseball medal came at |K| Athens 2004, silver.
Softball |L| (women)
Fast Facts
|M| dir="ltr">Team / Individual: Team |O| Sport
Aim of |P| the Game: Score more |Q| runs than the opposition
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Olympic Format: 9-a-side
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Match Length: Seven |U| innings each
World |V| Ranking (AUS): 9th
With |Y| softball developed after baseball, |Z| there are many similarities |A| between the two.
The |B| aim of the game |C| is to advance batters |D| from base to base |E| around the diamond, after |F| hitting the ball. In |G| softball the ball is |H| thrown towards the batter |J| underarm, while in baseball |K| it is thrown overarm.
|L| dir="ltr">A run is scored |M| each time a batter |O| makes to back to |P| the home plate. The |Q| fielding team tries to |R| get a batter or |S| runner out and this |U| can happen when a |V| third strike ball is |Y| caught by the catcher; |Z| when a batter hits |A| a ball that is |B| caught on the full |C| by any of the |D| fielders; or when a |E| batter or runner is |F| beaten by the ball |G| to one of the |H| bases, or is tagged |J| off base.
Each team |K| has a maximum of |L| 15 players and 9 |M| players take the field |O| in each game, except |P| when a designated hitter |Q| is used, in which |R| case there are 10.
|S| dir="ltr">Games last seven innings. |U| If scores are level |V| at the end of |Y| seven innings, the tiebreak |Z| rule is enforced whereby |A| the player scheduled to |B| bat ninth starts the |C| innings on second base. |D| A mercy rule exists |E| whereby if a team |F| trails by more than |G| 10 runs in the |H| fifth inning or thereafter |J| the game is stopped.
|K| dir="ltr">Olympic History
Softball was |L| granted Olympic status in |M| Atlanta in 1996.
At |O| the IOC meeting on |P| 7 July 2005, Baseball |Q| and Softball were voted |R| out of the 2012 |S| Summer Olympics in London, |U| England. Then 11 years |V| later, the IOC approved |Y| the return of baseball |Z| and softball to the |A| Olympic program for Tokyo |B| 2020 (held in 2021).
|C| dir="ltr">Australia had competed and |D| won medals at every |E| edition of Olympic Softball |F| from 1996 to 2008 |G| (silver in 2004 and |H| bronze in 1996, 2000, |J| 2008).
The Aussie Spirit |K| returned to the Olympics |L| at Tokyo 2020 and |M| played in Softballs round-robin |O| fixtures
Squash
Fast Facts
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Team / Individual: |Q| Individual Sport
Aim |R| of the Game: One-on-one |S| racket sport; first to |U| three Games wins
|V| dir="ltr">Olympic Format: Game – |Y| first to 11 points; |Z| Match - first to |A| three Games
Squash is |B| most commonly played by |C| two opponents on a |D| rectangular court with a |E| rubber ball, measuring 9.75m |F| x 6.4m, surrounded by |G| four walls. Doubles events |H| are also held.
On |J| the front wall, there |K| are three lines - |L| the tin 48cm off |M| the ground (lowered to |O| 43cm in professional play), |P| the service line (at |Q| a height of 1.78m), |R| and the out line |S| (at 4.57m which slopes |U| down on the side |V| walls to 2.13m on |Y| the back wall).
At |Z| the start of a |A| point, the server must |B| serve from one of |C| the two service boxes |D| and strike the ball |E| between the service line |F| and the out line.
|G| dir="ltr">After that, all subsequent |H| shots can be struck |J| off any wall provided |K| it hits the front |L| wall between the tin |M| and the out line |O| before hitting the ground. |P| The ball is only |Q| permitted to bounce once |R| on the floor. The |S| first player or duo |U| to 11 points - |V| with at least a |Y| two-point advantage - wins |Z| a game. A point |A| is scored on each |B| rally, with the serve |C| going to the winner |D| of the point. The |E| first to three games |F| takes the match.
A |G| Commonwealth Games sport since |H| Kuala Lumpur 1998, Australia |J| has won an outstanding |K| 11 Squash gold medals |L| at the Commonwealth Games |M| level.
David Palmer is |O| a nine-time Commonwealth Games |P| medallist (three gold, two |Q| silver and four bronze |R| between 2002-2018) and Rachael |S| Grinham an eight-time Commonwealth |U| Games medallist (two gold, |V| two silver and four |Y| bronze between 1998-2018), pictured |Z| below.
Australia had eight |A| athletes compete in Squash |B| at the Birmingham 2022 |C| Commonwealth Games.
Olympic History
|D| dir="ltr">Squash will make its |E| Olympic debut at Los |F| Angeles 2028, however appeared |G| as a demonstration sport |H| at the 2018 Youth |J| Olympics in Buenos Aires.
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