WSL expanding to 14 teams - but relegation remains

The Women's Super League volition grow from 12 to 14 teams from the 2026-27 play - but the menace of relegation volition remain.

At the extremity of adjacent season, the apical 2 sides from the 2nd tier, WSL 2, volition automatically beryllium promoted.

In addition, the third-placed squad successful the WSL 2 volition look a play-off with the WSL's bottommost broadside for a spot successful the apical flight.

The plans were approved connected Monday pursuing a ballot by clubs.

The announcement ends months of speculation astir changes pursuing suggestions successful March that relegation could temporarily beryllium scrapped successful the WSL.

This conception prompted a backlash, but WSL bosses had ever insisted nary steadfast connection connected this had been enactment guardant and they were simply weighing up the pros and cons of ways to summation the size of the league.

The connection was presented astatine a shareholders' gathering connected Monday by WSL Football - the institution that assumed power of the apical 2 tiers from the Football Association successful August 2024.

The FA volition present conscionable to formally motion disconnected the changes, which indispensable beryllium implemented earlier 31 July. This is seen arsenic a formality pursuing the clubs' votes.

Currently, lone the WSL 2 winners gain promotion, with the bottommost nine successful the WSL relegated - fundamentally 1 up and 1 down.

These are the changes that volition instrumentality spot adjacent play to execute enlargement of the league:

However, that volition alteration arsenic the WSL expands from 12 teams to 14 teams for the 26-27 season. From past onwards, determination volition beryllium 1 automatic promotion spot for the victor of WSL 2, with the bottommost squad successful the WSL relegated.

In addition, determination volition beryllium a play-off betwixt 2nd bottommost of the WSL and runners up successful WSL 2.

The FA volition determine the adjacent steps for the little tiers.

It is expected the winners from the National League Premier Division North and the National League Premier Division South volition summation automatic promotion into the WSL 2 adjacent season.

The runners-up from those third-tier divisions would past instrumentality portion successful a play-off lucifer for the last promotion spot successful the 2nd tier.

It is expected determination volition beryllium 2 teams relegated from WSL 2 from 26-27 onwards, and 2 automatic promotions from the 3rd tiers.

All clubs indispensable conscionable the licence criteria to play successful the WSL 2 and the WSL.

Expansion is conscionable the archetypal measurement successful WSL Football's 10-year plan.

Substantial changes person been made to the licence criteria to amended minimum standards arsenic WSL Football aims for 2 fully-professional apical tiers successful England.

Requirements present see improved facilities, other subordinate interaction hours, further staffing and absorption connected nine academies.

Analysis carried retired by the assemblage showed determination were not capable games wherever the result had an effect connected standings successful the WSL. There is simply a content that respective clubs person stayed successful the apical formation for excessively agelong without menace of relegation and person not progressed arsenic a result.

In the 2nd tier, immoderate clubs person elite standards, others person semi-professional environments and galore person toyed betwixt the 2 successful the past decade.

However, with 3 WSL 2 clubs perchance earning promotion determination whitethorn beryllium much question successful the leagues going guardant - and much inducement for clubs to invest.

Expanding the WSL means clubs volition play 26 matches, not 22, from the 26-27 season. But abstraction successful the calendar is already limited.

Schedule constraints see Fifa's Women's Club World Cup, a contention that volition tally each 4 years starting from 2028, the instauration of a Women's Champions Cup from 2026 and the enlargement of the Women's World Cup to 48 teams from 2031.

In addition, Uefa Women's Champions League semi-finals instrumentality spot connected weekends - dissimilar successful the men's crippled - and WSL matches are not played connected the aforesaid play arsenic the Women's FA Cup.

There are besides guidelines astir subordinate payment including a six-week interruption aft a large tournament, a two-week wintertime break, a maximum of 2 midweek games successful a enactment and nary midweek games straight pursuing an planetary break. This each reduces the disposable dates to play the further games.

Plus WSL clubs indispensable navigate fixture clashes with their antheral squad counterparts successful shared stadiums, arsenic Arsenal experienced successful November.

Discussions instrumentality spot betwixt governing bodies - Uefa, Fifa, the Premier League and the FA - but they often each person their ain priorities.

Meanwhile, preferred kick-off times and broadcasting requests tin origin discord among clubs.

There are plans to scrap the Saturday 18:45 evening slot connected Sky Sports arsenic mean attendances astatine that clip person been debased crossed the WSL.

The stringent licence revisions person caused backlash.

Blackburn Women withdrew from the WSL 2 aft claiming the fiscal requirements "can nary longer beryllium sustained".

Third-tier nine Wolves Women did not use for a WSL 2 licence arsenic owners were unwilling to determination to a full-time model, arsenic is required.

Barnsley Women, playing successful the 4th tier, folded successful June due to the fact that of fiscal pressures, claiming "funding does not trickle down sufficiently".

Sources astatine WSL Football accidental it is moving intimately with National League clubs to rise minimum standards but the institution is alert of short-term fiscal pressures.

There are besides concerns WSL clubs volition proceed to physique a bigger gap.

Chelsea's sale of their women's squad to themselves - a clever determination to navigate Profit and Sustainability Rules - raised questions connected whether much fiscal regulations should beryllium enactment successful spot successful the women's game.

The WSL presently has a "soft" wage cap, allowing clubs to walk up to 40% of their gross connected subordinate salaries.

A stricter fiscal regularisation has not been ruled retired for the aboriginal but WSL Football is wary of stifling growth.

However, WSL enlargement is apt to beryllium welcomed by clubs specified arsenic Birmingham City and Newcastle United, who person had an influx successful concern recently.

Calls for the WSL to grow person existed for a fig of years.