NWSL Abolishes Draft, Limits Trades In Landmark New CBA
The NWSL Players Association announced a new collective bargaining agreement Thursday that will get rid of the draft and trades without player consent.
The landmark agreement will make the NWSL the largest U.S. league to do away with the draft. It’s a radical move in North American sports, but for the rest of the world, drafts and trades are far less common. NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said that the moves “align with global standards.” NWSLPA president Tori Huster tells Front Office Sports scrapping the draft takes away some of “the anxiety that comes along with not knowing where you’re going to land.”
Huster says that agents and college coaches will help players through the post-draft era. “I think that there’s a lot of support around athletes now that can get them the information that they need to make the best choice for themselves,” she says.
The league is not only scrapping the entry draft, but also the expansion draft. Expansion teams, like Boston in 2026, will only be allowed to sign free agents, with discussions beginning six months before their existing contract expires. (A potential competitor to the NWSL, the USL Super League, launched this month with no draft system.)
“The draft is an antiquated model that treats people as property to be bought and sold,” the union said in a statement. “The new terms will empower players to decide which team environment is the best fit for their needs and their development.”
https://frontofficesports.com/nwsl-draft-trades-cba/