The free agency signing window opens up July 1st, and the NWSL has announced the rules for Boston Legacy FC and Denver NWSL with the new CBA removing the expansion draft. Additionally, the league announced that intra-league loans, which are commonplace in other soccer leagues, will be allowed with player consent.

EXPANSION TEAM ROSTER-BUILDING ASSETS

The incoming 2026 expansion teams will have access to $1,065,000 in allocation money that they can begin spending once the 2026 Free Agency opens up on July 1st. Half of this funds will be provided by the league and both teams will have until December 31st, 2027 to use all funded allocation money. 

If the league salary cap increases past the expected increase in the new CBA, the available allocation money will also scale up. 

Both teams will be able to spend against the $605,000 transfer fee threshold in 2026, and will have an additional $968,000 valid from January 1st of this year through the end of the 2026 secondary transfer window (Summer 2026).  Any transfer fees spent in excess of these amounts will incur a 25 percent charge towards the team’s salary cap.

From January 1, 2025 to the start of the 2025 secondary transfer window (July 1st, 2025), the expansion teams will not be subject to a salary cap. Any players signed during this period must have a net zero salary cap impact and must be:

  • Loaned out with the loanee team picking up the full amount of salary and bonuses;
  • Qualify to be placed on SEI; or
  • The expansion team must use allocation money to cover the salary cap charge

Coinciding with the opening of the 2025 secondary transfer window, expansion teams may have a limited salary cap of $250,000 with the intent of signing college players or out-of-contract international players for the remainder of the calendar year.

Expansion teams are not required to meet the minimum roster size (22) in 2025 but may not exceed the maximum roster size (26 active players). Both Boston and Denver will be subject to the standard roster compliance dates in 2026.

INTRA-LEAGUE LOANS

Effective immediately, NWSL players may be loaned to other teams within the league with consent. All loans are subject to the following criteria:

All loans must be approved by the league and require the consent of the loaned player

  • Loaned players cannot be traded, transferred, or re-loaned to a third team
  • Loans may occur anytime during the season prior to the close of the Secondary International Transfer Window but must meet FIFA’s loan duration requirements.

A team may:

  • Loan in max 3 players from any single team
  • Loan out max 3 players to any single team
  • Have no more than 12 players (combined in/out) on loan at any given time.

The loaning team will receive salary cap relief up to the amount covered by the receiving team. Teams may negotiate the applicable salary cap relief for the duration of the loan period, but the following conditions must be met:

  • The receiving team must pay at least the equivalent of the league’s minimum salary on a daily rate basis; and
  • The player must receive their full contracted salary for the duration of the loan.