The Professional Lacrosse Players Association has called for a strike, to begin 12:01 AM Eastern time on Saturday.

The walkout brings the National Lacrosse League to a halt just three weeks before the season opener. All practices and preseason games, including three slated for this weekend, are postponed until further notice.

The issue is the collective bargaining agreement, or more accurately the lack thereof. The previous CBA expired on 31 July, and the players appear displeased with how slowly negotiations have progressed.

However, NLL commissioner Jim Jennings says the players have only themselves to blame for that.

"We are most troubled by the refusal of union leaders to negotiate with us in a timely manner," Jennings said in a press release this evening. "The league made its initial offer to the PLPA on [31 July]."

"The PLPA did not provide a counter proposal until [15 November], less than six weeks prior to the opening date of the [2004] regular season. We have remained ready, willing and able to reach a new agreement."

While the league was quick to address the upcoming strike, PLPA has not yet released a statement.

The regular season begins on Friday, 26 December, when the Vancouver Ravens and Arizona Sting meet in the first-ever event at Glendale Arena. The Philadelphia Wings visit the Rochester Knighthawks one night later, the only other Week One action.

Those games will go on as scheduled, Jennings vowed -- with or without striking players.

"The NLL has no intentions of locking our players out," the commissioner said. "Our teams will begin signing players next week... We are confident that the season will go on, one way or another."

The decision to strike was apparently made by PLPA's executive board, composed of one representative per team, and not via committee of the whole.