Minimum salaries breakthrough for WSL and WSL 2

This season, the first minimum salaries for English women’s football players will be introduced. These players make up the top two professional women’s teams.

One of the requirements put forth by WSL Football, the company in charge of England’s professional leagues, is this.

WSL Football wouldn’t say what the starting pay would be, but it is described as a “full-time wage.”

When the revised WSL and WSL 2 regulations are released later this year, it is anticipated that the salary range will be made public.

Following consultation with the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), the salaries will be based on thresholds like the age of the players, the league they play in, and their level of experience.

That’s a really good decision, we think. According to Holly Murdoch, the chief operating officer of WSL Football, “we have so many players who have had to balance part-time roles while playing football.”

It is extremely important to be able to guarantee that all of our players can make a full-time wage in the game of football. It’s the first step, in my opinion, because it provides a foundation on which to build.

We have discussed these thresholds with the PFA in a really close partnership. That will be constantly being reviewed.

Clubs must also meet higher standards for high-performance environments in addition to minimum wage requirements.

Following the conclusion of a multi-year partnership between Nike and WSL Football, All WSL and WSL 2 players without an endorsement deal will receive football boots and goalkeeper gloves as part of the agreement.

Additionally, there is a brand-new collaboration with the outside business Kyniska Advocacy, an athlete-led organization that aims to develop new safeguarding standards.

As a separate means of raising welfare concerns, all players will have access to their private support system.

We are aware of the disparity caused by the game growing so quickly. There are elements we must mandate, Murdoch added, because part of that creates a competitive advantage.

One of the requirements will be to play a “performance wellbeing” role. By the end of the season, we will be requesting that full-time employment from all clubs.

We want to ensure that our players are getting ready for both on and off the field, both mentally and physically. That position is crucial.

The criteria include minimum standards for things like elite facilities, full-time staff, wellbeing, and contact hours with players.

At the start of the season, each club conducts a compliance and development review.

The club’s current financial framework has reached a point where the growing financial and operational constraints, including the requirement to switch to a fully professional model, cannot be continued.

Wolves pushed for promotion, but they chose to withdraw from WSL 2.

Murdoch acknowledged that the game’s rapid expansion had challenges.

“We have been looking at how to implement the necessary policies to support all of our clubs, players, and supporters,” Murdoch said.

It strikes a balance, it says. Over 40 formal meetings with league members or key stakeholders were held over the course of the past six months.

We take care to ensure that we set the bar for what professional women’s football in this country looks like and what its minimum standards look like.

The range of ownership models that are currently being introduced in England is one of the most significant developments in women’s football.

London City Lionesses were promoted to the WSL in May thanks to the purchase of American businesswoman Michele Kang in December 2023.

In addition to being the owner of Washington Spirit and Lyon, Kang is eight-time champion of the American Women’s Champions League.

Alexis Ohanian, the owner of American club Angel City, who founded Reddit, also purchased a stake in WSL champion Chelsea in May.

Players switching between those clubs during the transfer window has become a contentious matter. Where does WSL Football stand on it, then?

The multi-club ownership model is undoubtedly a hot topic right now in football. I don’t believe that this is the right course of action is practiced by everyone,” Murdoch said.

“We are completely examining how multi-club ownership models can be used in women’s football without compromising the integrity of the league.

“Mann’s football adheres to strict regulations around this,” he said. We are currently looking into and reviewing this.

“We need to know how to make that investment work.” There is no definitive response because it is evolving, but we must make sure we have the appropriate guidance.

Chelsea’s women’s team was revealed in April as Chelsea sold to parent company BlueCo for £198.7 million, which helped to turn the wider company around.

Everton and Aston Villa followed suit, selling their respective women’s teams to parent companies The Friedkin Group and V Sports, respectively.

There are undoubtedly numerous advantages to having a separate board, distinct leadership teams, and independent investors, according to Murdoch.

The women’s team is a very different business with a different stage of development. You can see the significant benefits that those changes bring.

They hope to increase player support as part of the new WSL welfare regulations, which aim to improve online abuse and racism among players.

A man was detained last month for racist abuse Jess Carter, England’s football player, during Euro 2025.

After Antoine Semenyo, the Bournemouth player, reported being racially abused during their Premier League opener against Liverpool, a man was also detained.

WSL Football claims that it implements the same policies as the Premier League to combat racism.

We hold ourselves accountable for this. Women’s football is inclusive and has always been. That is something that we want to preserve, Murdoch asserted.

It “feels fundamental to the game’s success.” We want a game where our fans can be incredibly proud of it and our players can succeed.

“The summertime incidents were unacceptable and horrifying.”

“I was pleased to see how it was handled in the Premier League game, despite what I saw. The protocols apply exactly to us.