Is the HIP rule criteria done for? Has the Kansas City Current turned a corner? The Boston Legacy clinch their second win in a game in which VAR was a main character, a surprise change gets Racing Louisville back on track, and previous leaders fall to the back of the pack.
Goodbye, High Impact Rule criteria? We hardly knew you
The Cutback’s Flo Lloyd-Hughes on Wednesday reported the NWSL is preparing to nix the criteria players need to eligible for High Impact Player Rule funds. The rule was officially introduced in December 2025 and allows teams to spend up to $1 million outside of the salary cap on specific players. Neither the league nor the NWSL Players Association has confirmed the report.
If true, it would gut the most contentious aspect of the new rule. Weeks after the HIP Rule was announced, the NWSLPA filed a grievance arguing that the mechanism violated the CBA as it was not collectively bargained. The union argued the league should simply raise the annual salary cap by $1 million. In January, NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke told The Athletic, “We think the criteria are deeply flawed. It takes the discretion out of the hands of teams and general managers whose job is to construct rosters and make decisions about assessing fair market value.” The HIP Rule does not take effect until July 1.
Eliminating the criteria for HIP is the right move. The NWSL is not shy in its desire to become the best women’s soccer league in the world. With transfer fees and salaries on the rise, teams need the money and flexibility to attract top players. However, the current criteria are counterproductive as they partly rely on subjective standards set by the league, such as media ranking lists. Per the criteria, even the NWSL’s all-time regular season leading scorer, Sam Kerr, fails to make the HIP cut. Kerr is expected to depart Chelsea at season’s end and become a free agent. Removing the criteria would make it easier to attract — and keep — stars like her stateside.
Boston Legacy claims second win in VAR-impacted game
