Women's Super League Considers Relegation Pause as Expansion Plans Emerge

The FA and WPLL weigh proposals to grow the league while maintaining promotion, with relegation potentially paused but not permanently eliminated.

The Women's Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) is exploring a proposal to pause relegation in the Women's Super League (WSL) as part of plans to expand the league to 16 teams.
Promotion from the Women's Championship would continue under the proposed changes, but relegation could be halted for a limited time to encourage investment and growth.
The Football Association (FA) has ruled out supporting a fully 'closed' league but is open to proposals that align with the broader growth of women's football.
Fan backlash over the potential changes has been acknowledged, but WPLL leadership maintains that all options are being considered to accelerate the sport's development.
A formal vote on the proposals is expected at the end of the season, with any changes requiring FA board approval before implementation in the 2026-27 season.