Your Guide to the 2026 NWSL Playoffs: Teams, Schedule, and How to Watch

3 min readAfter a long season, the stage is set for the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs. Eight teams will compete to see who will be crowned the 2026 champions at the end of the month. And there's been plenty of impressive soccer leading up to this point.This year, the Washington Spirit's Ashley Sanchez tied the single-season league record with 20 goals to get the Golden Boot award. (Croix Bethune of the Kansas City Current set a league record for the most assists, too.)Angel City FC went into the postseason with an impressive 10-match unbeaten streak, making them a big team to watch. The Seattle Reign also locked down the 8th spot in the playoffs in dramatic fashion with a 1-0 win over the Orlando Pride.There were also big changes made to future player contracts, with the NWSL dropping the so-called "Rodman rule" that allows any player in the league to earn the NWSL's highest possible salaries. That goes into effect on January 1.Finally, the regular season wrapped up with Decision Day on November 1, in which all of the final games kick off at once (whoa). When all was said and done, Gotham FC won the NWSL Shield—more on that in a minute—and all remaining teams locked in their seeding for playoffs.So, which teams are in contention and how is this all going to go down? Whether you've never seen a NWSL game or need to brush up on the facts, we've got you covered.How are teams eliminated in the NWSL playoffs?The NWSL hosts single-elimination playoffs, which means if a team loses once, they're out. You can compare this to the NFL, whereas leagues like the WNBA, NBA, NHL, and MLB play a best-of series in each round to give teams multiple chances to advance.What's the difference between the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship?This is a little confusing, so bear with us. The NWSL Shield is a regular-season honor that culminates at the end of the year.The Shield is given to the team that has the best record over the regular season, which began back in March. Now, the playoffs begin, and the winner of the playoff tournament wins the NWSL Championship. It's possible to win both the Shield and the Championship, btw. It's just that the Shield is a distinction for regular season play. (Gotham FC won the NWSL Championship in 2023 and 2025, but only won the club’s first-ever Shield this season.)The team that wins the Shield (in this case, Gotham) is also granted the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, which means they get home-field advantage during the postseason.What happens if there's a tie?If there's a tie in the NWSL playoffs, the game will go on to extra time. This is two 15-minute periods that are played in their entirety. Whoever has the highest score at the end wins.If things are still tied at that point, this goes to a penalty shootout. This is a best of five round of kicks, followed by sudden-death rounds if they're needed.How can I watch the NWSL playoffs?The first round of the playoffs will be broadcast on ESPN platforms, along with Prime Video, CBS, and Paramount+. The semifinals, which take place November 14-15, will be broadcast on ESPN networks, CBS, and Paramount+. The championship game will air on CBS and Paramount+.You might even consider visiting a dedicated women’s sports bar in your area to watch with other like-minded fans—here’s an exhaustive list.Which teams are in contention?Eight teams are in contention this year. Here they are, as well as their seeds going into the first round:Gotham FCSan Diego Wave FCWashington SpiritKansas City CurrentAngel City FCPortland Thorns FCUtah RoyalsSeattle Reign FCWhen is the championship game?The championship game is on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 8 pm ET. Last year’s championship game saw Gotham FC beat the Washington Spirt 1-0 with a goal at the 80th minute. The stage is set for an equally exciting finale to the NWSL season.Korin Miller is a seasoned freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Everyday Health, Food & Wine, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University and lives by the beach.