Four Women’s Super League academy sides will play in tier three of the pyramid from the 2027-28 season after the controversial proposal was approved by the Football Association’s board.
The change forms part of what the FA described as a package of reforms to the Women’s National League “designed to strengthen the women’s football pyramid, raise standards across the league, and improve the development pathway for young players”.
The FA said data showed that young English players were getting significantly fewer competitive minutes than their counterparts across Europe’s leading leagues.
In the Guardian app, tap the Profile settings button at the top right, then select Notifications. Turn on sport notifications.
If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
If you don't have the Guardian app, download it from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.
The FA said WNL clubs would receive central funding for the first time and that changes to the loan market would encourage clubs from the top two divisions to loan players to clubs in the third and fourth tiers.
The WSL academy teams will not be eligible for promotion and will be chosen against criteria to be developed in the coming months, the FA said. With the third tier split into two geographical regions, it is expected that two academies will be placed in the northern division and two in the southern.
Sue Day, director of women’s football at the FA, said: “For the game to continue moving forward, the FA Women’s National League must evolve alongside the professional game, and we need to create more opportunities for talented young English players to develop in senior football.”
