The NWSL and the NWSL Players Association have agreed to settle several long-standing grievances, including removing restrictive qualifications from the High Impact Player (HIP) rule. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, all players are eligible to be designated as High Impact Players, as long as 12% of their pay counts against the salary cap. That opens the possibility of seven-figure salaries to any player who signs in the NWSL, rather than the roughly 100 who qualified under the league's previous guidelines.
The change follows the settlement of grievances between the league and the union, including one over the league's rejection of a contract proposal last year between the Washington Spirit and star forward Trinity Rodman. The settlement requires greater financial transparency from the league to the union, as well as annual salary cap projections that did not previously exist. A grievance around the league's new footwear deal was also settled, honoring preexisting deals and withdrawing previously issued fines.
NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke said the settlement reflects the union's strength and commitment to enforcing the Collective Bargaining Agreement. "We have conviction that what is good for Players is good for the game, and good for the League," she said. NWSL executive vice president Bill Ordower said the agreement gives players, clubs and the league greater clarity and certainty while protecting the integrity and competitive balance of the league.
The original HIP rule, ratified by the NWSL Board of Governors last December, allowed teams to spend an additional $1 million above the salary cap, or $4.7 million total in 2026, to attract and retain star players. It came with complicated stipulations, requiring players to meet one of eight criteria, ranging from year-end NWSL Best XI honors to selection on media-voted lists. The NWSLPA had opposed the rule and filed a grievance arguing it violated federal labor law and the CBA. The rule was expedited to help the Spirit retain Rodman, who had received offers from Europe the club could not match under the $3.7 million cap.
Under the settlement, the NWSL can also establish a limit on the number of HIP players per club in the future. Rodman's multi-month public contract saga spawned a separate NWSLPA grievance last year, which has also been settled.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing