Women's League Soccer
Encyclopedia
The Women's League Soccer (WLS) is a regional women's football (soccer)
league in the United States
that was created in 2010 and will kick off its first season 2011. The league is in the process of being sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation
.
Contrasting significantly from other soccer leagues in the U.S., WLS intends to be an open entry, promotion and relegation
competition. The league observes all FIFA
standards, rules, player transfer windows and international calendar. The league currently consists of six teams and the season lasts from May to the end of July. The league is largely the idea of Shek Borkowski
.
WLS Division 2 currently consists of five teams and plays six games per season.
The team in first place after the last day of play is the champion, gaining the title of WLS Champion.
Standings are determined by points a club has gained during a season. A win is worth 3 points, a draw 1, and a loss 0. The tiebreakers are in descending order goal difference, goals for, and head-to-head results. If the tie cannot be broken a tiebreaking game is held.
Division 2
*To switch leagues for 2012 season
Women's football (soccer)
Women's association football has been played for many decades, but was associated with charity games and physical exercise in the past before the breakthrough of organized women's association football came in the 1970s. Before the 1970s, football was basically seen as a men's game...
league in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that was created in 2010 and will kick off its first season 2011. The league is in the process of being sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
.
Contrasting significantly from other soccer leagues in the U.S., WLS intends to be an open entry, promotion and relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
competition. The league observes all FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
standards, rules, player transfer windows and international calendar. The league currently consists of six teams and the season lasts from May to the end of July. The league is largely the idea of Shek Borkowski
Shek Borkowski
Shek Borkowski is a Polish born women's association football manager most recently at Russian club Zvezda-2005 Perm.Borkowski co-founded Indiana Invaders of the Premier Development League, FC Indiana, and Chicago Red Stars of the Women's Professional Soccer.He is most notable for his success with...
.
Format
WLS Elite Division consists of six teams. It is intended that future entrants will join the league's Division 2 and require promotion to to the top level, while the club finishing last is replaced with the winner of Division 2. An Elite Division season will consist of 10 games combined. Each club will play a home-and-home set against each other. The season started in May and ended in June.WLS Division 2 currently consists of five teams and plays six games per season.
The team in first place after the last day of play is the champion, gaining the title of WLS Champion.
Standings are determined by points a club has gained during a season. A win is worth 3 points, a draw 1, and a loss 0. The tiebreakers are in descending order goal difference, goals for, and head-to-head results. If the tie cannot be broken a tiebreaking game is held.
Current clubs
Elite Division- Chicago BreezeChicago United BreezeChicago United Breeze is an American women’s soccer team, founded in 2006. The team is a member of the Women's Premier Soccer League, the third tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada. The team plays in the Midwest Conference....
- Cincinnati Saints*
- Cleveland FCCleveland Internationals WomenCleveland International Women is an American women’s soccer team, founded in 2004. The team is a member of Women's Major League Soccer , a new women’s soccer league in the United States that uses an open league model of promotion and relegation....
- FC Indiana 1923F.C. Indiana (W-League)F.C. Indiana is an American women’s soccer team, founded in 2000. The team is a member of the Women's Premier Soccer League....
- Fort Wayne SC
- Indiana Invaders FC
Division 2
- Evansville*
- Kalamazoo
- Lansing
- Michigan City
- Westfield
*To switch leagues for 2012 season