Could the New Women's Professional Soccer League Survive in America? How Adopting a Traditional Legal Structure May Save More than Just a Game

Abstract:     
This article analyzes whether a new women’s professional soccer league, operating under a more traditional legal structure, is more likely to succeed than its centrally planned predecessor. Part I of this article explains the history of women’s soccer, including the game’s transition from a recreational to a professional activity. Part II explains the different legal structures that are available to an American sports league. Part III explains why implementing a traditional legal structure maximizes the new women’s professional soccer league’s likelihood of success.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 27

Keywords: sports, law, sports law, antitrust, Sherman Act, Section One, soccer, women, women's soccer, single entity, Copperweld, league structure, FIFA, WUSA, women's sports, sports economics, Mia Hamm

Accepted Paper Series