The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) federation players were players whose salaries for playing in the NWSL were paid for by their respective national federations from 2013 to 2021.[1][2][3] American federation players were contracted to the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and not to their respective NWSL clubs, whereas Canadian federation players were contracted directly to their respective NWSL clubs.[4] Federation players were sometimes known as allocated players, allocation players, or subsidized players,[5][6] which occasionally created confusion with players paid using NWSL allocation money, a mechanism introduced before the 2020 NWSL season.[7]
NWSL federation players originally came from the USSF, the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), and the Mexican Football Federation (FMF), and they were distributed to the eight founding teams of the NWSL through a player allocation process in January 2013.[8][9] The FMF ceased allocating players to the NWSL in 2016[10] before starting its own national professional league, Liga MX Femenil, in 2017.[11]
At the end of the 2021 NWSL season, the USSF announced that the federation player system would be abolished.[12] In 2021, the last season in which the federation player system was in place in the NWSL, each American federation player counted as $33,000 and each Canadian federation player $27,500 against the NWSL team salary cap.[13]
For the initial allocation, each of the eight teams submitted which players they desired, ranking all players in each national team pool, and all the eligible players submitted which four teams they wanted to play for, as well as one team they didn't. The results were then matched by a third party.[14]
The initial player allocation was held on January 9, 2013, with each team's allocation announced on January 11. The USSF initially chose to fund 23 player salaries, while CSA and FMF both funded 16 players. Each team, except for the Western New York Flash, received three U.S., two Canadian, and two Mexican internationals; the Flash received two U.S. internationals.[9]
Italic designates players who did not participate in the season
* designates player who was traded during the season
Heather Mitts retired before the season started, Amy LePeilbet was out with injury all summer, and Amy Rodriguez took the season off due to pregnancy.
In the month leading up to opening day, the FMF withdrew funding for several of its players, removing them from the NWSL:
On March 1, Chicago sent Winters and a fourth-round 2014 draft pick to Seattle in exchange for a first-round 2014 draft pick and a return of one of Seattle's allocated players to Chicago after the season was complete.[16][17] It was later revealed that Seattle would not send an allocated player to Chicago, with Winters losing her allocation status and Chicago getting a new allocated player.[18]
On July 1, Kansas City traded Renae Cuellar and their third-round pick to Seattle in exchange for Teresa Noyola, right to Nikki Krzysik, and a second-round draft pick.[19] Cuellar had been a league-leading scorer until she had an injury and was unable to return to KC's starting lineup even after fully recovering.[20]
On July 30, Chicago and Boston swapped Adriana Leon and Carmelina Moscato.[21]
Kristie Mewis of FC Kansas City gained allocated status during the 2013 season.[22]
All three federations re-evaluated their allocations during the 2013–2014 offseason. Teams made trades with their allocated players often before the allocations were announced, though. There were four offseason trades before new allocations were officially announced, all involving the Seattle Reign. On September 10, Carmelina Moscato was sent from Boston to Seattle in exchange for Kaylyn Kyle.[23] On October 25, Washington gave the rights to Alina Garciamendez (and to Nikki Marshall) to Seattle in exchange for Renae Cuellar (and rights to Jodie Taylor). Third-round 2014 draft picks were also traded.[24] Third, Seattle sent Amy Rodriguez to FCKC in exchange for Kristie Mewis.[25] Finally, on November 18, Seattle gave away Mewis, Michelle Betos, and their first two 2015 draft picks to the Boston Breakers in exchange for Sydney Leroux.[26]
The new allocation list was revealed on January 3.[27][28][29] Despite the addition of the expansion side Houston Dash, Canada did not increase their allocation to 18 players; Mexico decreased their allocation from 16 (effectively 12) to 8, similarly not accounting for the ninth team, and unlike Canada or the United States did not as a rule keep returning allocated players on their existing teams. The United States increased their allocation from 23 to 26 players. The Houston Dash were only allocated one US player but was allowed to take two more in the 2014 NWSL Expansion Draft.
Highlight designates difference from previous allocation
† designates newly allocated player for 2014
Italic designates a player that did not participate in the season
* designates player who was traded during the season OR selected in the expansion draft
The Houston Dash were very quick to get into the trading arena, sending Melissa Tancredi to Chicago in exchange for Erin McLeod on January 7.[30] They then selected Meghan Klingenberg, Lauren Sesselmann, and Arianna Romero in the expansion draft.[31]
After the expansion draft, the trade limitation of allocated-for-same-country-allocated was lifted.[32] Players that were 'unevenly' traded once this restriction was lifted include Amy LePeilbet (to Kansas City), Karina LeBlanc (to Chicago), and Verónica Pérez (to Washington).
When rosters were revealed on April 7, Crystal Dunn and Alyssa Naeher had received allocation status.
Some allocated players were traded between teams before the new 2015 allocations were announced. The Western New York Flash dealt Carli Lloyd to the Houston Dash in exchange for Whitney Engen (and Becky Edwards).[33] The Boston Breakers also traded Heather O'Reilly to FC Kansas City in exchange for unallocated rookies Morgan Marlborough and Kassey Kallman.[34] Sophie Schmidt announced in January she would not play for Sky Blue FC nor the NWSL in order to focus on the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[35]
Official allocation results for all three federations were announced on January 14, 2015, reducing the total number of allocated players to 42 (down from 50 in 2014 and 55 in 2013).[36] Allocated players will play the first 3-4 NWSL games of the 2015 season before missing 7-8 games due to the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[37]
Highlight designates difference from previous allocation
† designates newly allocated player for 2015
Italic designates a player that did not participate in the season
* designates player who was traded during the season
Abby Wambach announced on March 18 she would not play for Western New York nor the NWSL in order to focus on the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[38] On March 30 Western New York traded Wambach, Amber Brooks, and their 2016 first round draft pick to Seattle for Sydney Leroux and Amanda Frisbie.[39]
After the Women's World Cup, many allocated players announced or discussed their plans to retire from national and club football. Shannon Boxx did not finished the season NWSL season with her club; Lauren Holiday and Karina LeBlanc did.[40][41] Abby Wambach, who passed on the entire 2015 season, officially announced her retirement the day the USWNT visited the White House as part of their 2015 World Cup victory celebrations.
During the offseason, several trades took place to move allocated players, with Chicago and WNY swapping Whitney Engen and Adriana Leon for Chicago to further trade with Boston, swapping Engen for Alyssa Naeher. WNY also sent Sydney Leroux to Kansas City after it was announced that A