Australian soccer league system
The Australian soccer league system is the league structure for soccer clubs in Australia.
Since 1977, the system has had one national league at the top and many state and territory leagues below.[1] From 1977 until 2004, the national league was called the National Soccer League (NSL). Since 2005, the A-League Men has been the country's national league.
The women's soccer league system works similar to the men's, with one national league (the A-League Women) at the top and many state and territory leagues below.
Current system (until 2024)[change | change source]
| Level | Leagues | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A-League Men 12 clubs (1 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 13 districts no promotion |
||||||||||||||||
New system (from 2025 onwards)[change | change source]
| Level | Leagues | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A-League Men 12 clubs (14 clubs from 2024–25) (1 from New Zealand (2 from 2024–25)) no relegation | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | National Second Division 10-16 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 |
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 no relegation |
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 |
Regional 7 districts no promotion |
Queensland Premier League 2 12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 1 |
SA State League 2 12 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 |
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 |
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 |
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 13 districts no promotion |
||||||||||||||||
Related pages[change | change source]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Andrew Robinson. "Complete final season tables". elitetograssroots.net. Archived from the original on 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2020-06-30.