The NWSL Players Association is urging the league to establish a clear “bright-line rule” for handling matches following medical emergencies, prompted by the recent incident involving Angel City FC defender Savy King. The 20-year-old center back collapsed during a game against the Utah Royals and later underwent successful heart surgery, according to a club update provided alongside King’s family.
The collapse occurred in the 78th minute of the match. Despite King being stretchered off the field, the game was not postponed. The NWSL has faced continued criticism regarding its response to the emergency leading up to their week nine fixtures. An initial league statement released Saturday offered well wishes to King and commended the medical staff, while also stating that all game protocols had been followed.
“League protocols were followed from both a medical and game operations perspective. We are grateful to the Angel City medical staff as well as to local paramedics who handled this difficult situation seamlessly,” part of the statement read.
However, sources familiar with the situation indicate that the NWSL intends to change its policy going forward. This development follows a statement from the NWSL Players Association on Wednesday demanding the league reevaluate its game postponement policy.
In an interview, NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke elaborated on the union`s call for a “bright-line rule” for any future in-game medical episodes. This rule would introduce a clear and unambiguous standard with no room for interpretation, designed to simplify decision-making and minimize disputes.
“If player safety is of paramount importance, then I`m wondering what other factors could possibly be at play in a life-saving situation here. We`re making it too hard. This is a very straightforward decision. Life-saving measures on the field to revive a player or stabilize a player — or coach or referee — the game should stop playing … and this is the reason that the players are asking for a bright-line rule,” Burke explained.
The league later publicly confirmed that the match should not have continued. They stated, “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.”
They added, “The health and well being of the entire NWSL community remains our top priority, and in any similar situation going forward the game should and would be abandoned.”
King, now in her second professional season, joined Angel City after being drafted second overall in the 2024 NWSL Draft by Bay FC and was a key defender for her current club following an offseason trade.
As she recovers, the incident has renewed calls across women`s soccer for the league to prioritize player safety and implement clearer emergency procedures.
King’s medical emergency is part of a concerning trend seen in collegiate and professional sports. Other recent examples include NBA player Bronny James experiencing a cardiac episode at USC, Christian Eriksen requiring emergency care during the 2022 UEFA Euros, and the NFL’s Damar Hamlin experiencing a similar medical episode during a game.
These incidents resulted in different responses: Eriksen`s match continued later after he was hospitalized based on player requests, while Hamlin`s game was postponed and eventually canceled after consultations involving the league, teams, and the players union.
Despite each situation being unique, Burke asserts that the circumstances surrounding King’s collapse were severe enough to warrant stopping the game to ensure the well-being of everyone involved. She believes the decision to continue was incorrect and emphasizes the league and the Players Association`s commitment to learning from the event.
“[A bright line rule] would be consistent with what we`re hearing across the industry when you look at the Damar Hamlin situation, which, to be clear, is a different medical situation. But even the NFL, which is probably the biggest moneymaker in all pro sports, stopped because it was the right thing to do,” Burke stated.
She concluded, “We`re human beings, and this is a simple matter of humanity. We are looking for decisiveness. The decision should have been made Friday night. In the days that followed, there was an opportunity to make a decision. We`re still hand-wringing about what`s the right call, and for us this is very clear and very simple.”
