Rodman rule
Trinity Rodman playing for the Washington Spirit in 2025; the rule was introduced that year largely to allow Rodman to renew with the club

The Rodman rule,[1][2] officially the High Impact Player Rule,[3] is a caveat to the National Women's Soccer League's salary cap rules, allowing member clubs to exceed the salary cap for players who meet any of several criteria based on their individual marketability. The NWSL introduced the rule in December 2025, widely understood to be in order to prevent Trinity Rodman leaving for a league without salary cap in the January 2026 window; the implementation of the rule was heavily criticized.

History and implementation

Background: salary cap

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) uses a salary cap model that limits a whole club's roster to an overall limit. The NWSL clubs and players' union NWSLPA have lobbied for a higher salary cap, to allow for different options in roster building and better salaries for squad players. Many other women's national soccer leagues, including the Big Five, do not have salary caps; the NWSL also feared that the ability for such European clubs to spend big on star players would reduce quality in the NWSL. In 2025, the NWSL salary cap was increased by $200,000 as part of its season-on-season increase, taking the per-club cap to $3.5 million. The highest-earning players in Europe reportedly earn over $1 million individually a season. NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman indicated the annual increases may not continue after 2026, stating that "in order to treat [the NWSL] like a business, it means that the amount that our teams are investing has to have a rational relationship to revenue."[4][5]

Rodman contract renewal

Trinity Rodman became the then-highest-paid NWSL player in 2022, with a contract over four seasons worth $1.1 million.[6][7] This contract will expire on December 31, 2025, making Rodman a free agent with interest from European clubs (and able to negotiate contracts from six months prior); with questions of their salary cap impeding Rodman staying in the NWSL, Berman said the league would fight to retain her.[4][8] At the start of December 2025, Rodman agreed a new contract with her club, the Washington Spirit, averaging at $1.1 million per season but back-loaded to allow for higher annual pay in years with higher salary caps; the NWSL (with which contracts are ultimately agreed) rejected the contract due to violating the spirit of the league's salary cap rules, without outright breaking them. The NWSLPA filed a grievance on behalf of Rodman, which caused the NWSL board to convene with an aim to changing rules to allow more freedom in the contracts it would permit.[8] Media in the United States and Europe reported at the time that, after losing players like Alyssa Thompson and Naomi Girma to the Women's Super League (WSL), Rodman was the litmus test to determine if the NWSL would be structurally able to retain any of its top players, that the threat of Rodman leaving was "symbolically enormous" and the grievance outcome would reshape how salaries are handled in the NWSL.[9][10]

High Impact Player Rule

On December 23, 2025, the NWSL introduced what they called the High Impact Player Rule, a rule creating a caveat to the salary cap. It will allow, from 2026, NWSL clubs to spend $1 million above their salary cap on the wages of High Impact Players (HIP). HIPs must meet at least one of eight (it is only possible to meet up to seven) criteria that the NWSL has chosen to designate the most marketable women's footballers in the world. Rodman meets all seven criteria for which she is eligible; a source close to the league said the rule is "bigger than one player". Clubs may use the money above the cap to subsidise the salaries of one or multiple HIPs.[11][12] Any contract using the rule must set the cap charge for HIPs at a minimum of 12% of the base salary cap.[1] The rule will come into place on July 1, 2026, but contracts which will use it can be signed and begin before then, as long as no salary money above the cap is paid until after.[12] The phasing-out of allocation money also means the HIP money would replace that, broader, method of supplementing salaries.[9]

The $1 million allowance is expected to increase season-on-season in line with salary cap increases, and has been compared to Major League Soccer (MLS)'s Designated Player Rule (the Beckham rule), which was introduced in order to bring high-salary players, specifically David Beckham, into the MLS from abroad. Though using the same mechanism to enhance salary, the Rodman rule is instead designed to help the NWSL retain top American talent,[13] and uses different mechanisms in player designation. Clubs cannot decide which players to designate above the salary cap themselves, but can apply the extra salary to pre-determined eligible players based on the set criteria.[12]

Criteria

The NWSL described the HIP eligibility criteria as being a mix of "commercial and sporting".[14]

Source(s):[11]

  1. Listed on SportsPro Media Top 150 Most Marketable Athletes, within the one year prior to the current league season
  2. Nominated for the Ballon d'Or Féminin (i.e. included in the top 30), in the two years prior to the current league season
  3. Included in the top 40 on The 100 Best Female Footballers in the World list (published by The Guardian), in the two years prior
  4. Included in the top 40 of the ESPN50 (ESPN FC's top 50 football players in the world list), in the two years prior
  5. For outfield players: Have among the top 11 most minutes played among outfielders for the United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) in all competitions, in the prior two calendar years
  6. For goalkeepers: Have the most minutes played among goalkeepers for the USWNT in all competitions, in the prior two calendar years
  7. Be an NWSL Most Valuable Player finalist, within the previous two league seasons
  8. Be included in the NWSL Best XI, within the previous two league seasons

List of eligible High Impact Players

At the time of the rule's introduction, CBS Sports broke down the eligibility lists into groups of players meeting five–seven of the criteria, those meeting three–four of the criteria, and those meeting one or two criteria. It noted that looking at the top group made it apparent the rule seems designed to accommodate Rodman, and that the middle group was more diverse in its mix of NWSL stand-outs and international stars. With only one USWNT goalkeeper automatically eligible, CBS described it as "a quirk" that this fell to Alyssa Naeher, whose minutes were accumulated before she retired internationally.[12]

As of 24 December 2025[update], for the 2026 NWSL season

Player National team League Eligible through criteria: Notes
Performance & marketability[15][16][17][18][19][20][21] USWNT minutes[22][23] NWSL awards[24][25][26][27]
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Trinity Rodman  United States NWSL Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Sophia Wilson  United States NWSL Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Marta  Brazil NWSL Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
Lindsey Heaps  United States Première Ligue Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Temwa Chawinga  Malawi NWSL No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
Barbra Banda  Zambia NWSL No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
Esther González  Spain NWSL No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
Alexia Putellas  Spain Liga F Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Aitana Bonmatí  Spain Liga F Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Lucy Bronze  England WSL Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Lauren James  England WSL Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Patricia Guijarro  Spain Liga F Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Salma Paralluelo  Spain Liga F Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Emily Fox  United States WSL No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Alyssa Naeher  United States NWSL No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No
Pernille Harder  Denmark FBL Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
Keira Walsh  England WSL Yes No Yes Yes No No No No
Caroline Weir  Scotland Liga F No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Klara Bühl  Germany FBL No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Melchie Dumornay  Haiti Première Ligue No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Cristiana Girelli  Italy Serie A No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Sandy Baltimore  France WSL No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Caroline Graham Hansen  Norway Liga F No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Clàudia Pina  Spain Liga F No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Hannah Hampton  England WSL No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Ewa Pajor  Poland Liga F No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Leah Williamson  England WSL No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Chloe Kelly  England WSL No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Alessia Russo  England WSL No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Mariona Caldentey  Spain WSL No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Tabitha Chawinga  Malawi Première Ligue No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Yui Hasegawa  Japan WSL No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Lauren Hemp  England WSL No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Marie-Antoinette Katoto  France Première Ligue No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Mayra Ramírez  Colombia WSL No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Khadija Shaw  Jamaica WSL No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Mallory Swanson  United States NWSL No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Naomi Girma  United States WSL No No Yes Yes Yes No No No
Delphine Cascarino  France NWSL No No Yes Yes No No Yes No
Ann-Katrin Berger  Germany NWSL No No Yes Yes No No No Yes
Sam Coffey  United States NWSL No No No Yes Yes No No Yes
Mapi León  Spain Liga F Yes No Yes No No No No No
Sofia Cantore  Italy NWSL No Yes No Yes No No No No
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd  Sweden WSL No Yes Yes No No No No No
Giulia Gwinn  Germany FBL No Yes Yes No No No No No
Ada Hegerberg  Norway Première Ligue No Yes Yes No No No No No
Sjoeke Nüsken  Germany WSL No Yes Yes No No No No No
Lea Schüller  Germany FBL No Yes Yes No No No No No
Grace Geyoro  France WSL No Yes Yes No No No No No
Ona Batlle  Spain Liga F No No Yes Yes No No No No
Linda Caicedo  Colombia Liga F No No Yes Yes No No No No
Stina Blackstenius  Sweden WSL No No Yes Yes No No No No
Jule Brand  Germany Première Ligue No No Yes Yes No No No No
Kadidiatou Diani  France Première Ligue No No Yes Yes No No No No
Guro Reiten  Norway WSL No No Yes Yes No No No No
Fridolina Rolfö  Sweden WSL No No Yes Yes No No No No
Rose Lavelle  United States NWSL No No No Yes Yes No No No
Manaka Matsukubo  Japan NWSL No No No No No No Yes Yes
Beth Mead  England WSL Yes No No No No No No No
Mary Earps  England Première Ligue Yes No No No No No No No
Millie Bright  England WSL Yes No No No No No No No
Steph Catley  Australia WSL No Yes No No No No No No
Clara Mateo  France Première Ligue No Yes No No No No No No
Frida Maanum  Norway WSL No Yes No No No No No No
Amanda Gutierres  Brazil Brasileirão No Yes No No No No No No
Manuela Giugliano  Italy Serie A No Yes No No No No No No
Gabi Portilho  Brazil NWSL No Yes No No No No No No
Tarciane  Brazil Première Ligue No Yes No No No No No No
Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir  Iceland FBL No Yes No No No No No No
Cata Coll  Spain Liga F No No Yes No No No No No
Alexandra Popp  Germany FBL No No Yes No No No No No
Georgia Stanway  England FBL No No Yes No No No No No
Irene Paredes  Spain WSL No No No Yes No No No No
Katie McCabe  Republic of Ireland WSL No No No Yes No No No No
Erin Cuthbert  Scotland WSL No No No Yes No No No No
Olga Carmona  Spain Première Ligue No No No Yes No No No No
Alex Greenwood  England WSL No No No Yes No No No No
Selma Bacha  France Première Ligue No No No Yes No No No No
Vicky López  Spain Liga F No No No Yes No No No No
Aggie Beever-Jones  England WSL No No No Yes No No No No
Michelle Agyemang  England WSL No No No Yes No No No No
Korbin Shrader  United States Première Ligue No No No No Yes No No No
Tierna Davidson  United States NWSL No No No No Yes No No No
Crystal Dunn  United States Première Ligue No No No No Yes No No No
Emily Sonnett  United States NWSL No No No No Yes No No No
Bia Zaneratto  Brazil NWSL No No No No No No Yes No
Emily Sams  United States NWSL No No No No No No No Yes
Casey Krueger  United States NWSL No No No No No No No Yes
Kaleigh Kurtz  United States NWSL No No No No No No No Yes
Jenna Nighswonger  United States WSL No No No No No No No Yes
Croix Bethune  United States NWSL No No No No No No No Yes
Lorena  Brazil NWSL No No No No No No No Yes
Tara McKeown  United States NWSL No No No No No No No Yes
Avery Patterson  United States NWSL No No No No No No No Yes
Izzy Rodriguez  United States NWSL No No No No No No No Yes
Kayla Sharples  United States NWSL No No No No No No No Yes
Claire Hutton  United States NWSL No No No No No No No Yes
Olivia Moultrie  United States NWSL No No No No No No No Yes

NWSL teams with HIPs

As of 24 December 2025[update]

Team No.
Kansas City Current 7
Gotham FC 6
Washington Spirit 5
Portland Thorns FC 3
Orlando Pride 3
Chicago Stars FC 2
San Diego Wave FC 1
North Carolina Courage 1
Denver Summit FC 1
Houston Dash 1

Criticism

The rule was criticized for focusing on marketability, and potentially media popularity, rather than other factors; for ignoring the NWSLPA's requests for a broader salary cap increase to improve conditions; for the Euro-centrism of many criteria; and for the criteria excluding many players who had already proven themselves as high-impact signings in the NWSL.[15][28]

The NWSLPA objected to the rule as, under US federal labor law, changes in salary cap (which is outlined in the NWSL's collective bargaining agreement) must be decided by agreement rather than unilateral action: Meghann Burke, as executive director of the NWSLPA, said that "Fair pay is realized through fair, collectively bargained compensation systems, not arbitrary classifications." They also had concerns regarding the speed with which the rule was introduced, and indicated they may take legal action to challenge it.[11] The NWSLPA position remained to simply increase the salary cap by $1 million instead.[29]

Sports Illustrated opined that the rule was not sufficient cover to protect the NWSL from potential player departures, with the attraction of high-profile European football and international salaries that the NWSL salary cap is not prepared to match.[8] CBS Sports felt that, though the first four criteria were relatively arbitrary, they "may have actually saved the NWSL's skin" as they are the only path to inclusion for some well-established international stars. Nevertheless, it thought that the lack of a criterion that could account for injury – the reason for players like Sam Kerr and Catarina Macario not being eligible – was an oversight. It also found it surprising that Lizbeth Ovalle, the most expensive women's transfer, did not meet any criteria.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "NWSL OK's 'Rodman rule' even as union objects". ESPN.com. 2025-12-23. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  2. ^ Costabile, Annie (2025-12-23). "Will 'Rodman Rule' Be Enough to Keep Trinity Rodman in NWSL?". Front Office Sports. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  3. ^ NWSL (2025-12-23). "NWSL Introduces High Impact Player Rule to Strengthen Talent Attraction and Retention | News | NWSLsoccer.com". NWSL. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  4. ^ a b Carlisle, Jeff; Kassouf, Jeff (2025-11-20). "NWSL vows to 'fight' to keep Trinity Rodman in league". ESPN. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
  5. ^ Lynch, Kieran (2025-11-21). "NWSL "will fight" to keep Trinity Rodman after offer from rival league". SheKicks. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  6. ^ Goff, Steven (February 2, 2022). "After standout rookie season, Spirit signs Trinity Rodman to four-year, $1.1 million deal". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  7. ^ Caron, Emily (February 2, 2022). "Trinity Rodman Signs Record NWSL Pact Amid D.C. Ownership Battle". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "What Is Going on With Trinity Rodman's Contract Dispute?". SI. 2025-12-17. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  9. ^ a b Graham, Bryan Armen (2025-12-12). "Trinity Rodman: why US soccer could lose its most compelling star to Europe". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-12-27.
  10. ^ Westlake, Amanda (2025-12-11). "NWSL reportedly considering a solution to keep Trinity Rodman in the league". All For XI. Retrieved 2025-12-27.
  11. ^ a b c Olsen, Emily; Griffin, Tamerra (2025-12-24). "NWSL adds rule allowing stars to be paid $1m above cap despite players' union opposition". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  12. ^ a b c d e "NWSL's high-impact player rule: A look at USWNT, world stars who could be eligible". CBS Sports. 2025-12-24. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  13. ^ "NWSL players' union rejects proposed loophole to its salary cap as league fights to keep Trinity Rodman". NBC News. 2025-12-19. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  14. ^ Polacek, Scott. "Trinity Rodman-Inspired Rule Change Passed by NWSL Amid Rumors on Contract, Future". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved 2025-12-27.
  15. ^ a b Griffin, Tamerra (2025-12-24). "NWSL's new 'high impact' rule prioritizes a small pool of superstars – and they must be marketable". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  16. ^ "Ballon d'Or Feminin 2025 official rankings: Aitana Bonmati beats Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo to Golden Ball after Barcelona treble and outstanding Euro 2025". Goal. 2025-09-22. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  17. ^ https://www.uefa.com/ballondor/news/0291-1bc6d107dde0-77a8317e8ca0-1000--2024-ballon-d-or-awards-nominees-revealed/
  18. ^ Laverty, Rich; Duncan, Pamela; Blight, Garry; Bloor, Steven (2024-12-07). "The 100 best female footballers in the world 2024". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  19. ^ Laverty, Rich (2025-12-04). "The 100 best female footballers in the world 2025". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  20. ^ "The 50 best women's soccer players in the world for 2025, ranked!". ESPN.com. 2025-12-24. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  21. ^ "The 50 best women's soccer players in the world, ranked!". ESPN.com. 2024-11-13. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  22. ^ "USWNT Stats 2025". December 2, 2025.
  23. ^ "USWNT Stats 2024". December 3, 2024.
  24. ^ NWSL (2024-11-22). "Kansas City Current Forward Temwa Chawinga Named 2024 NWSL Most Valuable Player | National Women's Soccer League Official Site". NWSL. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  25. ^ Henderson, Cydney (2025-11-19). "2025 NWSL Awards live updates: Full list of winners, highlights". USA Today. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  26. ^ "Players step out and celebrate 2025 season at NWSL Awards presented by AT&T". NWSL.com. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  27. ^ "NWSL Announces Winners of 2024 NWSL Best XI Awards, presented by Amazon Prime". 2024-11-18. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  28. ^ Fleming, Margaret (2025-12-24). "NWSL 'Rodman Rule' for Star Players: Who Would Qualify". Front Office Sports. Retrieved 2025-12-27.
  29. ^ Fleming, Margaret (2025-12-24). "NWSL 'Rodman Rule' for Star Players: Who Would Qualify". Front Office Sports. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
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