California girl, 15, plays pro soccer game — with a 9 p.m. child labor curfew
Olivia Moultrie moved from Santa Clarita to Oregon in 2019 and began training with Thorns FC but until last month had played only in preseason games and scrimmages.
Moultrie moved with her family from Santa Clarita to Oregon in 2019 and began training with Thorns FC but until last month had played only in preseason games and scrimmages. With the intention of going pro, she had given up a full scholarship — offered when she was 11 — to play for the University of North Carolina when she reached college age.
She has also been on the U.S. youth national team since 2018 and, while living in Southern California, had played on the elite club team Beach FC.
The antitrust lawsuit, filed in May, argued that because the NWSL is the “only acquirer of talent in the market” its age limit was a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
On June 17, U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut granted a preliminary injunction in favor of Moultrie, whose father had argued that the NWSL’s age rule violated federal antitrust law.
Immergut’s order pointed out that the men’s league, Major League Soccer, has no age minimum and that “more than half of MLS teams allegedly had one or more players” under 18.
The women’s league dropped its appeal after the two sides reached a settlement this month.
The-CNN-Wire
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