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The NWSL has admitted it should have suspended a match last week after Angel City FC defender Savy King collapsed on the field.
In the future, the league will suspend games when a player needs lifesaving measures, it said in a statement.
“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 and we regret that it did,” it read.
King received medical attention for about 10 minutes before being stretchered off the field and taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Doctors discovered a heart abnormality and she had surgery.
Back at the stadium, play resumed and 12 minutes of stoppage time were added, which drew heavy criticism from NWSL players and union director Meghann Burke.
The league had not said for a week who decided to resume play.
NWSL rules state that “certain event categories automatically trigger the League Office into an evaluation of whether delay or postponement is necessary.”
The NWSL’s most recent statement prior to admitting fault said “the seriousness of this incident requires a deliberate process that is careful and methodical. That process is underway, and will include necessary revisions that prioritize the consideration of player, staff, and fan well-being.”
In an interview with Front Office Sports, Burke expressed concern over the length of time it was taking for the NWSL to admit its error.
“This is a human issue,” Burke told FOS on Thursday. “The right thing to do was to call this game. It doesn’t take this long to realize that.”
The NWSLPA posted their own statement on Friday in support of the newly adopted protocols.
“The league’s acknowledgement that the game should have ended—and its commitment to adopting this protocol for the future, should it ever be needed—represents a meaningful step forward,” the NWSLPA wrote in a statement. “It’s a change made possible by the strength and unity of our players.”
“Player safety is not a slogan. It is a practice. We are grateful that the NWSL has listened.”
King played one season at North Carolina before being drafted with the No. 2 pick by Bay FC in 2024. She was later traded to Angel City.
Angel City won the match last Friday 2–0 but players and both teams’ coaching staffs were visibly shaken following its conclusion. Players from both teams met on the field at center circle and locked arms to pray for King.
King’s prognosis is “excellent,” according to a statement from Angel City FC.
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