What Is 2017 Chinese Women's Super League

Overview

The 2017 Chinese Women's Super League marked the 21st season of the premier women's football competition in China, continuing efforts to strengthen the domestic game following increased investment and national team development. Organized by the Chinese Football Association (CFA), the league featured eight professional clubs competing for the national championship through a structured season.

This season was notable for the growing competitiveness among teams and rising public interest in women's football, especially with the national team preparing for international tournaments. Matches were held across various stadiums in major cities, drawing modest but increasing attendances and streaming viewership.

• Jiangsu Suning claimed their second league title in 2017, finishing with 38 points after 14 matches, edging out rivals Dalian Quanjian by two points.
• The season kicked off on March 25, 2017, and concluded on October 1, 2017, following a tightly scheduled double round-robin format.
• Dalian Quanjian, the defending champions from 2016, finished second with 36 points despite fielding star players like Wang Shanshan.
• Wang Shanshan was the league's top scorer, netting 14 goals and earning the Golden Boot for her performance.
• The league format included 14 matchdays, with each team playing every other team twice—once at home and once away.

How It Works

The Chinese Women's Super League operates as a professional football competition with promotion and relegation linked to the lower-tier Women's League One, though structural changes were still evolving in 2017.

• League Format: The 2017 season used a double round-robin system, where each of the eight teams played 14 matches—seven home and seven away.
• Scoring System: Teams earned three points for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss, with the highest total at season's end crowned champion.
• Relegation: The bottom team, Changchun Dazhong Zhuoyue, was relegated to Women's League One after finishing eighth with only 9 points.
• Player Registration: Clubs could register up to 30 players, with matchday squads limited to 18, including at least two U-20 players.
• Foreign Players: Each team could field one foreign player per match, though not all clubs utilized this option.
• Match Scheduling: Games were typically played on weekends, with broadcasts on regional sports networks and limited national TV coverage.

Comparison at a Glance

Here’s how the top five teams compared in the 2017 Chinese Women's Super League standings:

The table highlights Jiangsu Suning’s dominance in both points and goal difference, as they won 12 of their 14 matches. Dalian Quanjian remained strong but fell short, while mid-table teams like Tianjin and Shanghai showed consistency but lacked the scoring edge. The gap between first and fifth place was 16 points, underscoring the competitive disparity despite growing parity.

Why It Matters

The 2017 season was a pivotal moment in the development of women's football in China, reflecting broader investments in infrastructure, youth development, and professionalization.

• The success of Jiangsu Suning demonstrated the effectiveness of long-term club investment in coaching and player recruitment.
• Increased media coverage, though still limited, helped raise the profile of female athletes like Wang Shanshan and Wang Shuang.
• The league served as a key talent pipeline for the Chinese national team, which qualified for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.
• Relegation introduced stakes for lower-ranked teams, encouraging competitive integrity across the league.
• Foreign player participation remained minimal, suggesting domestic talent was sufficient for top-level competition.
• The CFA’s efforts to stabilize the league structure laid groundwork for future expansion and commercial growth.

Overall, the 2017 Chinese Women's Super League represented a step forward in professionalizing women's sports in China, setting benchmarks for performance, organization, and visibility that would influence future seasons.