The NWSL Players Association is urging the league to implement a clear and unambiguous policy, known as a `bright-line rule`, for stopping matches immediately when a medical emergency occurs on the field. This call comes in the wake of a recent incident involving Angel City FC defender Savy King, who collapsed during her team`s game against the Utah Royals. The 20-year-old player has since undergone successful heart surgery and is recovering.
The incident happened during the 78th minute of the match. Despite King being stretchered off the field, the game was not postponed or stopped. This decision has drawn significant criticism regarding the league`s handling of the emergency. The NWSL initially released a statement stating that all game and medical protocols were followed.
Part of the league`s initial statement read, “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.”
However, according to sources familiar with the situation, the NWSL is now planning to change its policy. This shift comes after the NWSL Players Association issued a statement demanding that the league reevaluate its game postponement policy.
In an interview, NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke detailed the union`s demand for a `bright-line rule`. She explained that such a rule would introduce clear guidelines without room for interpretation, simplifying decision-making during future medical emergencies.
Burke emphasized that if player safety is truly paramount, no other factors should complicate decisions in potentially life-saving situations. “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,” she stated.
The league later publicly admitted that the game against the Utah Royals should not have continued. A league representative told The Athletic, “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 league added, “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 been drafted No. 2 overall in the 2024 NWSL Draft and subsequently traded to Angel City FC, where she has become a key part of the defense.
As she recovers, the incident has reignited calls throughout women`s soccer for the league to strengthen player safety measures and establish clearer emergency protocols.
King`s medical emergency is part of a concerning pattern seen in various sports. Similar incidents include collegiate player Bronny James`s cardiac episode, Christian Eriksen`s collapse during the 2022 UEFA Euros, and Damar Hamlin`s medical emergency during an NFL game.
The responses to these past incidents varied. The Denmark-Finland match where Eriksen collapsed continued later that night after he was hospitalized. In contrast, the NFL postponed and eventually canceled the Buffalo Bills game involving Damar Hamlin after consultations with teams and the players union.
Despite the unique circumstances of each case, Burke asserts that King`s situation was severe enough to warrant stopping the match for the safety of everyone involved. She reiterated that continuing the game was the wrong call and that the league and the Players Association aim to lead by making correct decisions moving forward.
Burke argued that a `bright-line rule` aligns with how other major sports leagues, such as the NFL during the Damar Hamlin incident (although a different medical scenario), prioritized human life and stopped play, even in a highly commercial environment. “We`re human beings, and this is a simple matter of humanity,” Burke said. “We are looking for decisiveness. The decision should have been made Friday night… We`re still hand-wringing about what`s the right call, and for us this is very clear and very simple.”
