The NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA) is advocating for an immediate change in protocol in the name of player safety, with the union voicing concerns about the handling of Angel City defender Savy King's mid-match medical event last Friday.
Following current league guidelines, the game between the LA club and the Utah Royals resumed play on Friday, picking up where they left off after King's on-pitch collapse required nearly 10 minutes of life-saving intervention from medical staff.
Amid a crowd of visibly distressed players and coaches, paramedics rushed King to an area hospital, with the 20-year-old later undergoing successful surgery to fix a previously undetected heart abnormality.
"These moments demand humanity, sound judgment, and restraint," the NWSLPA posted on Wednesday. "Any medical emergency that requires the administration of life-saving care should bring play to an end. The match should not have continued."
"Our members are elite, world-class competitors who have proven they can perform under unimaginable conditions. That does not mean they should have to," the statement continued.
"Incidents of this severity must prioritize our collective humanity and should automatically trigger suspension of the match. The Players Association is committed to making this the standard in [the] NWSL."
NWSL player safety again takes center-pitch
As the NWSL braces for rapid expansion, the NWSLPA remains laser-focused on ensuring player safety never takes a backseat, both on and off the field.
That priority was mirrored in the league's own Wednesday post.
Shortly before the NWSLPA's statement hit feeds, the NWSL issued its own statement, saying "Player Safety is paramount to the NWSL. The seriousness of this incident requires a deliberate process that is careful and methodical. That process is underway and will include necessary revisions that prioritize the consideration of player, staff, and fan well-being."
The lack of an instant protocol change doesn't sit well with NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke.
After reviewing the league's post, Burke told Front Office Sports "The reality is these decisions are made in real time. A decision needed to be made last Friday night.... Five days later, they still [haven't] decided whether or not this game should have been suspended."
"This is a human issue. The right thing to do was to call this game. It doesn't take this long to realize that."
Kansas City, Orlando, and Washington are back on top of the NWSL table, restoring their dominance with key weekend results after a series of shaky matchdays.
Anchored by a brace from Debinha, the No. 1 Current halted a two-game losing streak with a 4-1 drubbing of Bay FC on Sunday. Meanwhile, the No. 3 Spirit stopped their two-match skid with a 3-2 Saturday win over No. 14 Chicago.
The No. 2 Pride narrowly avoided their own second straight loss on Saturday, securing a 1-1 draw with No. 11 North Carolina behind Prisca Chilufya's last-gasp second-half stoppage time goal.
No. 5 Angel City's 2-0 win over No. 13 Utah captured the weekend's headlines, however, after the Friday match played to completion despite 20-year-old LA defender Savy King collapsing on the pitch in the 85th minute.
"Savy left the field in stable condition, and currently remains stable and will be undergoing further evaluation," the NWSL posted after the match.
In response to criticism about the game resuming at all, the NWSL added that the match followed "league protocols...from both a medical and game operations perspective."
"I'm not sure if we should have continued the game," Royals head coach Jimmy Coenraets told reporters after the match. "Not only [Angel City's athletes], but also our players were just scared, and I think that's not the right position, not the right situation to be in."
While the on-pitch NWSL results this weekend appeared to steady upheaval in the standings, the spotlight shown brightest on concerns over league policy clashing with player safety.