{
  "id": 16232814,
  "title": "NWSL Drops ‘Rodman Rule’ Restrictions, Allowing More Players Eligibility",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/nwsl-drops-rodman-rule-restrictions-allowing-more-players-eligibility",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-23T21:28:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Front Office Sports",
    "slug": "front-office-sports",
    "url": "https://frontofficesports.com/article/nwsl-drops-rodman-rule-restrictions-allowing-more-players-eligibility/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has decided to eliminate restrictions on who can be deemed a High Impact Player (HIP) under the league's salary cap rules. The decision came after the NWSL Players Association argued that the HIP eligibility criteria violated labor laws. The High Impact Player rule, established last year, permitted clubs to spend an extra $1 million above the salary cap on players meeting specific criteria, such as being ranked in the Top 30 globally by prestigious sources like the Ballon d'Or, The Guardian's Top 100 football players, ESPN FC's Top 50 football players, and SportsPro Media's Top 150 marketable athletes. Starting next year, any player can be tagged as a HIP, enabling them to earn up to 12% of the league's base salary cap. The current base salary cap stands at $3.5 million, while the total cap, accounting for a portion of team revenue, is $3.7 million. Approximately 100 players qualified for HIP status under the previous restrictions. The HIP rule, often dubbed the \"Rodman Rule\" after Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman, who negotiated a more lucrative contract with the club after European offers were off-limits due to the rule, was created to allow star players to secure competitive pay. The NWSL Players Association initially opposed the HIP rule, claiming it was an arbitrary alteration to the salary cap system without collective bargaining. They proposed a $1 million increase in the cap and filed a grievance against the league, which was later settled. Under the agreement, the NWSL can limit the number of HIP players per team in return for removing the merit-based requirements. The NWSL Players Association's executive director, Meghann Burke, expressed that the settlement demonstrated the union's resolve to uphold the Collective Bargaining Agreement's terms. The settlement also settles other outstanding issues between the NWSLPA and the NWSL. The league has relaxed its policy on players displaying logos of non-Nike footwear brands, enabling those with existing agreements to wear different brands and voiding fines given under the previous rule. Additionally, the settlement introduces new performance-based bonuses that players can negotiate into contracts, including rewards based on club appearance milestones, minutes played, and individual player accolades. It also mandates the NWSL to provide written notifications to the players union within 72 hours of vetoing a contract offer, explaining the reasoning behind the decision, addressing the union's concerns about the handling of Trinity Rodman's contract.",
  "summary": "All players are now eligible to receive the league’s maximum salary.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}