Livida Sport: A Global Guide to Football Transfers - Second Edition - Manual / Resource - Page 15
England
Women’s Super League
2/32
Women9s professional football in England continues to go from strength to strength, with
its top two tiers — the Women9s Super League (WSL) and Women9s Championship (WC)
— now operated by the independently owned Women9s Professional Leagues Limited
(WPL). This shift has empowered WPL to boost the commercial growth of the leagues,
as evidenced by its new major market-leading deals with Barclays and Sky Sports.
From the 25/26 season, even more WSL and WC matches will air live on mainstream TV
and stream free on YouTube, giving much greater media visibility to players. Clubs are
playing more matches than ever before at their main stadiums, drawing record-breaking
crowds likely to surpass the one million attendance milestone achieved during the 24/25
season. Significant investment in women9s teams continues, with WSL players now
earning an average annual salary of £47,000, while numbers of sporting and non-sporting
staff are steadily increasing. With world-class football, good competitive balance and
strong fan engagement, it9s easy to see why the WSL and WC attract top international
talent, premium brand sponsorships and a global following.
What are the foreign player rules?
There are currently no restrictions on the number of foreign players allowed in each
squad. However, clubs must register at least eight home grown players, defined as
players who have been with an English club for at least three years before turning 21.
WSL clubs need to secure a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) to sign foreign players.
To qualify, players must accumulate a minimum of 24 points across five categories:
international appearances, domestic playing time, the final league position of the selling
club, minutes played in continental competitions, and the selling club9s quality. If a player
falls short, the club may appeal but only in exceptional circumstances.
Jul - Jun
15
© Livida Sport Limited
24 Jun - 13 Sept*
1 Jan - 30 Jan
