NWSL 2022 Schedule Including Games and Key Events

Updated April 10, 2022

National Women’s Soccer League’s 10th Season

In December 2021, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) announced the framework of the 2022 season. Learn more about the season and the NWSL.

Table of Contents

• NWSL 2022 Season Framework
• Challenge Cup and NWSL Shield
• NWSL 2022 Teams

NWSL 2022 Season Framework

• Preseason is a six week camp that began on February 1, 2022
• The season will kickoff with the 3rd annual Challenge Cup
• Each team will play 22 games
• Teams will play every team twice: once at home and once away
• Six (6) top teams of the regular season will go on to play in the playoffs
• Top team of the regular season will be awarded the NWSL Shield
• Two (2) top teams will receive a bye in the first round of playoffs
• Each team is guaranteed 14 home games and 14 away games between the Challenge Cup and regular season games
• Games will be aired on Paramount+
• The Challenge Cup final and NWSL Championship will be aired on CBS and Paramount+

NWSL 2022 Timeline

Common NWSL Terms

Challenge Cup

The NWSL Challenge Cup is an annual tournament that began in 2020. It features all of the teams in the NWSL and kicks-off the NWSL season. This year the Challenge Cup will begin with the two 2021 expansion teams: Kansas City Current vs Racing Louisville FC. The following day the two 2022 expansions teams, Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC, will make their NWSL debut.

Previous winners of the Challenge Cup include Houston Dash (2020) and Portland Thorns FC (2021).

Shield

The NWSL gives out an award each year for the team with the best record in the regular season, which is called the NWSL Shield. So far, there have been four (4) Shield winners in the eight (8) years that it has been awarded.

Previous winners include Portland Thorns FC (2021, 2016), North Carolina Courage (2019, 2018, 2017), Seattle Reign FC (2015, 2014), and Western New York Flash (2013).

Championship

The top six (6) teams that finish in the regular season will go on to play in the NWSL playoffs. The top two (2) teams of the regular season will receive a bye week for the first round of playoffs. In short, the playoffs are a single-elimination knockout and the winner is crowned the NWSL Champion. There have been five (5) Champions thus far.

Previous winners include Washington Spirit (2021), North Carolina Courage (2019, 2018), Portland Thorns FC (2017, 2013), Western New York Flash (2016), and FC Kansas City (2015, 2014).

Meet the NWSL 2022 Teams

This will be the first season to include expansions teams Angel City FC and San Diego Wave. This is in addition to the two (2) expansion teams that joined the season in 2021: Racing Louisville FC and Kansas City Current.