What's What When it Comes to Championships

I know what you’re thinking…there’s only one “champion” in the NWSL, right? Well, sort of.

There are two championships to earn in the NWSL: the NWSL Championship and the NWSL Shield. (There’s also this thing called the Challenge Cup - we’ll get to that later.)

I wish I could tell you these simply equate to division titles in the NFL but that’s not the case. There are no "divisions" in the NWSL. So, let me try to explain it the best I can.

During the regular season, the 14 teams play 26 matches (13 home, 13 away). Teams earn points in each match: three for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The top eight teams are determined by the point totals at the end of the regular season.

That’s where the quest for the NWSL Championship begins. In November, the top eight teams will play in a single-elimination playoff tournament. (A note: the top six teams qualified previously, but the playoffs are expanding this year because of the league expansion.) After three weeks of play, the playoffs wrap with the NWSL Championship match on November 23.

The point system determines the NWSL Shield winner. At the end of the regular season, whichever team has the highest point total wins it.

Then there’s the Challenge Cup. If you win the first two I mentioned, you meet up here to kick off the next season. (Don't ask me what happens if the same team wins both championships; I suppose they'll cross that bridge when it happens?)

This game is an exciting prelude match to the regular season and means nothing more than that for the upcoming 2024 season. Despite its lofty name, it's really just a preseason match.

This year, NJ/NY Gotham FC (NWSL Champion) and San Diego Wave FC (NWSL Shield) play on Friday, March 15, the day before regular season play begins. (By the way, the first match will be on Prime Video if you’re interested in watching! Learn more here or you can check out the full season over on our schedule page.)

This isn’t how the Challenge Cup has always operated. It’s gone through a few changes over the years. It came about in 2020 as a way to get NWSL players back in action during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yes, that means the NWSL was actually the first U.S. sports league to return to play. Check out this article from FIFA. All NWSL teams used to participate with the tournament before the regular season. That changed in 2023 when games were distributed throughout the season.

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In case you were wondering, the 2024 season includes 190 total matches and some of those won't technically be part of the regular season. You can view the full release on the league’s schedule and competition calendar here.

This year there will also be a mandatory break from July 8 to 14 when the league halts regular season play to accommodate the 2024 Paris Olympics and all the players who will be with their respective national teams.

Remaining players on the NWSL rosters will play during that break in a tournament-style event yet to be publicized, but those matches will not be part of the regular season point system. It's just bonus matches for the Olympic year.