NWSL to consider reproductive rights as part of expansion process

When the National Women's Soccer League looks at locations for possible expansion teams, reproductive rights will be considered.

There are currently 12 teams in the league.

The Supreme Court ruling last month removed constitutional protections for abortion, which is likely to lead to abortion bans in half the states. Some states may try to limit birth control options and procedures.

Tough questions loom for the NWSL.

It's one of the things that we're currently analyzing, which is looking at our current markets to see where we have some difference between our values and what we stand behind, and what are the solutions we can put in place that we It would be part of the analysis.

The board of governors met this week to discuss changes to the league. Expansion of the league to 14 teams was one of the topics discussed.

Racing Louisville plays in Kentucky, where a ban on abortion has been challenged in court, while the league's Houston Dash plays in Texas. In Florida, it has a team that does not allow abortion after 15 weeks.

Video assisted referees will be used for league matches starting in 2023 according to the board's commitment.

"Based on the data and everything that I've learned over the last two and a half months, it's clear that instituting and implementing VAR is probably the single- most important thing that we could do to improve the consistency and quality of the officials," Berman said.

One of the NWSL's "Pain Points" is being discussed by the league. Because the league plays from spring to fall, many players miss games for tournaments, leaving teams without some of their biggest stars.