The league will be played alongside the traditional football calendar, from September until May each season.
Next year, to bridge the gap between the seasons, there will be a one-off competition, The FA WSL Spring Series, which will be played from February to May. Each team will play each other once as they compete for their division’s Spring Series trophy.
The competition will also provide competitive playing time for the league’s England internationals ahead of next summer’s UEFA Women’s Euros, which will be played in Netherlands.
The FA WSL was launched as a summer league in 2011, with eight teams, and is now in its sixth season. In 2014 a second division, FA WSL 2, was created and there are now 19 teams across the two tiers.
The change in format has been introduced to increase player welfare, further grow and develop the league and attendances, address issues around fixture congestion and planning and provide the platform for a winning England team.
The changes will also better support The FA WSL clubs taking part in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and align the league with The FA Women’s Premier League and wider women’s pyramid. The SSE Women’s FA Cup will also be better integrated, with the showpiece Final at the end of the season.
FA director of football participation and development Kelly Simmons said: “When we launched the FA WSL in 2011 it was the right decision to play it as a summer league, which has been demonstrated by the competitive, exciting football, growing attendances and player development.
“However, there are still a number of issues holding the league back, such as fixture scheduling and ground availability. We want to keep building on the momentum and growth of the league and we believe now is the right time to change the calendar.
“The move is designed to bring many benefits to the women’s game and we’ve worked closely with our clubs and other stakeholders in making this decision.
“Player welfare is the prime concern of clubs and for us and these changes will allow more structured rest and recovery time, while fixtures will be more regularly structured with less congestion.
“The FA is committed to investing in women’s football and aims to double participation and attendances by 2020, as well as creating the right environment for England to have the best chance of winning the 2023 World Cup and we believe that these changes will help us to further achieve these aims.
“This is a really exciting time for the women’s game and we will work alongside our clubs to ensure we support them in the transition, across areas such as contracts, marketing and fixtures to make sure that it proves a big success.”
The 2016 FA WSL season runs until November.
Following the season, there is a FIFA international window in mid-November, after which the players will have a long break before pre-seasons formally start in January.
For more information about the league, matches and tickets please visit www.fawsl.com
FA WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE CALENDAR TRANSITION
FAQs
1) Why are you changing the format of the FA Women’s Super League?
We believe it is the right time to change the calendar format of the FA WSL for many reasons.
Firstly, and most importantly, the FA WSL must continue to fully support The FA’s strategic objectives related to women’s football – England Women being prepared to win the 2023 World Cup and doubling participation and attendance in the women’s game.
Player welfare a prime concern for clubs and for us. By having a more structured and regular fixture pattern, which the new calendar will allow, players will get more rest and recovery time and longer periods of time off at the end of seasons and major tournaments. This will also improve the quality of matches, with players at their fittest.
Fixture scheduling has been an issue which has hampered the FA WSL, with factors such as ground availability (many teams share stadiums with men’s teams), working around the men’s fixture schedule and pitch maintenance requirements in June. This will be much easier to do in the new calendar, allowing for a regular fixture pattern and enabling clubs to build momentum from both a playing and attendance perspective helping to increase our fan base.
These changes will also contribute to creating the best possible circumstances to help England compete at and ultimately win a major tournament. The new calendar aims to create optimum playing and rest balance for players ensuring they will be tournament-ready.
The changes will also better support the FA WSL clubs taking part in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. It will align the league season with the FA Women’s Premier League and wider women’s pyramid, helping to facilitate promotion and relegation between all levels The SSE Women’s FA Cup will also be better integrated, with the showpiece Final at the end of the season.
2) What is the format of the FA WSL Spring Series?
The FA WSL Spring Series, which will be played from February to June 2017, is a one-off competition to provide clubs with competitive playing time and bridging the gap to the new season.
The teams in each division will play each other once as they compete for the FA WSL Spring Series trophy and there will be no promotion or relegation as a result of finishing positions. Clubs will receive a Club Development Grant, along with additional marketing budget.
FA WSL 1’s Spring Series will run from 22 April – 3 June while FA WSL 2 starts on 11 February until 20 May. The different fixture window schedules are designed to work alongside when each division enters the SSE Women’s FA Cup and the international commitments of players through the FIFA windows.
The competition will provide competitive playing time for the league’s England internationals ahead of next summer’s UEFA Women’s Euros, which will be played in the Netherlands.
3) Will the FA WSL Spring Series be on TV or radio?
We are working with our broadcast partner, BT Sport and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, to plan how best to showcase the FA WSL in 2017 and will announce details in the coming months.
4) Will England really be better prepared for tournaments with this calendar?
With player welfare at the centre of the changes, we think England will benefit. The new calendar aims to create optimum playing and rest balance for players ensuring they will be tournament-ready.
There will be no FA WSL 1 fixtures the day before an England camp which maximises the training time that the team will get together, with less recovery time needed at the start of camps.
England head coach Mark Sampson and the development team coaches including Brent Hills (head of the Elite Performance Unit) and Mo Marley (U19s) are all supportive of the changes.
5) Wasn’t the summer league introduced to help England winning?
Yes, it was thought that England players might carry fewer injuries and be fitter if the tournament happens in the middle of the season, rather than at the end. This hasn’t been the case and the new fixture list and structured rest is aimed to ensure that players are in the best possible condition for major tournaments.
6) The summer league is a USP for the women’s game – why change it?
There are so many USPs for the league – it is one of the most fan-friendly, engaging leagues in the world and it prides itself on being inclusive and progressive league. The players are real role models for young girls across the country.
7) What about the FA WSL Continental Tyres Cup?
We are working with our clubs and with our sponsor Continental Tyres on scheduling for the 2017-18 season.
8) Won’t matches be called off in the winter due to weather?
We have incorporated a break into the schedule from mid-December to mid-January to help reduce any impact that winter weather might have on matches.
9) How much money is the FA investing in the FA WSL?
The FA currently invests £1.9m per annum into the FA WSL through a combination of club funding (Club Development Grants) and centrally delivered marketing, comms and administration support.
10) How will the FA measure the success of the changes?
We will continue to measure the success of the league based on attendances, TV viewing figures, digital reach and engagement and match day experience.
11) How will the changes increase participation?
By bringing in line the season with the traditional grassroots season, we hope it will encourage more girls to play football. It will also allow clubs to create stronger ties with their local community clubs, such as through the FA WSL Sister Club programme, and keep girls who are already playing in the game.
12) How much will the clubs have to contribute each season?
Under the FA WSL Licence, clubs are currently required to match fund their Club Developments Grants; £70k for FA WSL 1 and £35k for FA WSL2
13) Are the clubs happy with the changes?
We have worked in consultation with clubs and wider stakeholders on the changes and the clubs are broadly supportive of the calendar switch. We will work to support all of the clubs to address any challenges that they might face as a result of the calendar change – e.g. marketing support, player contract amendments and pitches (e.g. winter break)
14) How long will the winter break be for?
A month – from mid-December to mid-January.
