NWSL's "High Impact" Player Rule Creates Discrimination Risk - Episode Hero Image

NWSL's "High Impact" Player Rule Creates Discrimination Risk

American Soccer Analysis · · Listen to Original Episode →
Original Title:

TL;DR

  • The proposed mechanism for Trinity Rodman to stay in the NWSL involves teams spending up to $1 million over the salary cap, but this money is restricted to "high impact players," creating potential for discrimination and problematic definitions.
  • Defining "high impact players" is nebulous and could lead to problematic interpretations, potentially favoring players based on subjective criteria rather than objective performance metrics.
  • Simply raising the salary cap or implementing a traditional designated player rule are presented as simpler, cleaner, and more sustainable alternatives to the proposed complex financial machinations.
  • The league's handling of the Trinity Rodman situation is criticized as a classic management strategy to pressure the union into acceptance, potentially presenting an unmanageable or unacceptable proposal.
  • The Democratic Women's Caucus intervention signals a need for the NWSL to adhere to collectively bargained labor agreements, indicating potential scrutiny if terms are not met.
  • Casey Murphy's four-year, $1.5 million contract, potentially the largest for a goalkeeper in league history, is viewed as a significant overpay given her recent performance metrics and age.
  • Alyssa Naeher's one-year deal and Katie Lund's three-year deal suggest a potential tandem strategy to phase out Naeher and transition Lund into the starting role, contingent on Lund's health.

Deep Dive

The NWSL is navigating complex financial and player retention challenges, highlighted by the Trinity Rodman situation, which has prompted the league to propose a novel mechanism allowing teams to spend over the salary cap for specific "high impact" players. This approach, however, introduces significant ambiguity and potential for discrimination in defining such players, raising concerns about fairness and sustainability compared to simpler solutions like raising the cap or implementing a traditional designated player rule.

The proposed mechanism for retaining high-value players like Trinity Rodman involves allowing teams to spend up to $1 million over the salary cap, but this money is restricted to "high impact" players, a category yet to be clearly defined. The criteria for this designation, such as Ballon d'Or shortlists or national team caps, are fraught with potential biases, particularly concerning representation. This complexity contrasts with more straightforward alternatives like a general salary cap increase or a designated player rule, which offer greater clarity and flexibility for team management, though they also have their own drawbacks. The union's review and potential approval of this proposal are critical, especially as it comes amid ongoing labor grievances and increased scrutiny from the democratic women's caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, which is urging adherence to collective bargaining agreements.

In parallel, the NWSL has seen significant goalkeeper activity, with Alyssa Naeher signing a one-year deal with Chicago and Katie Lund securing a three-year contract, signaling a potential succession plan for the position. Meanwhile, Casey Murphy's four-year deal with Boston, reportedly the largest for a goalkeeper in league history, raises questions about its value given her recent performance metrics and age. While her past high-level play and the league's financial uncertainty could justify longer-term deals, the substantial investment appears to be a significant overpay based on current data, though the possibility of future contract value remains. The league's Best XI selections, reflecting fan, player, and media votes, largely aligned with data-driven analysis, particularly at the fullback position, indicating a positive trend in recognizing comprehensive player contributions. The draft process for the combined xOG NWSL Best XI highlighted differing value judgments among analysts, especially regarding players on strong teams versus those who excelled despite team performance, and the importance of individual skill versus system contribution. Ultimately, the combined XI featured a strong contingent from Kansas City and Portland, underscoring their team success, alongside standout individual performers across positions.

Action Items

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Key Quotes

"there is some information there as you mentioned what seems to be the case is there is going to be uh up to a million dollars available to teams to spend over the cap what separates it from other forms of allocation money or like a classic designated player rule as we see in mls is that that money is only able to be spent on certain kinds of players yeah which have yet to be defined but trinity rodman apparently is one of and there have been hints but no confirmations about like what that might mean"

The hosts discuss a proposed mechanism for Trinity Rodman to remain in the NWSL, involving spending over the salary cap. Eric Morgan and Evan Davis note that the specifics are unclear, including the amount available and how it would be dispersed. They highlight that this money is intended for "certain kinds of players," suggesting a new category beyond existing rules like Designated Player status in MLS.

"it just feels like a unique and new way to discriminate and i don't know how the discriminations going to be broken down just yet but it does feel like whatever answer comes out of however they're going to try to define high impact player is going to be problematic and it's very complicated also on the financial side because up to a million dollars over the cap looks pretty good now but it looks good maybe not even now but yale everbush west which we talked to her before the championship said no on certain terms like how do we avoid having this be a problem every two years"

Evan Davis expresses concern that the proposed "high impact player" designation could be a form of discrimination, with unclear criteria. He questions how such a definition will be established and notes the financial complexity, suggesting that even a million dollars over the cap might not be a sustainable solution, referencing past discussions about avoiding recurring issues.

"what is annoying is that there were just so many simpler and cleaner and probably more long term sustainable ways to do this like just raising the cap number one number one just raise the goddamn cap uh number two designated player rule also has problems but at the very least it says all right spend whatever money you want ownership on x number of players and it can be any players you want to be uh to fill those slots i e you fall on your own sword with how you use those dp allocations it can't just be that you get to pick from like the you know the the candy corn bowl of the 20 best you know"

Eric Morgan argues that simpler solutions exist for the NWSL's financial challenges, such as directly raising the salary cap. He suggests that a Designated Player rule, despite its own issues, would offer more flexibility by allowing teams to spend on any players they choose, rather than being restricted to a select group.

"the problem i have with the idea of a high impact player is that it is nebulous and therefore able to like if if you want to just say each team is allowed to determine whatever the fuck that means and spend their money on however the fuck they want to i'm actually more inclined toward that direction because at least the team knows the thing well i actually have an even better idea than that um it still involved is it calling in the cap no it involves like if you let's just say for the sake of argument that we're not going to get around this high impact player targeted allocation money sort of structure what i would propose is that the union and the league get together and create a fund to pay american soccer analysis to build a high impact player model so that we can use our data to determine which players across the world would fall into the high impact player category"

Evan Davis states his primary issue with the "high impact player" concept is its vagueness. He expresses a preference for teams to define this themselves, but then proposes an alternative: a fund to pay American Soccer Analysis to develop a data-driven model for identifying such players.

"by the way this is all being handled in the worst possible way and i think the league thinks that like if they present something now then the union will be backed into a corner to just say yes because it's the union who are upset with the way that the league is handling this which is again classic management strategy when it comes to labor fights that you present something and say hey we're doing what you want we're showing you we're showing you that we are solutions based when in fact what you're showing is something that is potentially impossible to manage or impossible to accept by any good faith measure"

Eric Morgan criticizes the league's handling of the situation, suggesting they are using a management tactic to pressure the union into accepting a proposal. He believes the league is presenting a solution that may be unmanageable or unacceptable in good faith, aiming to corner the union into agreement.

"my hunch might be that they are wanting to create a succession plan and they're not sure if lunn's going to be 100 healthy for the start of the season not the worst assumption to be fair yeah and then if you were to paint richard fought's end co in the best possible light maybe they would not a thing we've always done not a thing you generally should do i wonder if maybe they said to nair like listen you're going into your age 38 season the writings on the wall here let's pay you like a seriously overmarket deal as a make good just to have you either as the number one to start the year or to be a backup a plug and play backup in case anything weird happens with london her hip recovery this is all speculation we have absolutely no idea the wise and the wherefores but a one year deal does suggest to me that it's fine it's a fine length yeah"

The hosts speculate on the reasoning behind Alyssa Naeher's one-year deal with Chicago, considering Katie Lund's signing. They suggest Chicago might be planning for a succession, uncertain about Lund's health, and potentially offering Naeher an above-market deal as a transition or backup option. This interpretation acknowledges the speculative nature of their analysis.

Resources

External Resources

Articles & Papers

  • "Anatomy of" series (YouTube) - Mentioned as a series to watch for deeper analysis.

People

  • Eric Morgan - Host of the podcast.
  • Evan Davis - Host of the podcast.
  • Eli Elbogen - Artist who created the podcast's art.
  • Devin Drobka - Musician whose work is featured in the podcast.
  • Jeff Kassouf - Reporter who provided contract information.
  • Jill Loyden - Former goalkeeper discussed in relation to Casey Murphy's performance.
  • Yunis - Mentioned in relation to a player's tactical role.
  • Jaden Shaw - Player discussed in relation to midfield formations.
  • Ashley Sanchez - Player discussed in relation to midfield formations.
  • Monica Matsukuba - Player discussed in relation to midfield formations.
  • Juan Carlos Ambros - Coach who implemented a specific midfield strategy.
  • Kerr - Player mentioned for historical performance.
  • Lynn - Player mentioned for historical performance.
  • Dolo - Player mentioned for historical performance.
  • Sophia Smith - Player mentioned for historical performance.
  • Sam Kerr - Player mentioned for historical performance.
  • Bunny Shaw - Player mentioned for historical performance.
  • Eva Payor - Player mentioned as a potential striker.
  • Mariana Swennik - Player mentioned as a potential striker.
  • Katoto - Player mentioned as a potential striker.
  • Katie Diaby - Player mentioned as a potential striker.
  • Carson Pickett - Player mentioned as a former fullback.
  • Ellie Wheeler - Player mentioned in relation to Haley Mace's playing time.
  • Jordan Bloomer - Goalkeeper mentioned as a potential candidate.
  • Emma Sears - Player mentioned as a potential candidate.
  • Taylor Flint - Player mentioned as a potential candidate.
  • Giselle Thompson - Player mentioned as a potential fullback.
  • Brunia - Player mentioned as a potential fullback.
  • Lily Reale - Player mentioned as a potential fullback.
  • Avery Patterson - Player mentioned as a potential fullback.
  • Carry Bello - Player mentioned as a potential fullback.
  • Kylie Nader - Player mentioned in relation to Emily Sams's defensive line.
  • Raphaelli - Player mentioned in relation to Emily Sams's defensive line.
  • Jonas - Coach whose system influenced player performance.
  • Zachary Bolt - Coach whose system influenced player performance.
  • Kurt Johnson - Mentioned for his opinion on Kaylee Kurtz.
  • James Milner - Player used as a comparison for versatility.
  • Raylin Turner - Player mentioned for her expected goals rate.
  • Kaya Hanks - Player mentioned in relation to Olivia Moultrie's platform.
  • Pietra Tordon - Player mentioned in relation to Olivia Moultrie's platform.
  • Debinha - Player mentioned in relation to Olivia Moultrie's age.
  • Emma Hayes - Mentioned in relation to a USWNT call-up.
  • Nate Hoston - Coach who trusted Monica Matsukuba.
  • Adriane Gonzalez - Coach who managed player rotation and trusted Monica Matsukuba.
  • Yonas - Coach whose system influenced player performance.
  • Janes - Coach whose system influenced player performance.
  • McCaskill - Player mentioned in relation to Kenza Dali's team.
  • Corley - Player mentioned in relation to Kenza Dali's team.
  • Cascarino - Player mentioned for having a down year.
  • Kerr - Player mentioned for historical performance.
  • Lynn - Player mentioned for historical performance.
  • Dolo - Player mentioned for historical performance.
  • Sophia Smith - Player mentioned for historical performance.
  • Sam Kerr - Player mentioned for historical performance.
  • Bunny Shaw - Player mentioned for historical performance.
  • Eva Payor - Player mentioned as a potential striker.
  • Mariana Swennik - Player mentioned as a potential striker.
  • Katoto - Player mentioned as a potential striker.
  • Katie Diaby - Player mentioned as a potential striker.
  • Carson Pickett - Player mentioned as a former fullback.
  • Ellie Wheeler - Player mentioned in relation to Haley Mace's playing time.
  • Jordan Bloomer - Goalkeeper mentioned as a potential candidate.
  • Emma Sears - Player mentioned as a potential candidate.
  • Taylor Flint - Player mentioned as a potential candidate.
  • Giselle Thompson - Player mentioned as a potential fullback.
  • Brunia - Player mentioned as a potential fullback.
  • Lily Reale - Player mentioned as a potential fullback.
  • Avery Patterson - Player mentioned as a potential fullback.
  • Carry Bello - Player mentioned as a potential fullback.
  • Kylie Nader - Player mentioned in relation to Emily Sams's defensive line.
  • Raphaelli - Player mentioned in relation to Emily Sams's defensive line.
  • Jonas - Coach whose system influenced player performance.
  • Zachary Bolt - Coach whose system influenced player performance.
  • Kurt Johnson - Mentioned for his opinion on Kaylee Kurtz.
  • James Milner - Player used as a comparison for versatility.
  • Raylin Turner - Player mentioned for her expected goals rate.
  • Kaya Hanks - Player mentioned in relation to Olivia Moultrie's platform.
  • Pietra Tordon - Player mentioned in relation to Olivia Moultrie's platform.
  • Debinha - Player mentioned in relation to Olivia Moultrie's age.
  • Emma Hayes - Mentioned in relation to a USWNT call-up.
  • Nate Hoston - Coach who trusted Monica Matsukuba.
  • Adriane Gonzalez - Coach who managed player rotation and trusted Monica Matsukuba.
  • Yonas - Coach whose system influenced player performance.
  • Janes - Coach whose system influenced player performance.
  • McCaskill - Player mentioned in relation to Kenza Dali's team.
  • Corley - Player mentioned in relation to Kenza Dali's team.
  • Cascarino - Player mentioned for having a down year.

Organizations & Institutions

  • NWSL (National Women's Soccer League) - Primary subject of discussion regarding player contracts and league operations.
  • Patreon - Platform mentioned for subscription discounts.
  • USWNT (United States Women's National Team) - Mentioned in relation to player call-ups and national team setups.
  • Chicago Red Stars - Team mentioned in relation to goalkeeper signings and player contracts.
  • Washington Spirit - Team mentioned in relation to player discoveries and squad construction.
  • Kansas City Current - Team mentioned in relation to player performance and system fit.
  • North Carolina Courage - Team mentioned in relation to player performance and historical context.
  • Boston Breakers - Team mentioned in relation to goalkeeper signings.
  • ESPN - Outlet that reported on goalkeeper contract details.
  • Seattle Reign - Team mentioned in relation to goalkeeper performance.
  • Portland Thorns - Team mentioned in relation to midfield performance and player development.
  • Gotham FC - Team mentioned in relation to midfield strategy and player performance.
  • Orlando Pride - Team mentioned in relation to player performance and team design.
  • San Diego Wave - Team mentioned in relation to player performance and overperformance.
  • Manchester United - Club mentioned as a potential destination for a player.
  • US House of Representatives Democratic Women's Caucus - Group that issued a statement regarding the NWSL labor agreement.

Websites & Online Resources

  • YouTube - Platform where the podcast's "Anatomy of" series is available.
  • TikTok - Social media platform where the podcast is active.
  • Instagram - Social media platform where the podcast is active.
  • Acast - Platform hosting the podcast.
  • acast.com/privacy - URL for privacy information related to Acast.
  • patreon.com/c/xOwnGoals - URL for the podcast's Patreon page.
  • tiktok.com/@xowngoals - URL for the podcast's TikTok page.
  • instagram.com/xOwnGoals - URL for the podcast's Instagram page.
  • shiftingparadigmrecords.bandcamp.com/album/amaranth - URL for Devin Drobka's music.
  • open.acast.com/networks/66c3f91075921252a8086775/shows/67d25d2b2649312dd5f4c900/episodes/instagram.com/eliwritesoutloud - URL related to the artist's Instagram.

Podcasts & Audio

  • American Soccer Analysis (ASA) - Podcast mentioned for its data analysis and women's soccer coverage.
  • xOwnGoals - The podcast being transcribed.

Other Resources

  • Expected Own Goals (xOG) - A metric discussed in the podcast.
  • Salary Cap - A mechanism within the NWSL discussed in relation to player contracts.
  • Designated Player Rule - A mechanism in MLS discussed as a comparison to NWSL proposals.
  • Allocation Money - A financial mechanism in MLS discussed as a comparison.
  • Targeted Allocation Money - A financial mechanism in MLS discussed as a comparison.
  • Ballon d'Or - Award mentioned as a potential criterion for player classification.
  • The Guardian's Garbage 100 - A media list mentioned as a potential criterion for player classification.
  • National Team Caps - A statistic mentioned as a potential criterion for player classification.
  • Net G+ - A statistical metric used for player evaluation.
  • Post Shot xG Model - A model used for shot-stopping data analysis.
  • Expected Goals (xG) - A statistical metric used for player evaluation.
  • Expected Assists (xA) - A statistical metric used for player evaluation.
  • Non-penalty Goal per Game - A scoring rate metric.
  • Collectively Bargained Labor Agreement - A labor agreement discussed in relation to the NWSL.
  • Grievances - A labor dispute mechanism discussed in relation to the NWSL.
  • Vizhub - A data visualization tool mentioned.
  • Best XI - An award or recognition for top players.
  • Defender of the Year - An award for the best defender.
  • League MVP - An award for the most valuable player.
  • Golden Boot - An award for the top scorer.
  • Newcomer of the Year - An award for the best new player.
  • False Nine - A tactical position in soccer.
  • Rest Defense - A defensive strategy.
  • Box Defending - A defensive metric.
  • Chance Creator - A player

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