NWSL: Media Coverage of the ‘Historic’ and ‘Groundbreaking’ New Collective Bargaining Agreement

(Note: The bulk of this post was originally going to be part of a longer article analyzing the new CBA, but due to time constraints, I have not been able to do proper research for that article.)

On Thursday, August 22nd, the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) released details about their new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the league. The new CBA, which has been described as “historic”, “groundbreaking” and “landmark” by professional journalists, has numerous significant new provisions, including several that grant the players much greater autonomy over their professional soccer careers.

Specifically, those provisions cover:

  • Full free agency for all players,
  • Player consent required for any trade,
  • Elimination of the entry draft and expansion drafts, and
  • Guaranteed contracts

Other key changes include revenue sharing for players, sizable increases in the minimum player salary, and requiring charter flights in certain situations.

At the moment, the full text of the new CBA is not yet available, so a detailed analysis is not currently possible. (According to the NWSLPA’s website, “[t]he full terms of the new CBA announced on August 22, 2024 will be shared… at a future date.”)

Continue reading “NWSL: Media Coverage of the ‘Historic’ and ‘Groundbreaking’ New Collective Bargaining Agreement”

2020 NWSL College Draft: Sophia Smith Goes #1, Mallory Pugh Traded to Sky Blue

As expected, Stanford sophomore forward Sophia Smith was selected by Portland Thorns FC as the overall #1 pick in this year’s NWSL College Draft.  What was unexpected was the series of trades that saw Sky Blue acquire USWNT forward Mallory Pugh from the Washington Spirit and the Chicago Red Stars acquire forward Rachel Hill from the Orlando Pride.  Oh, and Portland also ended up with the #2 overall pick, which they used to acquire Washington State forward Morgan Weaver. Continue reading “2020 NWSL College Draft: Sophia Smith Goes #1, Mallory Pugh Traded to Sky Blue”

NWSL College Draft 2020: The Final List of Eligible Players

With the 2020 NWSL College Draft less than 24 hours away, the NWSL released the final list of eligible players on Wednesday evening.

A simplified version of the NWSL’s list is included below, split between goalkeepers and field players.

For an interactive (sortable and filter-able) version of this list see my Google Sheets spreadsheet for this year’s college draft. Continue reading “NWSL College Draft 2020: The Final List of Eligible Players”

NWSL News of Notes: Ohai to Chicago, Purce and Zerboni to Sky Blue, Sonnett to Orlando, Stengel to Houston, Duffy to Orlando

The first dozen days of January 2020 saw a number of high-profile trades among NWSL teams, as well as some leadership changes. Continue reading “NWSL News of Notes: Ohai to Chicago, Purce and Zerboni to Sky Blue, Sonnett to Orlando, Stengel to Houston, Duffy to Orlando”

Post-Holiday Round-Up: Two More U.S. Soccer Coaches Step Down; NWSL News; Japan Confirms SheBelieves Cup Participation

A quick round-up of notable news since mid-December:

  • U-20 USWNT head coach Mark Carr hired by the University of Oklahoma
  • USWNT goalkeeping coach Graeme Abel hired by the University of Oregon
  • 2023 FIFA WWC bid books published
  • NWSL News:  OL Groupe buys Reign FC; 2020 Draft list of eligible players released; No expansion
  • 2020 SheBelieves Cup:  Japan confirmed, one to go
  • 2020 FIFA U-20 WWC:  Will be jointly hosted by Costa Rica and Panama

Continue reading “Post-Holiday Round-Up: Two More U.S. Soccer Coaches Step Down; NWSL News; Japan Confirms SheBelieves Cup Participation”

NWSL News of Note: College Draft and Roster Details, Seattle Announces Head Coach

News of Note for the National Women’s Soccer League… Details on the upcoming college draft, along with free agent status, international player quota and status, and initial roster structure, plus Seattle Reign FC names first head coach.
Continue reading “NWSL News of Note: College Draft and Roster Details, Seattle Announces Head Coach”