NEW YORK — The National Women's Soccer League has developed a rule that gives clubs the ability to sign “high-performing players” to contracts above the salary cap.
The issue gained attention after the Washington Spirit attempted to re-sign Trinity Rodman, one of the league's biggest stars.
“Ensuring our teams can compete for the best players in the world is critical to the continued growth of our league,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. “The High Performance Player Rule allows teams to strategically invest in top talent, strengthens our ability to retain star players and demonstrates our commitment to building world-class rosters for fans across the league.”
Hours later, on Tuesday, the NWSL Players Association announced its opposition to the rule.
“Under federal labor law, compensation changes within the salary cap are a mandatory subject of negotiation and not a matter of unilateral discretion,” the union wrote in an Instagram post.
The Spirit and Rodman entered into a multi-year agreement that was vetoed by the league. In response, the NWSLPA filed a complaint alleging that the denial violated Rodman's free agency rights.
The league's rule would allow teams to exceed the salary cap by $1 million for a player or players who meet certain criteria, including their ranking among the world's best players and the most sought-after athletes in any sport.
The league said the CBA allows it discretion to set roster classifications for high-performing players, adding that the new rule will go into effect July 1.
