Paul Riley 05.10.14

Portland Thorns head coach Paul Riley

(Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian)

Portland Thorns coach Paul Riley thinks that the NWSL needs to make some significant changes to its roster rules.

Riley said he was disappointed that the NWSL didn't expand roster sizes this season to accommodate for this summer's FIFA Women's World Cup and is, instead, forcing clubs to rely on amateur players to supplement their rosters this season.

Riley said using amateur players, who do not receive any compensation for playing, to supplement rosters is "absolutely not" a viable way to run the league.

"I think the roster should be increased in a World Cup year and a Olympic year," Riley said. "It doesn't make sense to me not to increase a roster. I think the rosters this year should have been 24."

NWSL clubs can carry just 18-20 players on their rosters this season, meaning that teams must supplement their rosters with amateur call-ups during the World Cup in order to field enough players to compete in every game.

The Thorns are losing eight players to the World Cup this season and Riley said he expects to be using multiple amateur players in the starting lineup or off the bench in the coming weeks.

According to NWSL rules, amateur players "may not receive or retain any remuneration for playing except expenses directly related to a game or games which have actually been incurred by the player."

Even though they aren't getting paid, the amateur players dedicate their time and participate in trainings just like any rostered player in the NWSL. These players are playing without pay in hopes of, ultimately, earning a contract with an NWSL team.

"These players should be getting paid and they should be on the rosters," Riley said. "Everybody has four or five of them just like we do. They are playing for contracts. That's what they're playing for, whether it be this year or whether it be next year."

The NWSL already pays its rostered players very modest salaries. Players in the NWSL that are not allocated by the U.S., Canadian or Mexican national teams, make between just $6,842 and $37,800 per season.

NWSL commissioner Jeff Plush told The Oregonian/OregonLive in April that the league must look to address salaries in the future, but said that it has to happen over time in a way that is sustainable. Plush said the league has no immediate plans to make changes to the salary cap and roster rules.

Thousands of fans will pay to walk through the turnstiles at Providence Park Saturday night to watch the Thorns take on the Washington Spirit. At least a few of the players that they'll be watching won't be getting paid to play.

"They deserve opportunities to have contracts and get paid," Riley said. "Just like everybody else, they come out here every single day. As far as I'm concerned, I don't look at them as amateurs. They are professionals."

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com

503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg