Australian soccer league system

soccer leagues in Australia

The Australian soccer league system is the league structure for soccer clubs in Australia.

A map showing the nine member federations of Football Australia. They each control the leagues and clubs in the area they serve.

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)

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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)

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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

change

References

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  1. Andrew Robinson. "Complete final season tables". elitetograssroots.net. Archived from the original on 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2020-06-30.