Women’s soccer league’s Orlando Pride switch to black shorts after players expressed period concerns

The Orlando Pride this week became the first team in the National Women’s Soccer League to switch to black shorts due to menstruation, after players expressed concerns about wearing white shorts while on their periods.

The club announced on Tuesday that it would be replacing the shorts paired with its secondary jersey, which previously featured white shorts to match the white jersey. An updated version of the jersey will also feature black lettering instead of silver.

“The reasons behind not wanting to wear white shorts are clear, but it is unfortunately something that hasn’t been addressed until recently,” Orlando Pride midfielder Erika Tymrak said in a statement. “I think it’s a big step for us as a Club to make players feel comfortable and allow us to focus solely on competing.”

“We must remove the stigma involved in discussing the health issues impacting women and menstruating non-binary and trans athletes if we want to maximize performance and increase accessibility to sport,” Haley Carter, the general manager and vice president of soccer operations at the Orlando Pride, added.

The Orlando Pride’s decision follows that of Manchester City, which became the first team in the Women’s Super League to make the switch away from using white shorts last October. The Women’s Super League is the top English league for women’s soccer.