A match last week was delayed more than three hours, prompting concerms from players, coaches, executives and the NWSLPA
NWSL reportedly threatens fines for KC CurrentLast week's match saw three hours of delaysNWSLPA fires back at leagueFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱ImagnWHAT HAPPENED?
NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman has reportedly threatened to fine the Kansas City Current following a near-three-and-a-half-hour weather delay last weekend, prompting a disagreement between the club and the league.
The Current hosted Orlando Pride in Kansas City last weekend. Due to extreme heat, the match, scheduled for a 3 p.m. local kickoff, did not start until 6:28 p.m. At the time of the scheduled kickoff, temperatures on the field were above 90 degrees, which would put it in line with the league policy of 93.2 degrees.
Following the NWSL's competition guidelines, the fourth official took a reading 15 minutes prior to kickoff, with the temperature reading nearly 93 degrees. Those guidelines indicate that the league is the sole decision-maker when it comes to postponing games.
According to The Athletic, both clubs contacted the league to express concerns about the weather, asking to postpone the match to later in the day. The league responded, saying that the game, which pitted two of the league's top teams and was set to be broadcast nationally, should go on as scheduled and employ the extreme heat policy if needed.
It was the seventh of 11 regular-season matches on CBS this season, but the delay ultimately resulted in the game being moved to an online stream.
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When asked by the Athletic about the events, the league responded with a statement: “The league aims to play matches as scheduled whenever safely possible. While forecasts guide planning, we primarily rely on real-time, on-site weather data to make informed decisions in accordance with our inclement weather policies and protocols. Based on those inputs, the league made the decision to delay Saturday’s match."
According to the University of Kansas Health System, 16 people required medical attention for heat-related ailments at the stadium. The Athletic reported that one fan was also taken to a nearby hospital.
“As it was becoming obvious that it wasn’t going to start soon, the communication wasn’t done quite as well as it could have. Nobody really knew what was happening," Danielle Russell, vice president of the KC Blue Crew supporters group, told the Athletic. "It comes down to not sacrificing safety over a TV slot. Everyone knew, as soon as the schedule came out, we circled that game. We were like, ‘This is going to be bad. This is going to be dangerous.’”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The NWSL Players Association had previously raised concerns with the schedule. As early as January, when the schedule was initially confirmed, the NWSLPA had voiced its skepticism about a midday August kickoff.
“We, under the (collective bargaining agreement), are entitled to see a drafted schedule before it is publicly released,” said NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke. “Internally, we flagged that a 3 p.m. kickoff in Kansas City in August was probably going to have a problem with the extreme heat issues that we’re seeing this summer.”
Burke also took exception with the process, with players warming up multiple times before the game kicked off.
“The decision to engage in 15-minute incremental delays speaks to one or both of two things: fantastical thinking that the August heat in Kansas City was going to cool off rather than rise before 6 p.m., or NWSL was looking for a non-medical basis on which to resume the game in dangerous conditions," she said.
“The medical teams did their jobs here, and they did an excellent job and that’s exactly why we negotiated in two CBAs for investments in medical staff and technical staff, in competent people who are qualified to do this job. This is a medical decision. This should not be a union decision or a legal decision. It’s a medical issue, and the medical experts need to make that call, so we’re grateful to them for doing their jobs.”
The NWSL drew criticism earlier this season for resuming a match after Angel City's Savy King collapsed on the pitch.
“Clearly, there was pressure to play this game in a major broadcast slot,” Burke said, referring to the match in Kansas City. “As we analyze what happened on Saturday, we find ourselves saying the same thing here that we said in May regarding the decision to resume play after one of our own was tended to with lifesaving measures. While the medical response demonstrated the highest level of competence and care, the pressure from NWSL to play demonstrated how player safety is actually weighed and operationalized in real time.”
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
Orlando Pride were back on the field on Thursday, when they fell, 1-0, to Angel City to kickstart Matchday 17 of the league's season. KC, meanwhile, will be in action on Saturday when they visit the Portland Thorns.