Australian soccer league system

The Australian soccer league system is the league structure for soccer clubs in Australia. The league system in Australia since 1977 has involved one top divisional league controlled by Football Federation Australia and many leagues run within each state below. The National Soccer League stood from 1977–2004 as the top nationwide tier above the current state-based league systems, in 2005, the A-League was established as its successor. The introduction of the National Premier Leagues in 2013 introduced a direct second tier of soccer in Australia, underpinning the A-League.[1] The National Premier Leagues incorporated the existing state leagues as divisions with a nationwide end of season finals series. In 2013, the National Premier Leagues rebranded 5 of the 9 top state leagues, and the remainder – with the exception of the Northern Territory – joined in 2014.[1] There is no promotion and relegation to and from the top-tier A-League, and promotion and relegation at other levels varies between different state systems.

A diagram showing the nine member federations of FFA, which each control their respective state-based competitions.

A nation-wide second-tier league competition with the working title Australian Championship has been proposed, with a start date of the 2021/22 season.[2]

The table excludes parallel leagues such as the Y-League, which runs in conjunction with the A-League as a national youth developmental and reserve league, or the W-League. The women's soccer league system in Australia is similar to that of the men's.

The system
Level Leagues
1 A-League
11 clubs (1 from New Zealand)
no relegation
2 National Premier Leagues
90 clubs (from 8 divisions)		 Football Federation Northern Territory
10 clubs (from 2 divisions)
NPL ACT
8 clubs
no promotion
no relegation		 NPL NSW
12 clubs
no promotion
↓ relegate 1		 NPL Northern NSW
10 clubs
no promotion
no relegation		 NPL Queensland
14 clubs
no promotion
↓ relegate 2		 NPL South Australia
12 clubs
no promotion
↓ relegate 2		 NPL Tasmania
10 clubs
no promotion
↓ relegate 1.5		 NPL Victoria
14 clubs
no promotion
↓ relegate 2.5		 NPL Western Australia
12 clubs
no promotion
↓ relegate 1		 NorZone Premier League
6 clubs
no promotion
no relegation		 Southern Zone Premier League
4 clubs
no promotion
no relegation
3 NPL ACT 2
10 clubs
no promotion
no relegation		 NPL NSW 2
14 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1		 State League 1
11 clubs
no promotion
no relegation		 Queensland Premier League
14 clubs
↑ promote 2
no relegation		 State League 1
12 clubs
↑ promote 2
↓ relegate 2		 Northern Championship
9 clubs
↑ promote 0.75
no relegation		 Southern Championship
9 clubs
↑ promote 0.75
no relegation		 NPL Victoria 2
12 clubs
↑ promote 2
↓ relegate 2		 State League 1
12 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1.5		 NorZone All Age League
10 clubs
no promotion
no relegation
4 Capital League Division 1
10 clubs
no promotion
↓ relegate 1		 NPL NSW 3
12 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1		 Zone Premier League
10 clubs
no promotion
↓ relegate 1		 Regional
10 districts
no promotion		 State League 2
12 clubs
↑ promote 2		 Northern Championship One
6 clubs
no promotion
no relegation		 Southern Championship One
6 clubs
no promotion
no relegation		 NPL Victoria 3
12 clubs
↑ promote 2
↓ relegate 2		 State League 2
12 clubs
↑ promote 1.5
↓ relegate 1
5 Capital League Division 2
10 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1		 NPL NSW 4
12 clubs
↑ promote 1
No relegation		 Zone League One
10 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1		 Regional
6 districts
no promotion		 Southern League Two
6 clubs
no promotion
no relegation		 State League 1 North-West
12 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 2		 State League 1 South-East
12 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 2		 Amateur
18 districts
↑ promote 1
6 Capital League Division 3
10 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1		 Regional
19 districts
no promotion		 Zone League Two
9 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1		 Southern League Three
8 clubs
no promotion
no relegation		 State League 2 North-West
12 clubs
↑ promote 2
↓ relegate 2		 State League 2 South-East
12 clubs
↑ promote 2
↓ relegate 2
7 Capital League Division 4
10 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1		 Zone League Three
9 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1		 State League 3 North-West
12 clubs
↑ promote 2
↓ relegate 2.25		 State League 3 South-East
12 clubs
↑ promote 2
↓ relegate 2.25
8 Capital League Division 5
10 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1		 Regional
7 districts
↑ invitational promotion
 SL 4 West
12 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1		 SL 4 North
12 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1		 SL 4 South
12 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1		 SL 4 East
12 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1
9 Capital League Division 6
10 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1		 SL 5 West
12 clubs
↑ promote 1
no relegation		 SL 5 North
12 clubs
↑ promote 1
no relegation		 SL 5 South
12 clubs
↑ promote 1
no relegation		 SL 5 East
12 clubs
↑ promote 1
no relegation
10 Capital League Division 7
14 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1		 Regional
8 districts
no promotion
11 Capital League Division 8
12 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1
12 Capital League Division 9
12 clubs
↑ promote 1
↓ relegate 1
13 Capital League Division 10
12 clubs
↑ promote 1

See also

References
  1. "National Premier Leagues". footballaustralia.com.au. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  2. Dale Lewis (3 June 2016). "FFA backs second division as clubs chase pathway to main stage". SBS The World Game. Retrieved 10 November 2019.

General

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