page_title: A-League
section_title: Finals series
hierarchical_section_title: A-League / Competition format / Finals series
caption_attribution_description: English: Melbourne Victory FC celebrating after their 2007 A-League Grand Final victory
context_page_description: The A-League is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's primary competition for the sport. The A-League was established in 2004 by Football Federation Australia as a successor to the National Soccer League and competition commenced in August 2005. The league is currently contested by twelve teams; eleven based in Australia and one based in New Zealand. It has been officially known since its inception as the Hyundai A-League through a series of sponsorship arrangements with the Hyundai Motor Company.
  Seasons run from October to May and include a 26-round regular season followed by a Finals Series playoff involving the highest-placed teams, culminating in a grand final match. The winner of the regular season tournament is dubbed the 'Premier' while the winner of the grand final is the season's 'Champion'. This differs from the other major football codes in Australia, where 'premier' refers to the winner of the grand final and the winner of the regular season is the 'minor premier'.
context_section_description: The top six clubs at the conclusion of the regular season progress to the finals series. The finals series culminates to the A-League grand final, where the winner is crowned A-League champion and receives a place in the AFC Champions League. The club that wins the grand final is presented with the A-League Trophy.
  The finals series consists of six teams who are placed by rank, as determined at the end of the regular season. The finals series runs over three weeks, with all games being sudden death, leading to a sudden-death grand final to decide the overall A-League competition. The first and second placed teams at the conclusion of the regular season are rewarded with a bye in the first week of the Finals Series and the advantage of hosting each of their semi-finals in the second week of the finals series.
  While deciding the A-League competition with a finals series is not consistent with overseas football competitions, it is consistent with the other major football codes in Australia and is also consistent with the A-League's predecessor, the National Soccer League (NSL).
  Of the two grand finalists, the team that finished higher on the ladder at the conclusion of the regular season hosts the grand final. The only exception to this is if the FFA deems that team's home ground to be an inappropriate. For example, in 2008, Central Coast Mariners (as the higher-placed team) hosted the grand final against the Newcastle Jets at Sydney Football Stadium, due to FFA deciding that Central Coast Mariners home stadium, Central Coast Stadium with a capacity of 20,000, was too small for the event.
  Grand final host stadium
caption: Melbourne Victory celebrating after their 2007 A-League Grand Final victory.
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