The National Women’s Soccer League announced Friday the implementation of a new policy allowing teams to sign emergency replacement players in the event that a team cannot field a sufficient roster due to Covid protocols.

This policy will be in effect for the next 60 days and then be re-evaluated by the NWSL and the NWSLPA.

Current protocol allows a team to compete with as few as 14 players who are both eligible and capable of playing in a match. Under the new rule, teams may sign Covid replacement players to bolster rosters to the non-Covid minimum of 18 players.

In signing Covid replacement players, teams will follow the same policies as they do with national team replacement players.

For more information on the 2022 NWSL Medical Protocols, visit our website here.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.