Australian soccer league system

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

Since 1977, the system has had one national league at the top and many state and territory leagues below.
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 football 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)

|Level|colspan=17|Leagues||||||||||||||||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|**1**|colspan="14"|**A-League Men** _12 clubs (1 from New Zealand) no relegation_||||||||||||||||||
|rowspan="2"|**2**|colspan="12"|**National Premier Leagues** _94 clubs (from 8 divisions)_|colspan="2"|**Football Northern Territory** _12 clubs (from 2 divisions)_|||||||||||||||
|width="8.4%"|**NPL ACT** _8 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1_|width="8.4%"|**NPL NSW** _16 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1.5_|width="8.4%"|**NPL Northern NSW** _12 clubs no promotion no relegation_|width="8.4%"|**NPL Queensland** _12 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 2_|width="8.4%"|**NPL SA** _12 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 2_|colspan="2" ; width="16.4%"|**NPL Tasmania** _8 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1.5_|colspan="4" ; width="16.4%"|**NPL Victoria** _14 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 2_|width="8.4%"|**NPL WA** _12 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1.5_|width="8.4%"|**NorZone Premier League** _8 clubs no promotion no relegation_|width="8.4%"|**Southern Zone** _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_|width="8.2%"|**Tasmania Northern Championship** _8 clubs ↑ promote 0.75 no relegation_|width="8.2%"|**Tasmania Southern Championship** _12 clubs ↑ promote 0.75 no relegation_|colspan="4"|**Victoria Premier League 1** _14 clubs ↓ 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_|colspan="4"|**Victoria Premier League 2** _12 clubs ↓ relegate 2_|**WA State League 2** _12 clubs ↑ promote 1.5 ↓ relegate 1_|colspan="2"|||||||||
|**5**|**ACT State League 2** _10 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 1_|**Regional** _19 districts no promotion_|colspan="1"||**Regional** _9 districts ↑ promote 1_|**Regional** _6 districts no promotion_||**Tasmania Southern Championship 3** _8 clubs no promotion no relegation_|colspan="2"|**Vic State League 1 North-West** _12 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2_|colspan="2"|**Vic State League 1 South-East** _12 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2_|**Regional** _12 districts no promotion_|colspan="2"||||||
|**6**|**ACT Community League 3** _10 clubs ↑ promote 1 no relegation_|colspan="5"||**Tasmania Southern Championship 4** _8 clubs no promotion no relegation_|colspan="2"|**Vic State League 2 North-West** _12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2_|colspan="2"|**Vic State League 2 South-East** _12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2_|colspan="3"|||||||||||
|**7**|**ACT Community League 4** _10 clubs no promotion no relegation_|colspan="5"||**Tasmania Southern Championship 5** _10 clubs no promotion_|colspan="2"|**Vic State League 3 North-West** _12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2_|colspan="2"|**Vic State League 3 South-East** _12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2_|colspan="3"|||||||||||
|**8**|**ACT Community League 5** _10 clubs no promotion no relegation_|colspan="6"||**Vic SL 4 West** _12 clubs ↓ relegate 2_|**Vic SL 4 North** _12 clubs ↓ relegate 2_|**Vic SL 4 South** _12 clubs ↓ relegate 2_|**Vic SL 4 East** _12 clubs ↓ relegate 2_|colspan="3"||||||||||||
|**9**|**ACT Community League 6** _10 clubs no promotion_|colspan="6"||**Vic SL 5 West** _12 clubs _|**Vic SL 5 North** _12 clubs _|**Vic SL 5 South** _12 clubs _|**Vic SL 5 East** _12 clubs _|colspan="3"||||||||||||
|**10**|colspan="7"||colspan="4"|**Regional** _13 districts no promotion_|colspan="3"|||||||||||||||

## New system (from 2025 onwards)

|Level|colspan=17|Leagues||||||||||||||||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|**1**|colspan="14"|**A-League Men** _12 clubs (14 clubs from 2024–25) (1 from New Zealand (2 from 2024–25))_ _no relegation_||||||||||||||||||
|**2**|colspan="14"|**National Second Division** _10-16 clubs_ _no promotion_ _no relegation_||||||||||||||||||
|rowspan="2"|**3**|colspan="12"|**National Premier Leagues** _94 clubs (from 8 divisions)_|colspan="2"|**Football Northern Territory** _12 clubs (from 2 divisions)_|||||||||||||||
|width="8.4%"|**NPL ACT** _8 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1_|width="8.4%"|**NPL NSW** _16 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1.5_|width="8.4%"|**NPL Northern NSW** _12 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1_|width="8.4%"|**NPL Queensland** _12 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 2_|width="8.4%"|**NPL SA** _12 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 2_|colspan="2" ; width="16.4%"|**NPL Tasmania** _8 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1.5_|colspan="4" ; width="16.4%"|**NPL Victoria** _14 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 2_|width="8.4%"|**NPL WA** _12 clubs no promotion ↓ relegate 1.5_|width="8.4%"|**NorZone Premier League** _8 clubs no promotion no relegation_|width="8.4%"|**Southern Zone** _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_|width="8.2%"|**Tasmania Northern Championship** _8 clubs ↑ promote 0.75 no relegation_|width="8.2%"|**Tasmania Southern Championship** _12 clubs ↑ promote 0.75 no relegation_|colspan="4"|**Victoria Premier League 1** _14 clubs ↓ 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_|colspan="4"|**Victoria Premier League 2** _12 clubs ↓ relegate 2_|**WA State League 2** _12 clubs ↑ promote 1.5 ↓ relegate 1_|colspan="2"|||||||||
|**6**|**ACT State League 2** _10 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 1_|**Regional** _19 districts no promotion_|colspan="1"||**Regional** _9 districts ↑ promote 1_|**Regional** _6 districts no promotion_||**Tasmania Southern Championship 3** _8 clubs no promotion no relegation_|colspan="2"|**Vic State League 1 North-West** _14 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2_|colspan="2"|**Vic State League 1 South-East** _14 clubs ↑ promote 1 ↓ relegate 2_|**Regional** _12 districts no promotion_|colspan="2"||||||
|**7**|**ACT Community League 3** _10 clubs ↑ promote 1 no relegation_|colspan="5"||**Tasmania Southern Championship 4** _8 clubs no promotion no relegation_|colspan="2"|**Vic State League 2 North-West** _12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2_|colspan="2"|**Vic State League 2 South-East** _12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2_|colspan="3"|||||||||||
|**8**|**ACT Community League 4** _10 clubs no promotion no relegation_|colspan="5"||**Tasmania Southern Championship 5** _10 clubs no promotion_|colspan="2"|**Vic State League 3 North-West** _12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2_|colspan="2"|**Vic State League 3 South-East** _12 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2_|colspan="3"|||||||||||
|**9**|**ACT Community League 5** _10 clubs no promotion no relegation_|colspan="6"||**Vic SL 4 West** _12 clubs ↓ relegate 2_|**Vic SL 4 North** _12 clubs ↓ relegate 2_|**Vic SL 4 South** _12 clubs ↓ relegate 2_|**Vic SL 4 East** _12 clubs ↓ relegate 2_|colspan="3"||||||||||||
|**10**|**ACT Community League 6** _10 clubs no promotion_|colspan="6"||**Vic SL 5 West** _12 clubs _|**Vic SL 5 North** _12 clubs _|**Vic SL 5 South** _12 clubs _|**Vic SL 5 East** _12 clubs _|colspan="3"||||||||||||
|**11**|colspan="7"||colspan="4"|**Regional** _13 districts no promotion_|colspan="3"|||||||||||||||

## Related pages

- League system