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Soccer league system of Australia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 Australia and many leagues run within each state below.[1] The National Soccer League stood from 1977 to 2004 as the top nationwide tier above the current state-based league systems, in 2005, the A-League (now A-League Men) 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.[2] 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.[2] 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 map showing the nine member federations of Football Australia, which each control their respective state-based competitions. | |
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Sport | Soccer |
| Promotion and relegation | No national system of promotion and relegation. Promotion and relegation does exist in every state and the Australian Capital Territory, but not in the Northern Territory. |
| National system | |
| Federation | Football Australia |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Top division | |
| Second division | National Second Division (from 2025) |
| Cup competition | |
| Regional systems | |
| Federations | |
| Top divisions |
|
| Second divisions | |
| Soccer in Australia | |
A nationwide second-tier league competition with the working title, the National Second Division, has been proposed, with a start date of the 2025 season. In addition, it has been established that a promotion and relegation system will be set up to put in line with European leagues.[3]
The table excludes parallel leagues such as the A-League Youth, which runs in conjunction with the A-League as a national youth developmental and reserve league, or the A-League Women. The women's soccer league system in Australia is similar to that of the men's.
| Level | Leagues | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A-League Men 13 clubs (2 from New Zealand) no relegation | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | National Premier Leagues 94 clubs (from 8 divisions) |
Football Northern Territory 12 clubs (from 2 divisions) | |||||||||||||||
| NPL ACT 8 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1 |
NPL NSW 16 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1.5 |
NPL Northern NSW 12 clubs no promotion no relegation |
NPL Queensland 12 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 2 |
NPL SA 12 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 2 |
NPL Tasmania 8 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1.5 |
NPL Victoria 14 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 2 |
NPL WA 12 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1.5 |
NorZone Premier League 8 clubs no promotion no relegation |
Southern Zone Premier League 4 clubs no promotion no relegation | ||||||||
| 3 | Capital Premier League 8 clubs ↑ promote 1 no relegation |
NSW League 1 16 clubs ↑ promote 1.5 ↓ relegate 1.5 |
NNSW State League 1 9 clubs no promotion no relegation |
Queensland Premier League 1 11 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 1 |
SA State League 1 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2 |
Tasmania Northern Championship 8 clubs ↑ promote 0.75 no relegation |
Tasmania Southern Championship 12 clubs ↑ promote 0.75 no relegation |
Victoria Premier League 1 14 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2 |
WA State League 1 12 clubs ↑ promote 1.5 ↓ relegate 1.5 |
NorZone Division 1 8 clubs no promotion |
|||||||
| 4 | ACT State League 1 10 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1 |
NSW League 2 15 clubs ↑ promote 1.5 no relegation |
Regional 7 districts ↑ promote 1 |
Queensland Premier League 2 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 no relegation |
SA State League 2 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 no relegation |
Tasmania Northern Social League 8 clubs no promotion |
Tasmania Southern Championship 2 7 clubs no promotion no relegation |
Victoria Premier League 2 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2 |
WA State League 2 12 clubs ↑ promote 1.5 ↓ relegate 1 |
||||||||
| 5 | ACT State League 2 10 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 1 |
Regional 19 districts no promotion |
Regional 9 districts ↑ promote 1 |
Regional 6 districts no promotion |
Tasmania Southern Championship 3 8 clubs no promotion no relegation |
Vic State League 1 North-West 12 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2 |
Vic State League 1 South-East 12 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2 |
Regional 12 districts no promotion |
|||||||||
| 6 | ACT Community League 3 10 clubs ↑ promote 1 no relegation |
Tasmania Southern Championship 4 8 clubs no promotion no relegation |
Vic State League 2 North-West 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2 |
Vic State League 2 South-East 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2 |
|||||||||||||
| 7 | ACT Community League 4 10 clubs no promotion no relegation |
Tasmania Southern Championship 5 10 clubs no promotion |
Vic State League 3 North-West 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2 |
Vic State League 3 South-East 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2 |
|||||||||||||
| 8 | ACT Community League 5 10 clubs no promotion no relegation |
Vic SL 4 West 12 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2 |
Vic SL 4 North 12 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2 |
Vic SL 4 South 12 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2 |
Vic SL 4 East 12 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2 |
||||||||||||
| 9 | ACT Community League 6 10 clubs no promotion |
Vic SL 5 West 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 no relegation |
Vic SL 5 North 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 no relegation |
Vic SL 5 South 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 no relegation |
Vic SL 5 East 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 no relegation |
||||||||||||
| 10 | Regional 15 districts no promotion |
||||||||||||||||
| Level | Leagues | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A-League Men 14 clubs (2 from New Zealand) (from 2025–26) no relegation | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | National Second Division 10 or 12 clubs no promotion no relegation | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | National Premier Leagues 94 clubs (from 8 divisions) |
Football Northern Territory 12 clubs (from 2 divisions) | |||||||||||||||
| NPL ACT 8 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1 |
NPL NSW 16 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1.5 |
NPL Northern NSW 12 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1.5 |
NPL Queensland 12 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 2 |
NPL SA 12 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 2 |
NPL Tasmania 8 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1.5 |
NPL Victoria 14 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 2 |
NPL WA 12 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1.5 |
NorZone Premier League 8 clubs no promotion no relegation |
Southern Zone Premier League 4 clubs no promotion no relegation | ||||||||
| 4 | Capital Premier League 8 clubs ↑ promote 1 no relegation |
NSW League 1 16 clubs ↑ promote 1.5 ↓ relegate 1.5 |
NNSW State League 1 10 clubs ↑ promote 1.5 ↓ relegate 1 |
Queensland Premier League 1 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2 |
SA State League 1 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2 |
Tasmania Northern Championship 8 clubs ↑ promote 0.75 no relegation |
Tasmania Southern Championship 12 clubs ↑ promote 0.75 no relegation |
Victoria Premier League 1 14 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2 |
WA State League 1 12 clubs ↑ promote 1.5 ↓ relegate 1.5 |
NorZone Division 1 8 clubs no promotion |
|||||||
| 5 | ACT State League 1 10 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1 |
NSW League 2 16 clubs ↑ promote 1.5 no relegation |
Zone League One 12 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 1 |
Queensland Premier League 2 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 1 |
SA State League 2 North 8 clubs ↑ promote 2 no relegation |
SA State League 2 South 8 clubs ↑ promote 2 no relegation |
Tasmania Northern Social League 8 clubs no promotion |
Tasmania Southern Championship 2 8 clubs no promotion no relegation |
Victoria Premier League 2 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2 |
WA State League 2 12 clubs ↑ promote 1.5 ↓ relegate 1 |
|||||||
| 6 | ACT State League 2 10 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 1 |
Regional 19 districts no promotion |
Zone League Two 10 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 1 |
Regional 9 districts ↑ promote 1 |
Regional 6 districts no promotion |
Tasmania Southern Championship 3 8 clubs no promotion no relegation |
Vic State League 1 North-West 14 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2 |
Vic State League 1 South-East 14 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2 |
Regional 12 districts no promotion |
||||||||
| 7 | ACT Community League 3 10 clubs ↑ promote 1 no relegation |
Zone League Three 10 clubs ↑ promote 1 no relegation |
Tasmania Southern Championship 4 8 clubs no promotion no relegation |
Vic State League 2 North-West 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2 |
Vic State League 2 South-East 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2 |
||||||||||||
| 8 | ACT Community League 4 10 clubs no promotion no relegation |
Regional 5 districts no promotion |
Tasmania Southern Championship 5 10 clubs no promotion |
Vic State League 3 North-West 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2 |
Vic State League 3 South-East 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2 |
||||||||||||
| 9 | ACT Community League 5 10 clubs no promotion no relegation |
Vic SL 4 West 12 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2 |
Vic SL 4 North 12 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2 |
Vic SL 4 South 12 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2 |
Vic SL 4 East 12 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2 |
||||||||||||
| 10 | ACT Community League 6 10 clubs no promotion |
Vic SL 5 West 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 no relegation |
Vic SL 5 North 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 no relegation |
Vic SL 5 South 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 no relegation |
Vic SL 5 East 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 no relegation |
||||||||||||
| 11 | Regional 15 districts no promotion |
||||||||||||||||
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