The 2016 National Women's Soccer League season was 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 (2009âÂÂ2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001âÂÂ2003), it was the tenth overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States. The league was operated by the United States Soccer Federation and received significant financial backing from that body. Further financial backing was provided by the Canadian Soccer Association. Both national federations paid the league salaries of many of their respective national team members in an effort to nurture talent in those nations.
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.
In the regular season, the Portland Thorns topped the standings and thus won the NWSL Shield. In the playoffs, the Washington Spirit and Western New York Flash won their opening matches to set up a meeting in the final. They tied 2-2 after extra time, with the Flash winning 3-2 on penalties to take the NWSL Championship.
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.
<small>Note: All of the teams use Nike as their kit manufacturer.</small>
<small>Updated to games played on September 25, 2016.</small>
<small>Scores listed as home-away</small>
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.
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.
<small>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.</small>
Ranked from highest to lowest average attendance.
<small>Updated to games played on September 25, 2016.</small>
Regular season
<small>Updated to games played on September 25, 2016.</small>
<small>Updated: September 25</small>
<small>Updated: September 25</small>
<small>Updated: September 25</small>
The top four teams from the regular season will compete for the NWSL Championship.