NWSL Promises VAR, Other Improvements
In an unexpected news drop on Wednesday, the United States (US) National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) announced a number of changes stemming from last week’s Board of Governors meeting.
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The release was followed the next day by a media call with commissioner Jessica Berman.
The meetings proved productive, as the league made commitments to improvements on a number of fronts.
The NWSL plans to implement Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for the 2023 season, responding to frustrations from coaches, players, and fans over the quality of the league’s officiating.
“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 the quality of the officiating,” Berman said.
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The Professional Soccer Referees Association announced Wednesday that PRO had withdrawn its appeal of PSRA’s unionization, a huge step toward higher standards and support for NWSL and USL referees.
The league also committed to immediate investment in the NWSL’s broadcasts on Paramount+.
As early as August 2022, the NWSL will have invested in higher quality cameras for each stream, as well as better picture quality.
Meanwhile…
In 2023, the league will need to implement more camera angles, both for viewer experience and to aid in the use of VAR.
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Berman also fielded questions about expansion, discovery rights, and more.
The league confirmed that it will add two teams in 2024 through an open bidding process.
Berman also said that state laws concerning players’ body autonomy will be a consideration for those bids: “I think we have to look at that not just from an expansion perspective, but really even our current landscape.”
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