Four Women's Super League (WSL) academy teams are set to join tier three of the football pyramid from the 2027-28 season. This controversial proposal has been approved by the Football Association's (FA) board.
The FA has described this change as part of a broader package of reforms for the Women’s National League. These reforms are designed to strengthen the women’s football pyramid, raise league standards, and enhance the development pathway for young players.
The FA highlighted data indicating that young English players currently receive significantly fewer competitive minutes compared to their counterparts in Europe’s leading leagues. WSL academy teams will not be eligible for promotion and will be selected based on criteria to be developed in the coming months. It is expected that two academies will be placed in the northern division and two in the southern, reflecting the third tier's geographical split.
Sue Day, the FA's director of women’s football, stated that the FA Women’s National League must evolve alongside the professional game to create more opportunities for talented young English players to develop in senior football.