NWSLPA demands policy change on game postponements after Angel City’s Savy King collapses

The NWSL Players Association has demanded that the competition updated its policy for postponing the game after a medical event during the victory of Angel City on the Utah Royals on Friday, with defender Savy King who later undergoes an operation to correct a heart defect.

“These moments require humanity, healthy judgment and restraint”, a statement from the players’ association that has been partially read. “Any medical emergency that requires the administration of life -saving care should put an end. The competition should not have continued. Our members are elite, world -class competitors who have proven that they can perform under unimaginable circumstances. That does not mean they have to.

“Although the medical response demonstrated the highest level of competence and care, the decision to continue playing the game has shown how players are weighed and operationalized in real time. Incidents of this seriousness must give priority to our collective humanity and must automatically activate the match of the match.

King collapsed in the 74th minute of the 2-0 victory of Angel City on the Utah Royals and received about 10 minutes of medical attention on the field before she was eliminated. She was then taken to a hospital and underwent a successful operation on Tuesday, in which the club said that “her prognosis is excellent.”

“Savy King was admitted to Cedars-SINAI Medical Center on Saturday morning after receiving immediate care in the California Hospital Medical Center, after a medical incident during the Angel City FC match on Friday evening,” the club said in a statement on Tuesday. “After a thorough evaluation, doctors discovered a heart defect and Savy today underwent a successful operation to tackle it. She now rests and recovers surrounded by her family, and her prognosis is excellent.”

The Van King family has also issued a statement in which they have been grateful to the medical staff that the player attended, as well as her benefactors.

“On behalf of our whole family, together with Savy, we are so moved by the love and support of Angel City players, employees, fans and community, as well as football fans throughout the country,” said King’s Family. “We are blessed to share that Savy is recovering well and we look forward to having her at our home soon. We want to thank the incredible medical staff and players of Angel City who have acted quickly, as well as the medical teams that have given her such exceptional care.

In such circumstances, the medical event forced new questions about the protocols of the NWSL, because the game resumed after the replacement of King. The competition followed their policy and a return to play in these cases is not necessarily unusual in sport, but the competition rules of the competition make the postponement, delay or cancellation of a match in the case of a “serious incident, injury or deadly to a player, coach, officially, team representative or spectator or other a spectator or other a spectator or others.”

After the game, head coach Jimmy Coenraets of Royals argued that the game should not have resumed, while the American national team of women and Washington Spirit Star Trinity Rodman wrote on social media that “in no world would not have to continue that game.”

The NWSL said on Saturday that it will “assess and determine whether changes to that protocol should be made” and adds on Wednesday that the process of evaluating their current policy is underway

“The safety of players is of the utmost importance for the NWSL”, a statement from the competition that has been partially read. “The severity of this incident requires a deliberate process that is carefully and methodical. That process is underway and will contain necessary revisions that prioritize the consideration of player, staff and fan welfare. Keep respecting Savy’s privacy.”