WSL and WSL2 to introduce minimum salaries from this season | OneFootball

The top two tiers of professional women’s football will introduce minimum salaries for the first time from this season.

WSL Football, the company which operates professional women’s football in England, has introduced the regulations for the WSL and WSL2 as part of a sweeping series of reforms.

The minimum salary will vary based on different criteria including the age of players, what league they play in, and their level of experience, and figures have not been announced, but BBC Sport reports it will be a full-time wage.

WSL Football’s chief operating officer Holly Murdoch told The Guardian the “salary floor” had been agreed in consultation with the Professional footballers’ Association, a union which represents top-level players. “I think we’ve come up with a floor that will have a meaningful impact for our players,” she said.

The new rules will mean players will no longer need to juggle the sport alongside part-time jobs to cover costs, which is particularly prevalent in the second tier.

“We wanted to make sure that they could focus on being a footballer, not focus on a part-time job over here and the pressures that come with that, [helping] players focus all their energies on being the very best footballer on the pitch that they can be,” Murdoch continued.

She added: “I think we’re all aware, women’s football is still financially fragile. We’re seeing wonderful growth and it’s such an exciting period, but we know that costs outweigh revenue short-term. We know the revenue opportunity in the women’s game is phenomenal, but we do need to be really thoughtful about not just loading costs into any business. We have to be adding value.”

The changes go beyond the introduction of minimum salaries, with all clubs expected to introduce new roles by the end of the season, including a mandatory “performance wellbeing role” to support athletes.

“We want to make sure we are preparing our players for life on the pitch, both mentally and physically, as well as off it. That role is critical,” Murdoch told BBC Sport.

The women’s football season gets underway on Friday, with WSL reigning champions Chelsea hosting Manchester City at Stamford Bridge and Sheffield United hosting Sunderland in the second tier.