NWSL Under-18 Entry Mechanism

{{Short description|Signing of U18 players in US women's soccer league}}

The Under-18 Entry Mechanism sets the rules for how soccer players below the age of 18 may sign professional contracts in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top division of women's soccer in the United States.

Background

The NWSL had a minimum age requirement of 18 until 2021, when 15-year-old Olivia Moultrie filed an antitrust lawsuit against the league. She reached a settlement that allowed her to sign with Portland Thorns FC after going through a league discovery process that involved her rights being acquired by OL Reign and traded to the Thorns.{{cite news|url=https://prosoccerwire.usatoday.com/2023/03/31/nwsl-under-18-jaedyn-shaw-stoney-spirit-chloe-ricketts/|title=NWSL can finally give its top youngsters the support to shine|date=2023-03-31|website=Pro Soccer Wire|publisher=USA Today|access-date=2024-07-31}} The following year, the NWSL allowed 17-year-old Jaedyn Shaw to sign with San Diego Wave FC through discovery, with five other teams submitting bids for her rights including the Washington Spirit which she had trained with for months.{{cite news|url=https://prosoccerwire.usatoday.com/2022/06/30/jaedyn-shaw-nwsl-discovery-process-usynt-kris-ward/|title=USYNT star Jaedyn Shaw's path to NWSL to go through the league's discovery process|last=Anderson|first=Jason|date=2022-06-30|website=Pro Soccer Wire|publisher=USA Today|access-date=2024-07-31}} Other sports leagues in the United States continue to have minimum requirements, such as 18 in the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball. Major League Soccer allows younger players to sign contracts which occurs mostly for development purposes.

The NWSL introduced the Under-18 Entry Mechanism on November 14, 2022, establishing a formal process for signing players under the age of 18.{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/37763714/nwsl-teenage-stars-moultrie-rodman-thompson-shaw|title=Teenagers are suddenly some of the NWSL's top stars. How and why was the league forced to change?|last=Arvind|first=Om|date=2023-06-02|publisher=ESPN|access-date=2024-07-31}} {{As of|2024}}, the NWSL allows teams to have up to four under-18 players between their private entry list and roster. Players must be signed within a month of being named to the entry list, and their contracts must last through the season in which they turn 18. Until coming of age, under-18 players may not be cut from their team's roster nor traded (unless the player and her parent or guardian consents) nor selected in an expansion draft. In addition to contractual protections, under-18 players are required to live with a parent or guardian and use separate showers and locker rooms.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/06/07/nwsl-teen-players/|title=As teens swarm women's soccer, 'we have to be really careful'|last1=Maese|first1=Rick|last2=Brockway|first2=Ella|date=2024-06-07|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=2024-07-31}}

Chloe Ricketts was the first player to sign through the Under-18 Entry Mechanism, joining the Washington Spirit on March 3, 2023, at the age of 15.{{cite news|url=https://prosoccerwire.usatoday.com/2023/03/03/chloe-ricketts-washington-spirit-nwsl-youngest/|title=Chloe Ricketts signs with Washington Spirit, becomes youngest-ever NWSL player|last=Anderson|first=Jason|website=Pro Soccer Wire|publisher=USA Today|access-date=2024-07-31}}

List of signings

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders col1right col3center" \|+ Under-18 signings in the NWSL (2023–present){{cite web\|url=https://www.spotrac.com/nwsl/contracts/u18/_/year/all-time/sort/start_date\|title=NWSL Contracts: U18 Entry Mechanism\|website=Spotrac\|publisher=USA Today\|access-date=2024-07-31}}
Date of signing	Player	{{abbr\|Pos.\|Position}}	Team	Date of birth	Age at signing
{{dts\|2023-03-03}} \| {{sortname\|Chloe\|Ricketts}} * \| MF \| Washington Spirit \| {{dts\|2007-05-23}} \|style="background:#d7ccf3;"\| {{age yd\|2007-05-23\|2023-03-03}}
{{dts\|2023-03-21}} \| {{sortname\|Melanie\|Barcenas}} * \| FW \| San Diego Wave FC \| {{dts\|2007-10-30}} \|style="background:#d7ccf3;"\| {{age yd\|2007-10-30\|2023-03-21}}
{{dts\|2023-07-28}} \| {{sortname\|Riley\|Jackson}} \| MF \| North Carolina Courage \| {{dts\|2005-12-02}} \| {{age yd\|2005-12-02\|2023-07-28}}
{{dts\|2023-10-30}} \| {{sortname\|Alex\|Pfeiffer}} \| FW \| Kansas City Current \| {{dts\|2007-11-26}} \| {{age yd\|2007-11-26\|2023-10-30}}
{{dts\|2023-11-28}} \| {{sortname\|Gisele\|Thompson}} \| DF \| Angel City FC \| {{dts\|2005-12-02}} \| {{age yd\|2005-12-02\|2023-11-28}}
{{dts\|2023-12-14}} \| {{sortname\|Claire\|Hutton}} \| MF \| Kansas City Current \| {{dts\|2006-01-11}} \| {{age yd\|2006-01-11\|2023-12-14}}
{{dts\|2024-01-18}} \| {{sortname\|Casey\|Phair}} \| FW \| Angel City FC \| {{dts\|2007-06-29}} \| {{age yd\|2007-06-29\|2024-01-18}}
{{dts\|2024-03-06}} \| {{sortname\|Kennedy\|Fuller}} \| MF \| Angel City FC \| {{dts\|2007-03-09}} \| {{age yd\|2007-03-09\|2024-03-06}}
{{dts\|2024-03-13}} \| {{sortname\|Emeri\|Adames}} \| FW \| Seattle Reign FC \| {{dts\|2006-04-03}} \| {{age yd\|2006-04-03\|2024-03-13}}
{{dts\|2024-03-22}} \| {{sortname\|Kimmi\|Ascanio}} \| MF \| San Diego Wave FC \| {{dts\|2008-01-21}} \| {{age yd\|2008-01-21\|2024-03-22}}
{{dts\|2024-07-19}} \| {{sortname\|Jordyn\|Bugg}} \| DF \| Seattle Reign FC \| {{dts\|2006-08-11}} \| {{age yd\|2006-08-11\|2024-07-19}}
{{dts\|2024-07-19}} \| {{sortname\|Ainsley\|McCammon}} \| MF \| Seattle Reign FC \| {{dts\|2007-08-16}} \| {{age yd\|2007-08-16\|2024-07-19}}
{{dts\|2024-07-26}} \| {{sortname\|Mckenna\|Whitham}} ⁂ \| FW \| NJ/NY Gotham FC \| {{dts\|2010-07-27}} \|style="background:#d0f0c0;"\| {{age yd\|2010-07-27\|2024-07-26}}
{{dts\|2024-10-11}} \| {{sortname\|Zoe\|Matthews}} \| MF \| Houston Dash \| {{dts\|2007-05-25}} \| {{age yd\|2007-05-25\|2024-10-11}}
{{dts\|2024-12-11}} \| {{sortname\|KK\|Ream}} \| FW \| Utah Royals \| {{dts\|2009}} \| {{age yd\|2009-07-07\|2024-12-11}}
{{dts\|2025-01-08}} \| {{sortname\|Katie\|Scott\|dab=soccer}} \| DF \| Kansas City Current \| {{dts\|2007-06-20}} \| {{age yd\|2007-06-20\|2024-12-11}}
{{dts\|2025-01-16}} \| {{sortname\|Trinity\|Armstrong}} \| DF \| San Diego Wave FC \| {{dts\|2007-07-25}} \| {{age yd\|2007-07-25\|2025-01-16}}
{{dts\|2025-01-24}} \| {{sortname\|Micayla\|Johnson}} \| FW \| Chicago Stars FC \| {{dts\|2008-01-18}} \| {{age yd\|2008-01-18\|2025-01-24}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders col1right col3center"

|+ Under-18 signings in the NWSL (2023–present){{cite web|url=https://www.spotrac.com/nwsl/contracts/u18/_/year/all-time/sort/start_date|title=NWSL Contracts: U18 Entry Mechanism|website=Spotrac|publisher=USA Today|access-date=2024-07-31}}

Date of signing

Player

Team

Date of birth

Age at signing

| {{sortname|Chloe|Ricketts}} *

| MF

| Washington Spirit

| {{dts|2007-05-23}}

|style="background:#d7ccf3;"| {{age yd|2007-05-23|2023-03-03}}

| {{sortname|Melanie|Barcenas}} *

| FW