Inside NWSL's New Misconduct Reports: What You Need to Know

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is facing renewed scrutiny over player safety and transparency. Newly released compliance documents reveal that the league received eight complaints involving sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, or retaliation during the first half of 2026.

While the volume of serious complaints is rising, heavy redactions and reporting loopholes mean the public remains largely in the dark about the details.

What Happened

According to government documents obtained by Defector Media, the NWSL logged eight serious complaints between February 1 and July 31, 2026. The reports span multiple teams, but the names of the clubs involved—as well as the conclusions of the league's investigations—have been entirely redacted.

These filings exist because of a settlement the NWSL reached last year with attorneys general in Illinois, New York, and Washington, D.C., following widespread investigations into systemic abuse in professional women's soccer. Under this agreement, the league must submit bi-annual reports detailing its efforts to prevent and investigate misconduct.

The "Presentation" Loophole

The settlement also mandates that the NWSL share anonymized player safety surveys with both the players' union and government officials. However, public records requests have exposed a significant gap in documentation.

Both the Washington, D.C. and Illinois AG offices confirmed they hold no physical or digital copies of these survey results. Officials explained that the NWSL delivered the survey findings via live presentations rather than submitting actual documents. By presenting the data verbally, the league effectively avoided creating a paper trail subject to public records requests.

A Rising Trend in Complaints

The eight complaints recorded in early 2026 mark a clear increase compared to previous reporting periods:

• First half of 2025: The league received five complaints, none of which involved allegations of sexual misconduct.
• Late 2025 to early 2026: Five investigations were launched across four teams, focusing on emotional misconduct and toxic work environments.
• 2024: League training materials originally disclosed 43 total complaints. Notably, after public reporting on these figures, the NWSL removed the specific number of complaints from subsequent training documents.

Because of the extensive redactions and the verbal nature of the player survey updates, very little verifiable information is available regarding how the NWSL handled these recent allegations, or if any disciplinary actions were taken.