NWSL’s Biggest Controversy — Explained by the Players Association

Summary

Welcome to the Party – Episode Summary

Podcast: Welcome to the Party
Episode: NWSL’s Biggest Controversy — Explained by the Players Association
Date: December 18, 2025
Hosts: Abby Wambach (A), Julie Foudy (C), Special Guest: Megan Burke, NWSLPA Executive Director (B)

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) most pressing controversy as of late 2025: the high-stakes contractual dispute between Trinity Rodman and the Washington Spirit, the subsequent league involvement and veto, and a new “High Impact Player” (HIP) rule proposal by the NWSL. Soccer legends Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy bring in Megan Burke, Executive Director of the NWSL Players Association, for an inside look at how the players are navigating this landscape. The discussion unpacks the collective bargaining agreement, salary cap dynamics, player movement to Europe, and the future competitiveness of the NWSL.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Trinity Rodman Contract Controversy

Background and Timeline

• Trinity Rodman, one of the NWSL’s most valuable players, negotiated a contract extension with the Washington Spirit in late November 2025.
• Despite mutual agreement between Rodman/her agent and the Spirit, the NWSL league office rejected the deal, citing issues with its structure, particularly a large, backloaded payment slated for 2028 (the so-called “problem year”).

Burke’s Explanation [09:13–11:57]

• The contract was negotiated within the frameworks established by the latest CBA and league rules.
• The offer featured moderate salaries for years 1–2, with most compensation “backloaded” in year 3 (2028), plus a team-held option for year 4.
• The Players Association’s stance: the deal should have been approved because:
  • It fit under the salary cap for 2028.
  • The NWSL allows teams a “buyout” each season, letting them pay a player off-cap to manage salary constraints.
  • “If the league can do that to Trinity Rodman in this negotiation, they can do it to any player in any negotiation, which is antithetical to the free agency rights that players fought for in the most recent agreement.” — Megan Burke [11:42]
• A formal grievance was filed by the union.

2. How NWSL Salary Cap & Buyout Rule Work

Buyout Rule Explained [12:11–15:25]

• Buyout: Teams and players negotiate, submit the deal to the league for approval. If an issue arises in a future year (“problem year”), a team can buy a player out of their contract without that money counting against the cap.
• “If a team needs to manage their cap by buying out one contract, they could do so and they could have exercised that right with Trinity. So it was puzzling.” — Megan Burke [13:57]
• The process and the safety valve this rule provides were intended for exactly these scenarios.

3. Salary Cap Growth & Revenue Share [15:25–16:03]

• The cap increases every year (from $3.3M in 2025 to $4.7M in 2028), plus a revenue share clause gives teams added flexibility.
• Both the CBA and club budgets assumed this cap escalation and larger media rights deals.

4. Comparison to Sophia Smith’s Seven-Figure Deal [17:29–21:00]

• Sophia Smith re-signed a $1M option year with Portland Thorns, lauded as the NWSL’s first seven-figure annual contract.
• Burke points out that the league had approved Smith’s multi-year contract and option year before new CBA terms took effect, demonstrating teams routinely make deals based on future cap projections.
• “They made a good faith prediction and we think Trinity did exactly the same thing here.” — Megan Burke [19:23]

5. The High Impact Player (HIP) Rule Proposal

What It Is and Why It’s Controversial [27:59–30:21, 32:01–35:16]

• In response to the Rodman situation and the perceived threat of losing stars to Europe, the NWSL Board proposed the High Impact Player rule (nicknamed the “Rodman Rule”).
• The HIP rule would:
  • Let teams spend $1M additional above the salary cap, but only on players who meet specific criteria (international awards, reputation, marketing draw, etc.).
  • The rule was passed by the board—but not yet agreed to by the NWSLPA; negotiations are ongoing.
• Burke: “Across the board, there is resistance. Now, there’s openness...but...this high impact play rule is going to have really serious, long-term consequences for the league that I think the league itself should be concerned about.” [32:13]

Players’ Objection

• The criteria—centered around global awards like the Ballon d'Or and certain commercial metrics—are seen as too narrow, potentially biased, and risky for league parity and club autonomy.
• “Our position is it should be collectively bargained. And our proposal to the league is to rather than go about this complicated formula...to simply increase the team salary cap by the amount of money they’re already willing to let teams spend.” — Megan Burke [37:12]

6. The Players’ Solution and Core Concern [37:45–39:42]

• The union’s suggestion: add $1M to the existing cap, with no additional criteria, trusting each club’s technical staff to use it wisely.
• Key concern: The HIP rule creates division among players and undermines union solidarity, favoring stars instead of lifting league standards top-to-bottom.

7. Will the Dispute Be Resolved Soon? [47:28–49:06]

• With preseason opening as early as January 2 for some teams, there is urgency.
• Burke predicts: the grievance will extend into 2026; whether Washington, Trinity, and the league come to a deal before European suitors step in remains uncertain.
• “I do think this is going to bleed into the new year. Certainly the grievance…won’t be resolved for some time. That will carry on…And then Trinity’s negotiations…I would imagine Trinity wants to know where she’s reporting to preseason, which opens Jan 14 at the earliest for all teams. Jan 2 for Gotham.”
• “This is a very—I think a needlessly complicated—situation we find ourselves in. I would have loved to have seen the original deal respected.” — Megan Burke [48:43]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Megan Burke on league overreach
  “If the league can do that to Trinity Rodman in this negotiation, they can do it to any player in any negotiation, which is antithetical to the free agency rights that players fought for…” [11:42]

• Megan Burke on the HIP rule criteria:
  “By setting these criteria, they’re asserting a degree of control that we contend exceeds the scope of their authority. We also think it’s bad business.” [33:40]

• Megan Burke on league and union solidarity:
  “This is a union where we had Alex Morgan as a player rep, Alyssa Naeher as a player rep, Jane Campbell...These are players who really believe in the future of this league and are willing to fight for those minimum salary players and to lift up standards for everyone.” [32:48]

• Julie Foudy nails the summary:
  “They made a good faith prediction and we think Trinity did exactly the same thing here.” [19:23]

• Abby Wambach in closing:
  “Even as an owner, it’s important for us that the players are feeling like they have a voice, and you are the person that is that voice in so many ways.” [50:47]

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Important Timestamps

• [09:13] – Megan Burke explains the Rodman/Spirit contract and the league’s rejection
• [12:11] – The buyout rule in plain English
• [15:25] – How the NWSL salary cap and revenue sharing work
• [17:29] – Sophia Smith’s $1M deal and its approval context
• [27:59] – Evolution and explanation of the incoming High Impact Player rule
• [32:01] – Players’ reaction and union opposition to HIP
• [35:16] – How the HIP rule would function, and its problematic criteria
• [37:45] – The union’s counterproposal: just raise the cap
• [47:28] – Likely timeline for a resolution and the 2026 preseason looming
• [49:30] – Does the league consult or bargain with the union on this rule?

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Takeaway

The episode gives a rare behind-the-scenes view on labor relations in women’s pro soccer as the NWSL faces external competition and internal tension over how to retain its brightest stars. The union, led by Megan Burke, maintains that respecting contract agreements and raising standards for all players is the path forward, rather than creating star-favoring exceptions. As preseason approaches, it's unclear whether the league, clubs, and players can find a solution that keeps Trinity Rodman in the NWSL—and lays a strong foundation for the league’s continued growth.

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For listeners seeking a greater understanding of the business and collective action shaping modern women’s sports, this episode is an indispensable breakdown—alternately fiery, funny, and fiercely committed to the players’ wellbeing and future.

Transcript

[A]

Even as an owner, it's important for us that the players are feeling like they have a voice and you are the person that is that voice in so many ways.

[B]

Top to bottom. Every single team in this league can, I would put my money on them over anyone else around the world, eight days a week and twice on Sundays.

[A]

When do you think this will be settled, Megan? Because my heart never takes the golden question. My heart take this.

[C]

Is this gonna be sorted, Megan?

[A]

Attention.

[C]

Is about to commence. Welcome to the party. What's up, party people? I'm Julie Foudy.

[A]

And I'm Abby Wambach. Jules, you want to know something really fun? What? The second season of League 1 volleyball is set to start on January 7th.

[C]

I saw that.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

I saw that.

[A]

It's going to be the first match. Yeah, it's going to be the, the, the first match between the inaugural champions of League 1 volleyball, Austin, playing League 1 volleyball Nebraska, or Love Volleyball as a lot of people talk about it.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

It's a rematch of last year's final and this season it's going to feature a full 14 week schedule.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

A lot of games.

[C]

Season two. Yeah.

[A]

The playoffs will start in April. Matches will air Wednesday nights on USA Network with the championship schedule for mid April. It's very exciting. And drum roll, please. There is a new team that is coming to the league, League 1 volleyball San Francisco. And I'm very excited to report that me and my wife are part owners.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

The Love San Francisco Bay Area team.

[C]

That's awesome.

[A]

I know. I'm so pumped. Yes. I'm. I like, honestly, I can't. I'm beside myself. First of all, you know, our girls go to school up in the Bay Area and so Glennon and I are like, well, we're gonna be up there a lot. This makes a lot of sense. And I just want to tell you, give you a brief snippet of who else is involved, which is really the reason why I wanted to do this. Okay, we've got, we've got Jess Wolf and she's going to basically run the team with Chantelle Preston. They're the, they're the women who really started this, this thing. Guess who we got? Kelsey Robinson Cook, who currently plays on the Atlanta team of the Love League 1 volleyball team. She's a trillion. Like, she has like a trillion medals. It's incredible. You know Danielle Slayton, she's involved. You know Brandy Chastain, she's involved. You know R. Lewis and Leslie Osborne.

[C]

All this, all the Bay FC peeps are in I love it.

[A]

Natalie Coughlin.

[C]

Lindsay.

[A]

Lindsay Napella Berg. Alex Klinaman.

[C]

Alex just. Yeah.

[A]

Ali Riley is a part of this.

[C]

You know, why didn't I do this? Come on. I want in on this party.

[A]

Yeah. Kate Johnson. Who else?

[C]

Becca Van Dyke.

[A]

I was going to say Rebecca Van Dyke. Our bestie.

[C]

Our bestie at Airbnb.

[A]

We love her. And just like there's so many more folks. It's a female led organization and everything about what they are is exactly the thing that I want to be invested in a part of. So I'm very excited.

[C]

I'm. I've got kind of jealous. I'm jealous that I'm not in.

[A]

I told you. Come on, Jules, let's go. Especially with your Stanford, Stanford days. I know.

[C]

Maybe it's not too late.

[A]

It's not back. It's not too late. It's not. Let's go. I can.

[C]

So awesome. I'm, I'm, I'm pumped for that league to start. We're going to get someone from, from League one volleyball for sure. On. Because that was an amazing run by Austin too. Like they didn't do that great in season and they came back and they started sweeping and then just kept going and beat Nebraska in the final, so.

[A]

Well, yay.

[C]

Congrats.

[A]

Glenn and I just watched the NCAA volleyball the other day and she was just astonished. She was like, this is the best sport ever. You want to know why? Because nobody touches anybody else.

[C]

There's no contact.

[B]

She gets.

[A]

There's no contact. She doesn't have to get scared. You know, like any kind of contact or, or, or interaction between bodies is tough for her. So it's perfect. We're excited. We're excited to lay down some roots in the Bay Area, especially because women's sports, that's what, what our roots are.

[C]

Yeah. Congrats, party people. Apologies for a delayed drop of our Thursday show, but we are recording this Thursday morning and super excited because we get to hear straight from the source, the NWSL PA That's Players Association Executive Director Megan Burke on what is happening in NWSL right now. And huge news broke just last week. So let's get to the partiest part of our party. If you've been following what's happening in the NWSL over the last few weeks, you know, these are important times. There are big questions around keeping and attracting our best and brightest stars in the nwsl. And the Trinity Rodman situation has the soccer world abuzz and there is truly no one better to help us unpack all of that than our guest, Megan Burke. Megan is executive director, director of the NWSL Players Association. As I said, a former professional player herself. She was a stud all American goalkeeper in College at St. Louis University and was inducted into the St. Louis University hall of Fame. She's also an attorney who's been in middle. In the middle of these conversations since the very beginning of the nwslpa. She helped build this union, actually from day one. She understands the legal side, the labor side and the player side because she's lived all of it and negotiated a lot of it. So today we're talking about what's really going on, what it means for the players, and where the league goes from here. Megan Burke, welcome to the party, sunshine.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Megan Burke did not see that coming.

[C]

She's coming to you live from the NWSLPA global headquarters with the LED lights behind her.

[A]

Where are you?

[C]

I love this.

[B]

That's it.

[C]

I need some LEDs.

[B]

You do? You do. It would look good behind you. I like your Ally foam finger, though. That's good.

[A]

I got one, too. It's. It's in the trees. Can you see it?

[B]

Well, Julie and Abby, thank you for having me on. It really is a long time know, longtime listener, first time caller, really excited to be with you this morning.

[A]

Well, you're not a caller, you're a guest.

[C]

Yeah, right.

[A]

And we're just so glad that you made the time to. To, to do this. We know how wildly busy. You know, it's the end of the year. We know how busy you are, particularly in this moment. So thank you for giving us 30, 40 minutes of your time. We really appreciate it.

[C]

Yeah. There's two things, Megan, we were thinking that we wanted to discuss with you today. First, we're going to go into where we are with Trinity Rodman's contract with Washington Spirit, because that's a big topic. Second, the NWSL recently, and this was the breaking news on Thursday of last week, recently approved through the board the high impact player rule that you all are still reviewing. The players. Um, but before we get to any of that, can. Can we re rewind just a little bit on how we got here? Because as we've seen with women's soccer and the popularity globally that the market for women's players has gotten a lot more competitive. For example, Naomi Girma leaving San Diego to go play at Chelsea in January. Alyssa Thompson. I'm still grieving over leaving our Angel City. We should note that Abby and I are owners and part owners of Angel City in Los Angeles. She left for Chelsea in September. And there was a mild state of panic that set in as we all knew that some huge names like Trinity Rodman and Sophia Wilson would be free agents at the end of this season, which was in November. So the real possibility of actually losing more players is out there because these Europeans PN teams aren't tied to a salary cap like the NWSL is. So if you would fill us in on what transpired over the last couple of weeks, starting with the Washington Spirits proposed offer to Trinity Rodman in late November.

[B]

Sure. Thank you for the tee up. So, first of all, I think it's important to note that Trinity signed a four year deal. So this was the fourth year of a contract. We entered into an extension or a new collective bargaining agreement, if you will, in the summer of 2024 that established somewhat of a new framework for how we approach the salary cap. So going into the end of the season, we knew that Trinity would be looking at her options. And as you all point out, I think one of the things that is exciting for those of us who've played is that players have options and now there's a global labor market and it's a wildly competitive labor market. So right around Thanksgiving, I learned that Trinity and her agent had struck an agreement with the Washington Spirit, which of course we were thrilled about. We hope that Trinity stays in the league, that she wants to play for the Spirit. I think you can infer from the series of events that she's trying to stay with the team that has launched her professional career. And I then learned that the league rejected that agreement. The structure of the deal, as I understand it, is there's a six figure salary in year one, six figure salary in year two, and then the majority of compensation was backloaded, which is not uncommon, neither in professional sports nor in the nwsl, but that the majority of compensation was backloaded into year three, which would be 2028. And we can kind of refer to that for the purposes of this conversation as like the problem year. I think that the league had an issue with and then an option for the fourth year. Our position is that this was a validly negotiated deal. It complies with the collective bargaining agreement and the league's own rules on multiple levels. First of all, we believe it does fit within the 2028 team salary cap. Secondly, you know, as I'm sure we're going to get into today, it is not unreasonable to expect that additional investment in order to maintain their competitive advantage might happen in the next few years. But then really importantly, the league's own rules allow each team one buyout per season that does not hit their cap. I refer to that as a safety valve. So that if a team needs to manage their cap by buying out one contract, they could do so and they could have exercised that right with Trinity. So it was puzzling. Candidly, we feel strongly that if the league can do that to Trinity Rodman in this negotiation, they can do it to any player in any negotiation which is antithetical to the free agency rights that players fought for in the most recent agreement. So we did file a grievance right after that. We learned that information.

[A]

I want to talk about the, the buyout rule because that does confuse me a little bit and I think it confuses a lot of people. Can you, can you spell that out for the, the layman, for the person who doesn't really know much about contracts and sports and CBAs?

[B]

Sure. So Abby, you're right. The way you just explained it, the team and the player negotiate terms and then it gets sent off to the league office to then prepare the contract for signature. And the parties to the agreement in this instance are the player and the league. Even though the team has negotiated the terms, which can be confusing to some people, but is important to note, it is unusual for the league to be involved in the negotiation. It is unusual for things to be run by the league before the team strikes that deal. You know, our position is that there's sort of a like the team and the league are both employing the player. Right. Because it's the team, as you all know, that the player reports to work to, works for, shows up for and is in the work environment with. So this buyout rule is in the league's competition rules. And it's sort of a recognition that as you, when you sign multi year deals, which of course the vast majority of elite players aren't signed just one year deals, they're signing multi year deals, which is typically to the benefit of the team, if you ask me, because we're seeing such significant year over year growth right now. If you're Alyssa Thompson, Naomi Girma, Trinity Rodman, your value today, like you can bet that in two or three years your value is going to be here. So the team's getting something when the player agrees to a deal. Now, based on today's assumptions and what the team is, you know, what the player is getting is the certainty of being in the same team for a few years and a certainty of compensation. But if events come to pass, the team has not been able to manage their salary cap such that their entire roster fits within it. By the time we get to the problem year, if you will, the team can use this rule to become cap compliant, meaning the player gets made whole. So it's not a disadvantage to the player because they're going to be fully paid up, they're going to get what they're owed, and then the team gets the cap space in order to then be able to be cap compliant and possibly sign some other players. And it does terminate the agreement. The important thing here is that a buyout means the contract's over, it's terminated.

[A]

I see. Okay. And so who. Who pays the. The player? Is it the league or the team?

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Okay. And so that's just kind of like if this happens, it gets put into a separate category that does not go under the salary cap, which might be the thing that they were anticipating doing for Trinity in the problem year ahead. That's right.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Because we can assume it was a big number. Right, right, Right. And so you got to field a roster of 22 to 26 players, four of whom are salary cap exempt. If you've got other players under contract for that year, which to our knowledge at the time, there's only one other player who was under contract for 2028. So when you do the math, you need to be able to come. Your total player spend in 2028 needs to be 4.7 million plus, because that's the base salary cap plus the team revenue share, which we can talk about. But that's how the salary cap system was structured in our collective bargaining agreement is it's no longer just one number, it's a collectively bargained number plus revenue sharing.

[A]

I see.

[C]

And that's because the salary cap is increasing year after year. So this year it was 3.3 million. By 2028, you said it will be 4.7 million. And that was part of the CBA that was negotiated as well of that increase in salary cap. And then on top of that is the rev share, which is a percentage of the revenue share that goes towards the cap. Correct?

[B]

That's right. Which is. We have a hybrid model. We don't. Yeah. We don't just have one fixed number. We've got a fixed number plus a little bit of upside in the league's sponsorship and media deals. Players do see it at, you know, dollars directed to the salary cap from media and sponsorship.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

And even though what was used to model this was that there would be a bigger media rights deal right there would be a higher 4.7 million cap, which would create the space to accommodate that larger number in 2028. Jessica Berman still vetoed it, citing it violated the spirit of the rules. You guys came back saying, we don't see it as such. Given those increased numbers in 2028, that. That plus the buyout safety valve, we feel like it was valid and it would have been able to be done under the current guidelines. And so that's why you filed the grievance. Right. Because as you said, if they can do it to Trinity, they can do it to anyone. And we won't stand by that where.

[B]

You want to argue this at arbitration, you did a pretty good job.

[C]

Where are we? Because they had till yesterday, December 17, to respond. So where are we with their response to your grievance?

[B]

Yeah, I saw that it was reported, so I'll comment on that. Just out of respect for the process. I always want to be mindful of how lawyers do things. We did agree to a few days extension of time, which is more of a professional courtesy, I guess folks will read into it. But as a lawyer, I've always said yes to requests for extension of time. It's a matter of professionalism. And that's all it was. So the league has a few more days to respond to our grievances.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

I also saw the news that Sophia Smith, which is great news, re signed a one year extension with Portland Thorns. Right. This was on Tuesday and that option was a seven figure option. It was $1 million, which is marking the first seven figure contract year in NWSL history. So congrats to Sophia on that one. That's awesome. So great to hear because that was another player that was up with free agency rights that people were worried about possibly going to Europe. So we don't have visibility into Trinity's numbers. Right. We know they're large in 2028. But my question is how is this deal approved and not Trinity's?

[B]

That's a great question. I actually have the same question. I think the important thing to point out here in terms of the dynamics are that. And I just had to check myself, feel free to fact check me here. But I believe Sophia signed her deal back in early 2024, even before we had ratified a new collective bargaining agreement. And this just illustrates the point I'm making that players sign multi year deals and teams sign multi year deals all the time and make assumptions about numbers in order to enter into those multi year deals. And the likes of Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman, the assumptions they're making about numbers are bigger than the assumptions a lot of the rest of the player pool does. And so when they reached this deal in 2024, they agreed to this salary. It was a player option. We are thrilled to see Sophia first of all be the first player to reach this milestone. As far as I know she's, you know, obviously a dynamic. Awesome. We're thrilled she's going to be around next year, both her and her family. But this, it's the same dynamic. They struck a deal. There were no certainties around what the salary cap would be in 2026 when she signed the deal in 2024. But they made a good faith prediction and we think Trinity did exactly the same thing here.

[C]

Interesting. Is it because it's just a one year deal with Sophia Wilson that it seems something they can stomach a little more?

[B]

Well, it's actually not. This was the option year of the deal, the multi year deal that was struck in 2024. So this agreement was made, you know, prior to knowing what the salary cap would be in 2026. And that is not an uncommon. In fact, since the beginning of NWSL historically many years teams didn't even know what their salary caps were until many months into the year. I have a lot of empathy and compassion for the GMs. Like I don't know how they did it. To be honest with you. That's an impossible task. And so part of what candidly we'd hoped to achieve with this new collective bargaining agreement last summer was a little more certainty about the rules of the road so that teams and players could negotiate agreements with more confidence that the system would support it. And that's what happened here.

[A]

In our, in our view it doesn't make sense. Like I don't understand why, why the league would approve one and not the other or and obviously this was already pre approved so did Sophia's. This new option agreement. It didn't need a league approval is what you're saying it.

[B]

Well, it was Approved back in 2024. It's contained in the standard. So they. Yeah, okay. They had approved it.

[A]

So she.

[B]

If. Go ahead please.

[A]

Yeah, so she, she engaged. And. And what is it called when you take the option year?

[B]

You exercise.

[A]

Exercise. Thank you. She exercised her option. Okay, this is making a lot of sense for, for me. Which means that a lot of our listeners are also understanding this. Thank you so much.

[B]

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[A]

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[C]

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[A]

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[C]

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[A]

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[C]

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[B]

I know.

[C]

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[A]

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[C]

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[B]

I think that that's hilarious.

[A]

I usually shower and then get into another pair of Yori sweats.

[B]

So that's like. That's my Emma. I don't.

[A]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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I don't know.

[A]

Seems kind of unfair that it's taken this long. Thank you, Third Love, for thinking of all of our boob sizes. Okay, so mine, the ones that I'm reaching for without even thinking they are that good. And if you can see me out in the wild, I am a hundred percent wearing one. And you can't see it because it's under my clothes. So I'm just going to tell you about it here instead. I promise. I'm wearing them. Stop settling for average bras. Get solutions made for your body. Get 15 off your first [e-mail] with code podcast15. That is podcast15.

[C]

Thank you for not flashing us. This show is sponsored by MIDI Health. Thank you, Medi Health and abs. I'll be honest, I used to think that I had my body down to a science, right? I knew what I needed, what it could handle, how to get back on track. And then. And then life threw at me. Perimenopause and menopause. And suddenly I was like, what is happening? Why did someone change the settings on me? I don't get it. Like, temperature settings changed everything. I had all these symptoms, these questions, a lot of fog and no clear places to turn. And that's why MIDI Health becomes this absolutely game changer, because they're actually bringing real expertise to the phase of life most women are expected to just, like, figure it out. Figure it out.

[A]

So annoying.

[C]

Yeah. And I'm like, what do you mean? I don't even know what the hell this is. How am I supposed to figure it out exactly? With midi, you can meet online with clinicians who specialize in perimenopause and menopause, and they can actually explain, like, what's happening, why you're feeling that way, and how, most importantly, you can feel better. They support everything from hormone health to sleep to mood to energy and weight management. And it's all through personalized care that's covered by insurance, so. Good, because here's what we know. This stage of life is an ending, so you gotta wrap your arms around at party people. It's a transition that we're gonna handle just fine. And you deserve care that meets you right where you are. Ready to feel your best and write your second act script. Yes. Visit joinmitty.com today to book your personalized insurance covered virtual visit. That's joinmitty.com MIDI the care women deserve. To the second item on our list, the high impact player rule. So my understanding of this May, and you can again correct us if we're wrong, is the NWSL board convened and it sounded like it was an emergency convening of because they don't typically, I read the reporting was they don't typically, they weren't going to typically meet until a little bit later. They convened to vote on Thursday, December 11th on this new high impact player rule and it got approved. Board approved but without player NWSLPA player approval yet. So first tell us what the, I don't know what we're gonna call it, the Rodman Rule or the Hip rule is and then we will discuss, you know, where the players are on it.

[B]

Yeah, I just can't with the name but I'll have to roll with it. So. Yeah. So I think the most important point here, this is a really, really key point for us at least as a union, which is that this proposed high impact play rule in no way, shape or form resolves the grievance that we just talked about, the issues that we raise. And for Abby, to your point, for the listeners, a grievance is just the union's way of enforcing the contract, of saying we think something happened here that doesn't comply with the contract. And it's a, by the way, it's a win for the league and the union to have a process in place to resolve differences of interpretation or opinion. It's a healthy way to resolve these disagreements. So I just want to call it out that it's a good thing we've got this mechanism available to us and that we can use it to raise these questions and get them sorted and ideally at the end of it have clarity over how the contract should be interpreted so that that process will continue on regardless of what happens with the high impact play rule. Of course, we're still awaiting the league's response. I'm, I suppose I can't say yet whether they will agree or disagree with our position. I can guess that they probably don't agree. But the high impact player rule is, I think, their way of trying to put more money in the system, be able to sign the likes of Attorney Rodman and other, you know, globally elite players, world class players who drive both sporting and commercial value and the way the rule's been presented. And so, you know, I want to start by saying we appreciate the Board of Governors Willingness to invest another million dollars per team in player compensation in order to attract and retain the world's best players. We're supportive of that. Of that. I want to start there. I think it's important to start in places where we agree. And there's nothing about, as I understand their proposal, nothing about it that requires teams to spend it either, which is very similar to how the team salary cap works now. There is now a minimum spend in our collective bargaining agreement, but it is very modest. It is the minimum salary plus the revenue share. Every single team this year exceeded that benchmark. So there's nothing about the high impact player rule that that forces teams to spend. Our position though, as we've reviewed, and I will tell you that, you know, we received information, a proposal from the league and as a union, the way it works, it's not just what does Megan think?

[A]

Yes, there is a process.

[B]

We represent over 400 world class NWSL players and they represent a range of viewpoints. We represent Trinity Rodman just as we represent the rookie who's never seen the field and everything in between. And so it's important for us when we receive a proposal from the league to get feedback from our membership to let them know this is what the league is thinking. What do you think? I can tell you with 100% confidence that every time I've gotten a proposal and share it with our membership, someone thinks of something I didn't think of or asks a question that is really important. I just want to take this opportunity to just come in. We have deeply thoughtful people in this league. Really, really whip smart people whose lived experience often identifies areas that I think can push this league and this business forward. Things that the business folks might not think of or the implications of a proposal or an idea. So it's so it's not just lip service. We really do want feedback and perspective from our members and we do that through our player representatives. Each of the teams have two player representatives and an alternate. This is the time of year where folks are moving on to other teams or other transactions. But our players are so committed that even when they're on their way up, they're still showing up to the board meeting we just had. So we happen to have a board meeting scheduled for this week. We meet four times a year and this was our winter board meeting and we had the opportunity to get together and talk about this rather than just, you know, exchanging texts.

[C]

And when was this?

[B]

Yesterday? Tuesday. Tuesday. Okay. I don't know what day the week.

[C]

Thursday.

[B]

You'll have to tell me if it was yesterday.

[C]

This is Thursday.

[B]

Thank you for that. I need a fact check. So we were able to discuss this proposal and I can tell you I've not heard from a single player who thinks this is a good idea. Across the board there is resistance. Now there's openness, which I'll get to in a minute. There's openness to the discussion. But one of the things that we are really proud of in this league is that top to bottom, every single team in this league can, I would put my money on them over anyone else around the world. Eight days a week and twice on Sundays, we have a wildly competitive top to bottom league where our strength is in the collective. And I think that's true for our union as well. This is a union where we had Alex Morgan as a player up. Alyssa Narrow is a player up, Jane Campbell's a player rep, Tierna Davidson's a player up. These are players who really believe in the future of this league and are willing to fight for those minimum salary players and to lift up standards for everyone. At the same time, we've had minimum salaried players who may not get a lot of minutes, advocate for things like eliminating a maximum salary rule and free agency. We think our strength is in our collective and across the board. The feedback I've received is that this high impact play rule is going to have really serious, serious long term consequences for the league that I think the league itself should be concerned about. When I look at the criteria and this is, you know, without getting into the particulars of the proposal, the thrust of it is the league is establishing certain criteria that only some players would meet in order to access this additional pot of funds. Our position is it's not a roster classification. This is about some workers getting more money than others and what criteria they have to meet to do that. These criteria are, they're kind of divided into sporting and commercial themselves. Replace the good judgment and discretion of the teams themselves. When you look at all soon to be 16 teams around the league, they're each different. Yes, we have parity, but what's also interesting is identity and culture and how teams go about constructing rosters to be competitive. And it turns out there's a lot of nuance in figuring out which players are worth what. And that is what the GMs and the soccer ops folks and the technical directors, that is what their job is. And I think it's important here to have role clarity. It's not my job. I don't think it's the League's job either. And so by setting these criteria, they're asserting a degree of control that we contend exceeds the scope of their authority. We also think it's bad business. When I look at this criteria, the likes of Barbara Banda herself, when she set the record, I think she set a transfer fee record when she signed with Orlando Pride. She herself would not have been eligible to access these funds.

[C]

She wouldn't have fit into the criteria.

[B]

No.

[C]

Can you tell the party people what the. What the criteria specifically is? Because there has been reporting on it, but I do want to hear it from the source. And also what the amount. You mentioned it briefly, but what the amount of money is if said player, a player fits this criteria, as the NWSL board voted in, how much money they would get. My understanding is it's $1 million above the cap. Correct.

[B]

So. Excuse me. So part of the problem we have with this proposal and the way in which it's come about is that it's been hastily put together. And so there's a lot we don't know. There are a lot of questions that we have about how this would work in practice and some of the particulars. And I do think they're still trying to land on what they think about these, about this proposal and what criteria should be in place. I can generally comment that the idea, the concept is that each team would be able to access an additional million dollars, but a player has to meet certain objectives or criteria in order to access that million dollars. And some of those criteria are very heavily focused on Balloon d' or winners, which has a. Its own bias, European bias.

[C]

You know, Ballon d' or is the. Is the French top player of. Of the year footballer or soccer player of the year that they've done for, for many years. Yeah. So obviously a very European heavy, biased, as people have said for years. Keep going. Sorry.

[B]

Yeah. And the Guardian, their ranking of the world's best footballers. You know, we're still looking at our, our own membership and trying to make sense of this rule and how this all fits and plays out. But, you know, I'm not so sure that players like Manaka, Rachel, Kundanaji, Temuachawinga, some of the most exciting players to watch in the league themselves would have been eligible for this pool of funds. And of course, again, now maybe they are, maybe not. I don't know if Monaco would be or not. But that's part of the problem we have is we should be a league that is proud to attract the next Barbara Banda and the next Tamwa Chinga. And those players may or may not come from Europe. Maybe some do. But as you all know, we're proudly a league that has embraced some of the world's best players from Japan and Africa. And I, I think that's a massive strength to our league. We can do both in our, our point in in the position proposal we've made to league. So I'll close the I'll land the plane on the answer to this question. We collectively took the position as a union that we oppose the high impact player rule. Our position is that it should be collectively bargained. And our proposal to the league is to rather than go about this complicated formula that we think has negative long term consequences, to simply increase the team salary cap by the amount of money they're already willing to let teams spend, which is a million dollars. That's our proposal.

[A]

And that just with no criteria. No criteria attached. Just like add a million bucks.

[B]

We trust the system we'd already created and the GMs and the folks who negotiate contracts to begin with to make those judgment calls.

[A]

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[C]

Abby. As we know, the holidays can be chaotic throughout. Gosh, I just got my decorations up and it's like mid, mid December. Izzy always wants them up by like October. I'm like, settle down, Izzy. Anyways, how many times have you agreed to host the family? Which we do. And then you look around and you're like, wait a second, wait, my nephew and niece are coming too. We don't have enough beds. We got to figure out beds. And so you, then you have to order, you know, more things. Well, Wayfair is your place to get all of that. Yes, they have furniture, but you can definitely. So you can get that fold up cot from them as well. Or they have beddings and linens to decor from every single room. I just actually got a whole outdoor furniture set from them, which is amazing. Yeah. Because we. I love to push people outside because I love being outside and it's. And then it doesn't mess up the house. So I was like, if I make it really nice outside where they can sit, then we push them outside more and we can even eat outside. So. But what I find amazing is that you can get so many things in one place at Wayfair and the stuff shows up fast, the delivery is easy and their customer service is actually amazing. Their follow up that they tell you where you when it's coming, where, where you could track it. All those things I was so impressed with. So my house is holiday ready and now so am I. I don't know about you, but that makes me feel good. So get last minute hosting essentials, gifts for all your loved ones and decor to celebrate the holidays for way less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. That's Wayfair. W-A-Y-F-A-I-R.com Wayfair. Every style, every home, every party. I can't wait till they add that into their logo. Okay, so add a million to the cap. Done. Like add the million. Don't put the criteria. Let the GMs and the sporting directors, as you said of each team, actually decide and trust that they will pick the right players. I mean, I'm going to play devil's advocate real quick because I can as an owner, the fiscal responsibility of wanting to ensure who you're signing and retaining the highest impact player I get because of the commercial value that they could bring. But I also agree that that set of criteria doesn't hit the mark in terms of finding that. And, and of course.

[B]

I.

[C]

Why wouldn't teams do that anyways? Right. They're not going to be spending another million dollars on players that aren't going to bring value to their team commercially and on the field as well. Right. Like that is just your natural selection.

[A]

Yeah. Especially if they don't have to spend it. If this is just an option.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Like if, if, if this is given. And so I wonder from like all of the owners around the league, if some of the owners who are really trying to invest in their stadium projects in their, you know, they're there, they have budgets and they've created budgets. So I understand that some owners are a little bit more liquid than others. And I think that that's probably why this rule was, was presented to the board of Governors at the NWSL and approved because it probably, it probably met the needs of all of those ownership groups. So I understand that it's a little bit tricky for me. The value of retaining the top talent, the top worldwide talent is worth the potential risk of maybe not having the money to be able to invest in those players and your team doesn't do as well. Okay, let's think a little bit broadly on, okay, how can we get an extra million dollars of sponsorship dollars to, to be investing into our players?

[B]

Right.

[A]

How, how can it forces, I think, an ownership group to think differently and, and, and I think better around how to get more revenue for your business. But that's just me.

[C]

Okay, a couple questions. When you go back to them and say the players don't agree with this, is there any concern that because obviously this was done with the intention of shit. We need to keep Trinity Rodman, whether they admit to this or not. But we all know, like things needed to change to increase and be competitive, increase the salary cap or way to be competitive in the global market. So is there any concern that this delay or disagreement could actually push Trinity to look across the pond?

[B]

Well, I'd go back to. We are fighting to keep Trinity by way of the grievance we filed to respect the agreement she already struck the first time. That being said, we recognize the league has a different point of view on this and you know, I will commend Trinity's agent and representatives. I think she has really good people around her who are working hard round the clock to try to see if there is an agreement to be struck. And it's not for me to comment on an individual player's negotiations. I just know they're working hard to find a solution and that Trinity is clearly wanting to try to stay in Washington. But that being said, she's got other offers. And so, yeah, I think there is a risk that she does go elsewhere. Despite everyone's best efforts and including the leagues. You know, I don't think that the high impact rule is necessary to retain Trinity.

[A]

Rodman.

[B]

There is already a solution to be had, if not in the first agreement that was struck, then in increasing the team salary cap by the amount that they've already agreed they're willing to spend.

[A]

Right.

[C]

What is the difference between the high impact player rule and like a designated player rule compared to what the MLS has?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, great question. So I actually remember, you know, when the David Beckham rule came around. And I do think the way that came to pass was both approached by then the league very differently than here now. But I do think there are distinctions that are important to call out. So as I understand it, the designated player rule is almost like an unlimited pot of funds that can be spent on three players. And at least as it was initially conceived, back when it was meant for David Beckham, there were no criteria that were stipulated around it. It was just an additional pot of money, which of course then freed up the team salary cap for everyone else on the roster. But it didn't hamstring the team from deciding who to spend it on. As I understand it here in this proposal, there is a cap. It's a million dollars. There are criteria that must be met, and I don't agree that the criteria are appropriately tailored to meet the objectives that the league has stated they are meant for.

[A]

Okay, all right, this is really helpful. When do you think this will be settled, Megan? Because my heart, the golden question, my heart.

[C]

Is this gonna be sorted?

[B]

Megan? All I know is Santa's gotta get busy. I got three kids. Like I got.

[C]

Right. I mean, it always. Why is that always the case? It happens, like right in the middle of the holidays and chaos.

[B]

Kill me. I really, really thought that I was gonna get ahead of my shopping list this year, but here we are. Yeah, you know, I think it's a great question. I do think this is. Is going to bleed into the new year. Certainly the grievance at least won't be resolved for some time. That will carry on. And, you know, again, I think that's a separate question from the high impact player rule proposal. And Then Trinity's negotiations, I would imagine. Trinity wants to know where she's reporting to preseason, which opens Jan. 14 at the earliest for all teams. Jan. 2 for Gotham. By the way, we're going to get smacked in the face with the next season as soon as we hang up on this call. So, you know, there are three different things happening at the same time. Whether or not Trinity and her folks are able to reach a deal with Washington, you know, I can't speak to that. I know that they're working hard. The high impact player rule, I imagine, is a key piece of that. And if we challenge it, it could be that we have to revisit some interesting legal questions in the new year. So this is a very, I think, a needlessly complicated situation we find ourselves in. I would have loved to have seen the original deal that was tracked to have been respected.

[C]

I understand the language, just to be clear, so people know, like the board of Governors can't go and make this salary cap change with this high impact player rule without consulting with the players Association. But by cons, the language I saw was consulting. So that means that the players have to also agree to this rule for it to go forward. Is that correct?

[B]

Our position is actually that this exceeds the scope of the league's Authority in section 8.16 around the team salary cap. And I didn't mean to go lawyer on you. I apologize. I just have this contract burned in my brain.

[A]

It's shorthand.

[B]

Our position is that they must bargain with us over this kind of a proposal, not that they merely consult with us, which would be sort of a lighter touch, if you will. That being said, we learned this rule for the first time, I guess a week ago today and are moving quickly in recognition that this is time sensitive. Our players deserve to have an off season at some point, including our player reps, and hopefully a, you know, nice holiday with their families. And so we don't intend on putting them to work during the holiday next week. I hope that in the next few days we're able to come to some agreements to make, at least provide more clarity to all of us. But our position is and remains that what's in the best interest of the league is what we've proposed, which is simply increasing the team salary cap by the amount they're already willing to spend. And, you know, we think they could do that. Obviously, they would need to run a board vote on their point, but we've made our views clear. We're not, you know, we're not. We're trying to make a proposal that we think could get it done that is fairly straightforward and simple and also most efficient in terms of time.

[A]

You're the best for coming on and taking the time. We know how busy this time is for you. I hope that you've gotten your children holiday presents and you're looking forward to also getting a little time off. Honestly, Megan, this has been really, really educational and helpful to understand, and we just appreciate also the commitment that you've made to the players association and for so many years, giving them the voice that they have and then, you know, being there for them when. When these things pop up. You know, even as an owner, it's important for us that the players are feeling like they have a voice and you are the person that is that voice in so many ways. So we just appreciate that very much.

[B]

Yeah, that means a lot to me. Thank you, Abby. Thank you, Julie. It's so good. I could talk to you guys all day. This is fun.

[C]

I'm putting. I'm putting good vibes out there. Good vibes out there. Let's go, kids.

[A]

Yeah. Let's get it done. Let's get this done before the new year.

[C]

Come on, get it done. I appreciate Megan doing that and jumping on right now during all the chaos. I just hope that this does get resolved, because as she said, January, what was the. I thought it was 17th, 14th, I think she said. That's early.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I mean, it gets earlier and earlier. I mean, this. This hopefully will get resolved.

[A]

And it was just really good for me to. To get a little bit of clarity around, you know, the buyouts and the hip rule and what the players, you know, what their voices and what their rights are. And she's just. She's just the best. I'm so grateful to Megan for doing that for us.

[C]

All right, party people, don't forget to subscribe to the welcome to the party YouTube channel if you want to actually watch this and click that little bell icon so you get updates when new episodes go live. To remind you that would be.

[A]

And again, if you can just take a second, we would really, really appreciate it. To rate, leave a comment and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And be sure to follow us on TikTok and Instagram @. Welcome to the party show where Julie, Billy, and I will bring the party straight to your feed. Shout out to Kate Diaz for our theme music. Jules, you want to bring it in.

[C]

For. Put your paws in. Let's go. Let's get a little vibe going that they get this done vibes for.

[A]

The end of his cell, and somehow they figure this out. And the league sending all vibes. You. You count.

[C]

Essentials.

[A]

Okay, Don't lose.

[B]

It. Just hold.

[C]

It. Let's do this on.

[A]

Three. One, two, three. Welcome to the Party is an independent production brought to you by Treat Media. Treat Media makes art for humans who want to stay human. Silver Tribe is our production partner, and you can also watch our full conversations on the welcome to the party YouTube channel and follow us at welcome to the Party show on Instagram and TikTok.

[C]

Time. Party people, the party is officially.