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NWSL playoffs

U.S. women's professional soccer championships From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The National Women's Soccer League playoffs (or NWSL playoffs) are a single-elimination tournament among eight teams in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) of the United States. The final round of the playoffs is the NWSL Championship.

Since playoff games cannot end in draws, they are broken by two consecutive 15-minute extra time periods, followed by penalty shoot-outs of best-of-five rounds with additional rounds as required.

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Format

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Since the 2024 season, the top eight teams in the final standings at the end of the regular season qualify for the playoffs and are seeded in order of their record. The top-seed hosts the eighth seed and the fourth hosts the fifth in one arm of the quarterfinals bracket, and the runner-up hosts the seventh seed and the third hosts the sixth in the other arm. In the semifinals, teams are not reseeded and the winners within each quarterfinals arm play each other.[1]

From 2021 to 2023, the top 6 teams qualified for a three-round playoff, and the top two seeds had a first-round bye.[2] From 2013 to 2019, the top 4 teams qualified for a two-round playoff.[3]

In 2013 and 2014, the higher seeded team to reach the championship hosted the match. Since 2015, the championship has been hosted at a predetermined site.[4]

More information Year, Qualifiers ...

Sources: [1][2][3][4][5]

Tiebreakers

The initial determining factor for a team's position in the standings is most points earned, with three points earned for a win, one point for a draw, and none for a loss. Since the 2022 season, if at least two teams tie in point total, when determining rank and playoff qualification and seeding, the NWSL uses the following tiebreaker rules, going down the list until all teams are ranked.[6]: 6 

  1. Overall goal difference
  2. Most total wins (regular season only)
  3. Most goals scored (regular season only)
  4. Head-to-head results (total points accumulated)
  5. Head-to-head most goals scored
  6. Fewest disciplinary points accumulated:
    • First yellow card: -1 point
    • Indirect red card (second yellow card): -3 points
    • Direct red card: -4 points
    • Yellow card and direct red card: -5 points
    • Only one of the above point totals shall be applied to a player in a single game.
  7. Coin flip (2 teams)/Drawing of lots (3+ teams)

If two clubs remain tied after another club with the same number of points advances during any step, the tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format.

Prior to the 2022 season, the first tiebreaker was head-to-head record.[7]: 6 

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Playoff series history

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2013 season

Further information: 2013 National Women's Soccer League season
Semifinals Championship
      
1 Western NY Flash 2
4 Sky Blue FC[a] 0
1 Western NY Flash 0
3 Portland Thorns FC 2
2 FC Kansas City 2
3 Portland Thorns FC (a.e.t.) 3

2014 season

Further information: 2014 National Women's Soccer League season
Semifinals Championship
      
1 Seattle Reign FC 2
4 Washington Spirit 1
1 Seattle Reign FC 1
2 FC Kansas City 2
2 FC Kansas City 2
3 Portland Thorns FC 0

2015 season

Further information: 2015 National Women's Soccer League season
Semifinals Championship
      
1 Seattle Reign FC 3
4 Washington Spirit 0
1 Seattle Reign FC 0
3 FC Kansas City 1
2 Chicago Red Stars 0
3 FC Kansas City 3

2016 season

Further information: 2016 National Women's Soccer League season
Semifinals Championship
      
1 Portland Thorns FC 3
4 Western NY Flash (a.e.t.) 4
4 Western NY Flash (p) 2 (3)
2 Washington Spirit 2 (2)
2 Washington Spirit (a.e.t.) 2
3 Chicago Red Stars 1

2017 season

Further information: 2017 National Women's Soccer League season
Semifinals Championship
      
1 NC Courage 1
4 Chicago Red Stars 0
1 NC Courage 0
2 Portland Thorns FC 1
2 Portland Thorns FC 4
3 Orlando Pride 1

2018 season

Further information: 2018 National Women's Soccer League season
Semifinals Championship
      
1 NC Courage 2
4 Chicago Red Stars 0
1 NC Courage 3
2 Portland Thorns FC 0
2 Portland Thorns FC 2
3 Seattle Reign FC 1

2019 season

Further information: 2019 National Women's Soccer League season
Semifinals Championship
      
1 NC Courage (a.e.t.) 4
4 Reign FC[b] 1
1 NC Courage 4
2 Chicago Red Stars 0
2 Chicago Red Stars 1
3 Portland Thorns FC 0

2020 season

Further information: 2020 National Women's Soccer League season

The NWSL canceled its regular season and playoffs in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports.

2021 season

Further information: 2021 National Women's Soccer League season
First round Semifinals Championship
1 Portland Thorns FC 0
4 Chicago Red Stars 1 4 Chicago Red Stars 2
5 NJ/NY Gotham FC[a] 0 4 Chicago Red Stars 1
3 Washington Spirit (a.e.t.) 2
2 OL Reign[b] 1
3 Washington Spirit (a.e.t.) 1 3 Washington Spirit 2
6 NC Courage 0

2022 season

Further information: 2022 National Women's Soccer League season
First round Semifinals Championship
1 OL Reign[b] 0
4 Houston Dash 1 5 Kansas City Current 2
5 Kansas City Current 2 5 Kansas City Current 0
2 Portland Thorns FC 2
2 Portland Thorns FC 2
3 San Diego Wave FC 2 3 San Diego Wave FC 1
6 Chicago Red Stars 1

2023 season

Further information: 2023 National Women's Soccer League season
Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship
1 San Diego Wave FC 0
4 OL Reign 1 4 OL Reign 1
5 Angel City FC 0 4 OL Reign 1
6 NJ/NY Gotham FC 2
2 Portland Thorns FC 0
3 North Carolina Courage 0 6 NJ/NY Gotham FC (a.e.t.) 1
6 NJ/NY Gotham FC 2

2024 season

Further information: 2024 National Women's Soccer League season
Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship
         
1 Orlando Pride 4
8 Chicago Red Stars 1
1 Orlando Pride 3
4 Kansas City Current 2
4 Kansas City Current 1
5 North Carolina Courage 0
1 Orlando Pride 1
2 Washington Spirit 0
2 Washington Spirit 2
7 Bay FC 1
2 Washington Spirit (p) 1 (3)
3 NJ/NY Gotham FC 1 (0)
3 NJ/NY Gotham FC 2
6 Portland Thorns FC 1
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Records and statistics

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Further information: NWSL records and statistics
As of November 11, 2023

Italics indicates a defunct team.

Playoff results

More information Club, Won ...

Playoff records

More information Team, GP ...

Appearances by team

More information Team, App. ...
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Notes

  1. Known as Sky Blue FC until 2020, NJ/NY Gotham FC 2021–2024.
  2. Seattle Reign FC was previously known as Reign FC (2019) and OL Reign (2020–2023).

References

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