The first collective bargaining agreement in women's soccer history

February 1, 2022

“The NWSLPA is grateful to our brothers and sisters in the labor movement who paved the way for us to get here and to our fans and partners for their unwavering support…” —NWSLPA statement posted to Twitter

The gist:

The National Women’s Soccer League’s 10th Season will start on time this year with players and the League agreeing to a historic CBA after “more than 40 bargaining sessions.”

What the players gained:

• salary raises for all players

• increased player safety measures

• benefits secured by the new CBA include a 160 percent increase in minimum annual salaries to $35,000, with 4 percent increases year over year. T

• added structure surrounding free agency, with players who have at least six years of service time becoming eligible for free agency starting in 2023. In 2024, players with five years of service are eligible for free agency, and those with three years of service are eligible for restricted free agency.

• Waived players are to receive four weeks of severance pay, plus 30 days of housing and health insurance coverage.

• robust workers' compensation coverage, of to six months of paid mental health leave, eight weeks parental paid leave (birth or adoption), private nursing facilities for parents, minimum staffing requirements for health care professionals, and an end to playing on pitches that require substantial alterations to confirm to the dimensions of soccer.

stated on the league's website, “This is a historic moment for women’s soccer in the United States. This transformative agreement represents deserved advancements for our players, including significantly stronger compensation packages and benefits, enhanced training and playing environments, and a long-term commitment to continually improve the standards we all regard as essential to securing our position as the best women’s soccer league in the world. Our owners are committed to providing the significant and unprecedented investment required to build and sustain a professional women’s soccer league that properly supports our players, both as professional soccer players and as individuals. We thank the NWSLPA leadership and the players for their thoughtful approach on the CBA and look forward to continuing to collaborate with them to create the best environment for our players to succeed.”

—Interim NWSL CEO Marla Messing

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