2020 National Women's Soccer League season
The 2020 National Women's Soccer League season will be the eighth 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 and the Women's United Soccer Association, it will be the 14th overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States.
The league is operated by the United States Soccer Federation and receives major financial backing from that body. Further financial backing is provided by the Canadian Soccer Association. Both national federations pay the league salaries of many of their respective national team members in an effort to nurture talent in those nations and take the financial burden of individual clubs.
The season was scheduled to start on April 18 and end on October 18, though the start date was later delayed. The top four teams will advance to the NWSL Playoffs. The two semifinal matches will be on November 8 and the 2020 NWSL Championship will be played on November 14.
On March 12, 2020, the preseason match schedule was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, the NWSL announced on March 20 that the regular season start will be delayed.
On May 27, 2020, the NWSL announced that the [|2020 Challenge Cup] will mark the return to action following the COVID-19 pandemic. The 25-game tournament, to be held from June 27 to July 26, will be hosted by the owner of Utah Royals FC Dell Loy Hansen.
On June 22, 2020, the NWSL announced the full rules and regulations for the 2020 Challenge Cup. In conjunction, the NWSL also canceled the 2020 NWSL regular season and playoffs.
Teams, stadiums, and personnel
Stadiums and locations
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
| Chicago Red Stars | SeatGeek Stadium | 20,000 |
| Houston Dash | BBVA Stadium | 7,000 |
| North Carolina Courage | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park | 10,000 |
| Orlando Pride | Exploria Stadium | 25,500 |
| Portland Thorns | Providence Park | 25,218 |
| OL Reign | Cheney Stadium | 6,500 |
| Sky Blue FC | Red Bull Arena | 25,000 |
| Utah Royals FC | Rio Tinto Stadium | 20,213 |
| Washington Spirit | Audi Field | 20,000 |
| Washington Spirit | Segra Field | 5,000 |
| Washington Spirit | Maryland SoccerPlex | 4,000 |
Personnel and sponsorship
Note: All teams use Nike as their kit manufacturer.| Team | Head coach | Captain | Shirt sponsor |
| Chicago Red Stars |  | Julie Ertz | Meijer |
| Houston Dash |  | Jane Campbell Rachel Daly | MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| North Carolina Courage | |  Abby Erceg | Continental AG |
| OL Reign |  | Megan Rapinoe Lauren Barnes | Zulily |
| Orlando Pride | | Ashlyn Harris | Orlando Health |
| Portland Thorns FC | |  Christine Sinclair | Providence Health & Services |
| Sky Blue FC | | Sarah Woldmoe | Hackensack Meridian Health |
| Utah Royals FC | | Amy Rodriguez | Soleil Energy |
| Washington Spirit | | | CVS Health |
Coaching changes
Regular season
Tiebreakers
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.- Head-to-head win/loss record between the teams.
- Greater goal difference across the entire season.
- Greatest total number of goals scored.
- Apply #1–3 to games played on the road.
- Apply #1–3 to games played at home.
- If teams are still equal, ranking will be determined by a coin toss.
Attendance
Average home attendances
Ranked from highest to lowest average attendance.| Team | |||||
| Chicago Red Stars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Houston Dash | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| North Carolina Courage | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OL Reign | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Orlando Pride | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Portland Thorns FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sky Blue FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Utah Royals FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington Spirit | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Updated through end of regular season on January 5, 2020.
Highest attendances
Regular season| Rank | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance | Date | Stadium |