ChatGPT Joins the Team: How AI Helped Seattle Reign Rise

Seattle Reign head coach Laura Harvey has revealed that she used ChatGPT to help determine her team’s tactics during the 2025 NWSL season.

Speaking on the Soccerish podcast, Harvey explained that she began by asking the AI tool general questions about team strategy before receiving specific suggestions on which formations to use against individual league opponents.

In two cases, ChatGPT recommended a back-five formation — a tactic Harvey implemented on the field.

Though the Reign initially lost to Orlando Pride, the strategy shift helped improve their overall performance, propelling them from second-to-last in 2024 to fourth place and playoff contention this season.

Harvey said her staff analyzed the AI’s recommendations before applying them, calling the process a fascinating blend of human and machine thinking.

Her experiment marks one of the first known cases of artificial intelligence influencing real-world professional soccer strategy.