Now that the 2023 NWSL season is over, the focus now turns to the 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft and the offseason moves that teams will look to make. The 2024 Expansion Draft will include Bay FC and Utah Royals FC looking to start building their rosters.
The draft will be held virtually on Friday. December 15 at 7:00 PM ET and it will air live on CBS Sports Network.
Below, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Expansion Draft.
2024 NWSL Expansion Draft Rules
Each team compiles a list of protected players, which will be distributed throughout the league on December 12. The league will likely release it to the public a day or so after.
The last Expansion Draft was in 2022 when Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC joined the league. In that draft, teams could only select a total of nine players, and each team could only lose one player from each position group.
Expansion drafts are difficult for teams as they will likely lose at least one key player. Each team can protect nine players. This leaves any other unprotected player available for selection by the Royals or Bay FC. If a player has a “no trade” clause in their current contract, their team must protect them.
Once Bay FC or Utah Royals selects a player from a team, that team receives an…
