Season 2016 NWSL Shield Portland Thorns FC Start date 2016 Location United States of America | Champions Western New York Flash Matches played 100 Champion Western New York Flash Goals scored 263 | |
 | ||
Top goalscorer Kealia Ohai
Lynn Williams
(11 goals) Biggest home win 6 goals:
WNY 7–1 BOS
(Jun 24) Similar 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, 2014 CONCACAF Women's, 2015 Algarve Cup, 2014 Algarve Cup | ||
The 2016 National Women's Soccer League season is the fourth season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it is the tenth overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States. The league is operated by the United States Soccer Federation and receives major financial backing from that body. Further financial backing is expected to be provided by the Canadian Soccer Association. Both national federations pay the league salaries of many of their respective national team members in an effort to nurture talent in those nations.
Contents
- Stadiums and locations
- Personnel and sponsorship
- Competition format
- Results table
- Tiebreakers
- Weekly live standings
- Average home attendances
- Highest attendances
- NWSL Playoffs
- References
To accommodate the 2016 Olympics the league suspended play for most of the month of August. In addition, the league did not schedule games during FIFA windows, leaving the 20-game, 19-week regular season ending in late September for the second year in a row.
Stadiums and locations
Two teams, the Dash and Reign, do not make their stadiums' entire capacity available for home games, instead restricting ticket sales at a lower level. The full capacities of their venues are included in parentheses and italics.
Personnel and sponsorship
Note: All of the teams use Nike as their kit manufacturer.
Competition format
Results table
Updated to games played on September 25, 2016.
Scores listed as home-away
Tiebreakers
The initial determining factor for a team's position in the standings is most points earned, with three points earned for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. If two or more teams tie in point total, when determining rank and playoff qualification and seeding, the NWSL uses the following tiebreaker rules, going down the list until all teams are ranked.
- Head to Head win/loss record between the teams (or points-per-game if more than two teams).
- Greater goal difference across the entire season (against all teams, not just tied teams).
- Greatest total number of goals scored (against all teams).
- Apply #1–3 to games played on the road.
- Apply #1–3 to games played at home.
- If teams are still equal, ranking will be determined by a coin toss.
NOTE: If two clubs remain tied after another club with the same number of points advances during any step, the tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format.
Weekly live standings
Considering each week to end on a Sunday. The number of games played by the teams are uneven due to a weather postponement in week 7 (rescheduled as the only game between week 15 and 16) and differing schedules between week 10 and 16.
Average home attendances
Ranked from highest to lowest average attendance.
Updated to games played on September 25, 2016.
Highest attendances
Regular season
Updated to games played on September 25, 2016.
NWSL Playoffs
The top four teams from the regular season will compete for the NWSL Championship.