England's Barclays Women's Super League will become the first football league to use sensor-equipped Sportable match balls when it launches Connected Ball technology in 2026/27.

The Nike-backed partnership brings heightened performance data to women's football, combining sensor-embedded match balls with player-worn GPS devices and sideline beacons to create real-time 3D mapping of every match.

The technology tracks ball speed, spin, flight trajectories, high-intensity efforts, tactical patterns, and off-ball movements. Players, coaches, and training staff subsequently gain access to comprehensive data previously unavailable in domestic competition.

"It is a privilege to work with Nike and support WSL Football on a project that will meaningfully impact the progression of the women's game," said Sportable CEO Dugald Macdonald.

"The opportunity to create a consistent, data-rich view of performance, from training pitches to stadiums, is truly groundbreaking and we are excited to help unlock the next level of insight for teams across the league."

FIFA introduced sensor technology at the 2022 Men's World Cup, but the WSL will become the first domestic league to adopt it via a multi-year deal with Nike. The Connected Ball technology has earned FIFA certification under the Electronic Performance & Tracking Systems Quality Programme.

While several WSL clubs already tested the system during training sessions and match preparation, the league plans deployment across all teams when the 2026/27 season kicks off.

"[Nike's] desire to elevate the role of the ball through Sportable’s technology will enable us to provide enhanced performance data to our clubs as well as tell richer stories to our fans," said WSL Football Chief Revenue Officer Zarah Al-Kudcy. "We are excited to be the first football league in the world to use this technology.”

Mercedes-Benz is getting into the women's game, with the luxury car giant becoming the official automotive partner of England's WSL and WSL2 this week.

The deal showcases Mercedes-Benz's growing commitment to women's sports, with the auto giant also signing on as the presenting sponsor of the WTA Tour last month — adding to a resume that includes serving as the official patron of the LPGA Tour's AIG Women's Open.

"The Mercedes-Benz story began 140 years ago with a bold idea," said Mercedes-Benz UK CEO and managing director Olivier Reppert in the WSL's Wednesday press release. "Now, that same spirit of innovation and ambition drives our partnership with WSL Football."

While financial terms of the partnership are not public, Mercedes-Benz is just the latest big-name sponsor to back WSL Football, with some reports saying that the two-league outfit has tripled its commercial revenue since splitting with the FA in 2024.

"Bringing a brand of this calibre…will help us elevate the game, deepen engagement with fans and players, and accelerate long-term growth across both leagues," said WSL Football CRO Zarah Al-Kudcy.

Mercedes-Benz will also present this spring's inaugural interleague playoff, in which the third-place WSL2 club will battle the last-place WSL team for a chance at promotion as a part of the top flight's planned 14-team expansion for 2026/27.

The Women's Super League (WSL) is growing, with the UK league's top two flights deciding in a Monday expansion vote to enlarge its top tier from 12 to 14 teams ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The number of matches played each season will also balloon from 22 to 26 games to accommodate the incoming clubs, as will established cup competitions.

Monday also saw the WSL vote down a prior proposal to temporarily suspend the relegation and promotion process to accommodate this expansion, deciding instead to adopt a "two up, one down" model for the second-tier WSL2 next season.

As such, the top two finishers of the 2025/26 WSL2 season will automatically join the higher-tier WSL, while the WSL's last-place team will battle the WSL2's third-place club in "a high-profile, high stakes match" for the final spot in the top flight.

After reaching 14 teams, both leagues will return to relegating the last-place WSL finisher while promoting the WSL2's top team for the following season.

Along with the increased investment in club infrastructure, a 14-team WSL keeps pace with the global women's game — most notably, the NWSL, which will become a 16-team league in 2026.

"Our priority was to find a route that would benefit the whole women's game pyramid, and we believe this next evolution of women's professional football will raise minimum standards, create distinction, and incentivize investment across the board," said WSL Football CEO Nikki Doucet.