What is Project ACL — The American league is joining a global project to reduce injuries in women’s soccer

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and its players’ union have joined Project ACL, a global initiative aimed at reducing the number of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in women’s professional soccer.

The partnership brings the US-based NWSL into a program launched two years ago in the English Women’s Super League in response to a call for more research into ACL tears, with women more than twice as likely to suffer the debilitating injury than men.

Project ACL aims to better understand the various factors behind ACL injuries. Researchers say there is limited evidence on how to reduce such injuries at the professional level, and that women make up only eight percent of sports science research.

The NWSL and NWSLPA will work with existing partners Nike, Leeds Beckett University and global players’ union FIFPRO to build evidence-based practices to help the women’s game, studying not just the physical causes, but also training conditions, scheduling requirements and recovery environments.

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Since its launch, Project ACL researchers have surveyed staff from all twelve WSL clubs and conducted interviews with more than thirty players, with support from the English Professional Footballers’ Association.

The project also tracks players’ workload, travel and appearances in critical zones (matches with less than five days recovery time) via the FIFPRO Player Workload Monitoring tool to establish links between scheduling and injury risk.

The formal launch of the NWSL partnership took place Wednesday at Nike headquarters in New York.

“We believe that player-centricity and collaboration with key stakeholders are central to bringing about meaningful change in the football ecosystem and that players, competition organizers and stakeholders around the world will benefit from the outputs and outcomes of Project ACL,” said Dr. Alex Culvin, FIFPRO director of women’s football.

The NWSL’s vice president of sports, Sarah Gregorius, said player health is crucial to the future of the league.

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“This is an area where we want to lead,” she said. “By continuing to invest in this work, we can help build environments where our players are better supported and can perform at their best.”

More than 25 players missed the FIFA Women’s World Cup due to ACL injuries.

Gotham FC defender Kayla Duran is the most recent NWSL player to suffer a season-ending knee injury, in a match against Kansas City Current on April 4.

Published on April 22, 2026