NWSL Shield

Last updated

NWSL Shield
Awarded for National Women's Soccer League team with the best record in the regular season
Presented byNational Women's Soccer League
First awarded2013
Currently held by San Diego Wave FC
(2023) (1st shield)
Most awards North Carolina Courage
OL Reign
(3 shields)
Website http://nwslsoccer.com   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The NWSL Shield is an annual award given to the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team with the best regular season record as determined by the NWSL points system. The NWSL Shield has been awarded annually since 2013 and is recognized as a major trophy by the league.

Contents

North Carolina Courage and Seattle-based team OL Reign, each with three NWSL Shields since the league's inception in 2013, are tied as of 2023 for the most shields won by any NWSL team. [1] [2] [3] San Diego Wave FC are the current (2023) winners.

In 2024, CONCACAF announced that the NWSL Shield winner and runner-up qualified by virtue of those accomplishments for the 2024–25 CONCACAF W Champions Cup, the inaugural edition of that competition. [4]

History

When the NWSL was launched in 2013, the league's format was set up similarly to other contemporary North American leagues. After the regular season, the NWSL Playoffs were held, with the top four teams vying for a spot in the postseason championship match. The club with the most regular-season points was awarded the NWSL Shield and earned the top seed in the playoffs. [5]

Point system and tiebreakers

Since the 2013 inaugural season, the system of awarding points in the NWSL is the same as the international standard: three points for a win, one for a draw, and no points for a loss. [6]

Since the 2022 season, [7] in the event of an end-of-season tie in total accumulated points, the following tie-breakers are used among all teams with the same number of points:

  1. Greater goal difference across the entire regular season (against all teams, not just tied teams).
  2. Most total wins across the entire regular season (against all teams, not just tied teams).
  3. Most goals scored across the entire regular season (against all teams, not just tied teams).
  4. Head-to-head results (total points) between the tied teams.
  5. Head-to-head most goals scored between the tied teams.
  6. Least disciplinary points accumulated across the entire regular season (against all teams, not just tied teams).
  7. Coin flip (if two teams are tied) or drawing of lots (if three or more teams are tied).

All tiebreakers involving goal counts (goal differential, goals for) include all regular-season games, not just games against tied teams.

Prior to the 2022 season, the first tie-breaker was head-to-head record. [6] [8]

Winners

SeasonWinnerRecordPoints /
Pts per game		Playoff resultWin #
GamesWonLostTied
2013 Western New York Flash 22104838 / 1.73Lost championship (to Portland Thorns FC)1
2014 Seattle Reign FC 24162654 / 2.25Lost championship (to FC Kansas City)1
2015 Seattle Reign FC 20133443 / 2.15Lost championship (to FC Kansas City)2
2016 Portland Thorns FC 20123541 / 2.05Lost semifinal (to Western New York Flash)1
2017 North Carolina Courage 24167149 / 2.04Lost championship (to Portland Thorns FC)1
2018 North Carolina Courage 24171657 / 2.38Won championship (vs Portland Thorns FC)2
2019 North Carolina Courage 24155449 / 2.09Won championship (vs Chicago Red Stars)3
2020 Regular season canceled due to COVID-19; Fall Series won by Portland Thorns
2021 Portland Thorns FC 24136544 / 1.83Lost semifinal (to Chicago Red Stars)2
2022 OL Reign 22114740 / 1.82Lost semifinal (to Kansas City Current) [9] 3
2023 San Diego Wave FC 22117437 / 1.68Lost semifinal (to OL Reign)1
   team also won the NWSL Championship

Records

Shield winners

Italics indicates a defunct team.

TeamWinsYears won
North Carolina Courage 3 2017, 2018, 2019
Seattle Reign FC 2014, 2015, 2022
Portland Thorns FC 2 2016, 2021
San Diego Wave FC 1 2023
Western New York Flash 1 2013

See also

Related Research Articles

Seattle has had professional soccer clubs for over four decades who have played in various leagues since the 1970s. These include three incarnations of the Seattle Sounders FC, playing in the North American Soccer League, United Soccer League, and Major League Soccer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Harvey</span> English football manager (born 1980)

Laura Kate Harvey is an English football manager and former player who currently manages Seattle Reign FC of the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She holds USSF "A" and UEFA "A" coaching licenses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Women's Soccer League</span> Professional soccer league, highest level of womens soccer in the United States

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. Headquartered in New York City, it is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle Reign FC</span> Womens soccer team based in Seattle, Washington

Seattle Reign FC is an American professional women's soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. Founded by Bill and Teresa Predmore in 2012, it was one of eight inaugural members of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). In 2020, OL Groupe, the parent company of French clubs Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, became the team's majority owner and the team played as OL Reign from 2020 to 2023. Laura Harvey is the team's head coach; she led the team to two consecutive NWSL Shield wins in 2014 and 2015 and a third in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Dunn</span> American soccer player (born 1992)

Crystal Alyssia Soubrier is an American professional soccer player for National Women's Soccer League club Gotham FC and the United States women's national team. She first appeared for her country during an international friendly against Scotland on February 13, 2013. She has since made more than 100 total appearances for the team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Barnes</span> American soccer defender (born 1989)

Lauren Kate Barnes is an American professional soccer player who currently plays as a defender for Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She previously played for the Philadelphia Independence in the WPS and represented the United States on the under-15, under-20, and under-23 national teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merritt Mathias</span> American professional soccer player

Merritt Elizabeth Mathias is an American professional soccer defender currently playing for Angel City FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She previously played for North Carolina Courage, FC Kansas City, and Seattle Reign FC

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sofia Huerta</span> American soccer player (born 1992)

Sofia Christine Huerta is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right back for Seattle Reign in the National Women's Soccer League and the U.S. women's national soccer team. Huerta played collegiately for the Santa Clara Broncos from 2011 to 2014, before beginning her professional career with the Chicago Red Stars. She was traded to Houston Dash in 2018 and to OL Reign in 2020.

The National Women's Soccer League Playoffs are a single-elimination tournament among six teams in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) of the United States, deciding the winner of the NWSL Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose Lavelle</span> American soccer player

Rosemary Kathleen Lavelle is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), and for the United States national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Sanchez</span> American soccer player (born 1999)

Ashley Nicole Sanchez is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team. She played collegiate soccer for the UCLA Bruins and broke several school records in the three years she played.

Darian Michelle Jenkins is an American retired professional soccer player who played as a forward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bethany Balcer</span> American soccer player (born 1997)

Bethany Catherine Balcer is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Seattle Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alana Cook</span> American soccer player (born 1997)

Alana Simone Cook is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for NWSL club Seattle Reign and the United States national team.

The 2020 season was the 108th season of competitive soccer in the United States. Many of the competitions were significantly altered, postponed, or cancelled in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phallon Tullis-Joyce</span> American soccer player

Phallon Abaigeal Tullis-Joyce is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for English Women's Super League club Manchester United.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tziarra King</span> American soccer player (born 1998)

Tziarra Lanae King is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Seattle Reign. She played college soccer for the NC State Wolfpack and was drafted by the Utah Royals in 2020.

The 2022 National Women's Soccer League season was the tenth season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it was the 16th overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States. Twelve teams competed in the league, including two expansion teams, San Diego Wave FC and Angel City FC.

The 2023 National Women's Soccer League season was the eleventh season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it was the 17th overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States. Twelve teams compete in the league.

The 2024 National Women's Soccer League season is the twelfth season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it is the 18th overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States. The league has 14 teams following the addition of expansion teams Bay FC and Utah Royals—the latter being the revival of a team that had played in the league from 2018 to 2020.

References

  1. ↑ NWSL. "OL Reign Claims 2022 NWSL Shield, Presented by CarMax". NWSLSoccer.com. National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Seattle Reign win NWSL Shield for 2nd straight season". ESPN. August 27, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  3. ↑ "NC Courage clinch third straight NWSL Shield after win over Utah". wralSPORTSfan.com. September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  4. ↑ "CONCACAF announces qualification criteria for Confederation's 2024/25 CONCACAF W Champions Cup". CONCACAF. April 24, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  5. ↑ Lauletta, Dan (February 26, 2013). "The Lowdown: A look at NWSL rules and tiebreakers". The Equalizer. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "2016 Competition Rules and Regulations". National Women's Soccer League. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  7. ↑ "2022 Competition Rules & Regulations" (PDF). National Women's Soccer League. May 19, 2022. p. 6. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  8. ↑ "2021 Competition Rules". National Women's Soccer League. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  9. ↑ Yang, Steph (October 23, 2022). "Kansas City Current punches ticket to NWSL final with win over OL Reign". The Athletic . Retrieved April 10, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.