Monday’s announcement puts an end to months of conjecture on possible modifications to the league’s organizational structure.
Previous recommendations called for a short-term stop to relegation, which will not occur.
The top two WSL 2 teams at the end of the 2025–2026 season will be promoted automatically. There will also be a play-off for a position in the top division between the worst WSL team and the third-place WSL 2 team.
Starting with the 2026–2027 season, only one WSL 2 team will receive automatic promotion. The WSL’s bottom-place team will be demoted. Whether the second-bottom WSL team or the second-place WSL 2 club earns a spot in the league will be decided by a play-off match.
A meeting of shareholders was held on Monday to examine the proposed amendments. The league’s expansion was approved by the clubs. It is anticipated that the Football Association (FA) will complete these modifications by July 31.
