NWSL Coach Uses AI for Game Winning Soccer Tactics

In the world of professional sports, coaches are always searching for the next competitive edge. For Seattle Reign's head coach, Laura Harvey, that edge came from a surprisingly modern source: ChatGPT.

An Unconventional Coaching Assistant

During the 2025 NWSL season, Harvey turned to the popular AI chatbot for strategic help. In an interview on the Soccerish Podcast, the head coach detailed her journey into using artificial intelligence for game planning, a move that ultimately paid dividends on the field.

From Broad Inquiries to Specific Tactics

Harvey’s experiment began with curiosity during the offseason. She started by asking ChatGPT broad, philosophical questions about her team and the league.

“One day in the offseason, I was writing things into ChatGPT like, ‘What is Seattle Reign’s identity?’ And it would spurt it out," Harvey explained, according to a report from The Athletic. She continued with questions like, “What do you need to do to be successful in the NWSL?”

As she grew more impressed with the AI's responses, her questions became more specific and tactical.

The AI-Suggested Formation

Harvey took a leap and asked the chatbot for direct strategic advice: “I put in, ‘What formation should you play to beat NWSL teams?’” The AI's response was remarkably detailed, providing suggested formations for every opponent in the league.

For two specific teams, the AI recommended a "back five"—a defensive formation with five players focused on protecting the goal. Intrigued, Harvey didn't just blindly follow the suggestion. She and her staff used it as a starting point.

“We researched it, we did a deep dive on it, we thought about how we could play it. And we went for it, and we liked it. It worked. We won the game,” Harvey said. The AI-inspired tactic proved to be a success.

A Winning Season with a Flexible Playbook

The team didn't just use the formation once. It has become a flexible part of their strategic arsenal. “We’ve come in and out of it. Now we’re quite fluid, we can float in and out of it within games. And I love that,” she added.

This blend of traditional coaching and AI-driven insights helped the Seattle Reign secure the No. 5 seed in the NWSL Playoffs, finishing the regular season with a record of 10 wins, 7 losses, and 9 draws. Harvey's innovative approach shows how new technologies are finding a place even on the professional soccer pitch.