The Football Association has given the green light to one of the more contentious proposals to have circulated around the women's game in recent years: four Women's Super League academy sides will drop into the third tier of the pyramid from the 2027-28 season, competing in the Women's National League as part of a wider package of structural reforms.

It is the kind of decision that tends to divide a press box fairly cleanly. Those who prioritise elite player development will point to what the FA itself has flagged as a genuine problem — young English players are racking up significantly fewer competitive minutes than their counterparts in the leading leagues across Europe. Those who worry about what it does to the existing fabric of the third tier will argue, with some justification, that academy sides of top-flight clubs carry a very different set of resources than the clubs they will be competing alongside.

What the FA is actually proposing

The Women's National League currently splits into two geographical divisions at tier three — a northern section and a southern section. Under the approved plan, it is expected that two WSL academy sides will be placed in each of those regional divisions, keeping travel demands broadly manageable and preserving some balance in the draw.

Crucially, these academy teams will not be eligible for promotion. Whatever they achieve on the pitch in terms of league position, they cannot move up the pyramid, which is a direct attempt to address the concern that they would effectively block a genuine route to the top for independently run clubs working their way through the tiers.

The specific WSL clubs involved have not yet been confirmed. The FA says the selection criteria will be developed over the coming months, which means the clubs themselves are yet to be formally identified or assessed against whatever benchmark is eventually set.

Central funding and the loan market

The academy plan is not the only change being introduced. Alongside it, the FA has announced that WNL clubs will receive central funding for the first time — a significant shift that those clubs have lobbied for over a considerable period. The scale of that funding has not been detailed in what the FA has published so far, but the principle of central distribution marks a meaningful step towards giving third and fourth-tier clubs a more stable financial footing.

Changes to the loan market are also part of the package, with the intention of making it easier — and presumably more attractive — for clubs in the top two divisions to send players down to tier three and four on loan. If that works as intended, it creates a secondary route for young players to get minutes at a competitive level, which sits alongside rather than instead of the academy team model.

The development argument

Sue Day, the FA's director of women's football, has been clear about the driving logic. In her words, the Women's National League must evolve alongside the professional game and the game needs to create more opportunities for talented young English players to develop in senior football. The European comparison the FA has cited is not a new one — it has come up repeatedly in discussions about the women's game at international level — but having it acknowledged formally as part of a structural decision does carry some weight.

Whether the clubs and supporters already operating in tier three feel the trade-off is worth it remains to be seen. The third tier is home to clubs with real identity, real fanbases and real ambition. The Wolves supporters who packed into Molineux's concourse last May to watch their side win the WNL playoff and earn promotion will have views on what it means to share a division with an academy team that cannot go up regardless of results.

The FA will be hoping the combination of central funding, reformed loans and raised competition levels makes the case over time. That case will be made, or not, on the pitch from August 2027.

FAQs

Frequently asked

Which WSL clubs will have academy teams in the Women's National League?
The FA has not yet confirmed which four WSL clubs will enter academy sides into the Women's National League. The selection criteria are still being developed and will be announced in the coming months.
Can WSL academy teams get promoted from the Women's National League?
No. The FA has confirmed that WSL academy sides will not be eligible for promotion, meaning they cannot advance up the pyramid regardless of where they finish in the league table.
When do the changes to the Women's National League come into effect?
The new arrangements, including WSL academy teams entering tier three, are set to begin in the 2027-28 season. Central funding for WNL clubs and loan market changes are part of the same reform package.