The NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA) is urging the league to implement a clear `bright-line rule` for match day operations, prompted by the recent medical emergency involving Angel City FC defender Savy King. The 20-year-old center back collapsed during a match against the Utah Royals and subsequently underwent successful heart surgery, according to an update from the club and King`s family.
The incident occurred in the 78th minute of the game. Despite King being stretchered off the field, the league did not postpone the match. The NWSL has faced ongoing criticism for its handling of the emergency leading up to their week nine schedule. An initial league statement issued on Saturday wished King well and commended the medical staff, while also claiming all game protocols had been followed.
“League protocols were followed from both a medical and game operations perspective. We are grateful to the Angel City medical staff as well as to local paramedics who handled this difficult situation seamlessly,” read a portion of the statement.
However, the NWSL will reportedly change its policy moving forward, according to sources familiar with the situation. This development follows a statement released by the NWSLPA on Wednesday demanding that the league reevaluate its policy regarding game postponements.
In an interview with Attacking Third, NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke elaborated on the union`s demand for a `bright-line rule`. Such a rule would provide a clear and unambiguous guideline for future medical episodes during games, eliminating room for interpretation, reducing disputes, and ensuring straightforward decision-making.
“If player safety is of paramount importance, then I`m wondering what other factors could possibly be at play in a life-saving situation here. We`re making it too hard. This is a very straightforward decision. Life-saving measures on the field to revive a player or stabilize a player — or coach or referee — the game should stop playing … and this is the reason that the players are asking for a bright-line rule,” Burke explained.
The league has since publicly acknowledged that the game should not have continued. Speaking to The Athletic, the league stated, “Having reviewed our protocols and how they were implemented, and in listening to feedback from our stakeholders, the Angel City vs Utah game last Friday night should not have continued.”
“The health and well being of the entire NWSL community remains our top priority, and in any similar situation going forward the game should and would be abandoned.”
King is in her second professional season, having left the University of North Carolina early to turn pro. She was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft by Bay FC and became a key player for Angel City`s defense after an offseason trade.
As she recovers, the incident has intensified calls across women`s soccer for the league to prioritize player safety and establish clearer emergency protocols.
King`s medical emergency is part of a concerning trend of such incidents in collegiate and professional sports. NBA player Bronny James experienced a cardiac episode while at USC, Christian Eriksen of Denmark required emergency medical care after suffering cardiac arrest during the 2022 UEFA Euros, and the NFL`s Damar Hamlin had a similar medical episode during a game with the Buffalo Bills.
The responses to the Eriksen and Hamlin incidents resulted in different match protocols. Denmark`s match continued later that night after Eriksen was hospitalized, following a request from both teams. The NFL postponed the Bills` Monday night game involving Hamlin and ultimately canceled it after consultations among the NFL, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, and the NFL players union.
Despite the rise in game-related cardiac medical emergencies, each scenario is unique. Burke maintains that the circumstances surrounding King`s collapse were severe enough to warrant stopping the game, not only for King`s well-being but for everyone involved in Friday`s match. She believes the decision to continue was incorrect, and while responses in other professional sports incidents have varied, the NWSL and the PA aim to lead by making the appropriate decisions in such critical moments.
“[A bright line rule] would be consistent with what we`re hearing across the industry when you look at the Damar Hamlin situation, which, to be clear, is a different medical situation. But even the NFL, which is probably the biggest moneymaker in all pro sports, stopped because it was the right thing to do,” Burke stated.
“We`re human beings, and this is a simple matter of humanity. We are looking for decisiveness. The decision should have been made Friday night. In the days that followed, there was an opportunity to make a decision. We`re still hand-wringing about what`s the right call, and for us this is very clear and very simple.”