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NWSL Playoffs

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The National Women's Soccer League Playoffs (or NWSL Playoffs) are a single-elimination tournament among eight teams in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) of the United States, deciding the winner of the NWSL Championship.

Since playoff games cannot end in draws, they are broken by two consecutive 15-minute extra time periods, followed by penalty shoot-outs of best-of-five rounds with additional rounds as required.

Format

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Since the 2024 season, the top eight teams in the final standings at the end of the regular season qualify for the playoffs and are seeded in order of their record. The top-seed hosts the eighth seed; the runner-up hosts the seventh; the third hosts the sixth; and the fourth hosts the fifth in the quarterfinals. The semifinals sees the lowest-seeded winner playing the highest-seeded and the next-lowest the next-highest; the higher-seeded team hosts each match until the championship,[1] which was also hosted by the higher seed in the 2013 and 2014 seasons but has been hosted at a predetermined site since.[2] Prior to the 2021 season, only the top four teams qualified for the playoffs.[3][4] From 2021 to 2023, six.

Tiebreakers

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The initial determining factor for a team's position in the standings is most points earned, with three points earned for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. Since the 2022 season, if at least two teams tie in point total, when determining rank and playoff qualification and seeding, the NWSL uses the following tiebreaker rules, going down the list until all teams are ranked.[5]: 6 

  1. Overall goal difference
  2. Most total wins (regular season only)
  3. Most goals scored (regular season only)
  4. Head-to-head results (total points accumulated)
  5. Head-to-head most goals scored
  6. Fewest disciplinary points accumulated:
    • First yellow card: -1 point
    • Indirect red card (second yellow card): -3 points
    • Direct red card: -4 points
    • Yellow card and direct red card: -5 points
    • Only one of the above point totals shall be applied to a player in a single game.
  7. Coin flip (2 teams)/Drawing of lots (3+ teams)

If two clubs remain tied after another club with the same number of points advances during any step, the tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format.

Prior to the 2022 season, the first tiebreaker was head-to-head record.[6]: 6 

Playoff series history

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2013 season

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Further information: 2013 National Women's Soccer League season
Semifinals Championship
      
1 Western NY Flash 2
4 Sky Blue FC[a] 0
1 Western NY Flash 0
3 Portland Thorns FC 2
2 FC Kansas City 2
3 Portland Thorns FC (a.e.t.) 3

2014 season

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Further information: 2014 National Women's Soccer League season
Semifinals Championship
      
1 Seattle Reign FC 2
4 Washington Spirit 1
1 Seattle Reign FC 1
2 FC Kansas City 2
2 FC Kansas City 2
3 Portland Thorns FC 0

2015 season

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Further information: 2015 National Women's Soccer League season
Semifinals Championship
      
1 Seattle Reign FC 3
4 Washington Spirit 0
1 Seattle Reign FC 0
3 FC Kansas City 1
2 Chicago Red Stars 0
3 FC Kansas City 3

2016 season

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Further information: 2016 National Women's Soccer League season
Semifinals Championship
      
1 Portland Thorns FC 3
4 Western NY Flash (a.e.t.) 4
4 Western NY Flash (p) 2 (3)
2 Washington Spirit 2 (2)
2 Washington Spirit (a.e.t.) 2
3 Chicago Red Stars 1

2017 season

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Further information: 2017 National Women's Soccer League season
Semifinals Championship
      
1 NC Courage 1
4 Chicago Red Stars 0
1 NC Courage 0
2 Portland Thorns FC 1
2 Portland Thorns FC 4
3 Orlando Pride 1

2018 season

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Further information: 2018 National Women's Soccer League season
Semifinals Championship
      
1 NC Courage 2
4 Chicago Red Stars 0
1 NC Courage 3
2 Portland Thorns FC 0
2 Portland Thorns FC 2
3 Seattle Reign FC 1

2019 season

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Further information: 2019 National Women's Soccer League season
Semifinals Championship
      
1 NC Courage (a.e.t.) 4
4 Reign FC[b] 1
1 NC Courage 4
2 Chicago Red Stars 0
2 Chicago Red Stars 1
3 Portland Thorns FC 0

2020 season

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Further information: 2020 National Women's Soccer League season

The NWSL canceled its regular season and playoffs in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports.

2021 season

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Further information: 2021 National Women's Soccer League season
First round Semifinals Championship
1 Portland Thorns FC 0
4 Chicago Red Stars 1 4 Chicago Red Stars 2
5 NJ/NY Gotham FC 0 4 Chicago Red Stars 1
3 Washington Spirit (a.e.t.) 2
2 OL Reign[b] 1
3 Washington Spirit (a.e.t.) 1 3 Washington Spirit 2
6 NC Courage 0

2022 season

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Further information: 2022 National Women's Soccer League season
First round Semifinals Championship
1 OL Reign[b] 0
4 Houston Dash 1 5 Kansas City Current 2
5 Kansas City Current 2 5 Kansas City Current 0
2 Portland Thorns FC 2
2 Portland Thorns FC 2
3 San Diego Wave FC 2 3 San Diego Wave FC 1
6 Chicago Red Stars 1

2023 season

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Further information: 2023 National Women's Soccer League season
First round Semifinals Championship
1 San Diego Wave FC 0
4 OL Reign[b] 1 4 OL Reign[b] 1
5 Angel City FC 0 4 OL Reign[b] 1
6 NJ/NY Gotham FC 2
2 Portland Thorns FC 0
3 North Carolina Courage 0 6 NJ/NY Gotham FC 1
6 NJ/NY Gotham FC 2

Records and statistics

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Further information: NWSL records and statistics
As of November 11, 2023

Italics indicates a defunct team.

Playoff results

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Club Won Runner-up Years won Years runner-up
Portland Thorns FC
3
1
 2013, 2017, 2022 2018
North Carolina Courage
2
1
 2018, 2019 2017
FC Kansas City
2
0
 2014, 2015
Washington Spirit
1
1
 2021 2016
Western New York Flash
1
1
 2016 2013
NJ/NY Gotham FC
1
0
 2023
Seattle Reign FC[b]
0
3
 2014, 2015, 2023
Chicago Red Stars
0
2
 2019, 2021
Kansas City Current
0
1
 2022

Playoff records

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Team GP W L Last Last title
Portland Thorns FC 13 7 6 2023 2022
Seattle Reign FC[b] 11 4 7 2023 –
Chicago Red Stars 10 3 7 2022 –
North Carolina Courage 7 5 2 2021 2019
Washington Spirit 7 4 3 2021 2021
FC Kansas City 5 4 1 2015 2015
Western New York Flash 4 3 1 2016 2016
NJ/NY Gotham FC 4 3 1 2023 2023
Kansas City Current 3 2 1 2022 –
San Diego Wave FC 3 1 2 2023 –
Houston Dash 1 0 1 2022 –
Orlando Pride 1 0 1 2017 –
Angel City FC 1 0 1 2023 –

Appearances by team

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Team App. Last
Portland Thorns FC 9 2023
Chicago Red Stars 7 2022
Seattle Reign FC[b] 7 2023
North Carolina Courage 4 2021
Washington Spirit 4 2021
FC Kansas City 3 2015
NJ/NY Gotham FC 3 2023
Western New York Flash 2 2016
San Diego Wave FC 2 2023
Houston Dash 1 2022
Kansas City Current 1 2022
Orlando Pride 1 2017
Angel City FC 1 2023
Boston Breakers No playoff appearances
Racing Louisville FC
Utah Royals

Notes

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  1. ^ NJ/NY Gotham FC was previously known as Sky Blue FC.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Seattle Reign FC was previously known as Reign FC (2019) and OL Reign (2020–2023).

References

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  1. ^ "NWSL Announces Innovative 2021 Competition Framework" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  2. ^ Oshan, Jeremiah (August 14, 2015). "NWSL moving championship game to neutral site". Sounder at Heart. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  3. ^ "2013 Competition Rules and Regulations" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  4. ^ "Rules & Regulations" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. Archived from the original on November 18, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  5. ^ "2022 Competition Rules & Regulations" (PDF) (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. May 19, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  6. ^ "2021 Competition Rules & Regulations" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
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