Soccer in Australia
Although football is a minority sport in Australia, he is enjoying increasing popularity in recent years. By changing Australia for the Asian Football Confederation, which was completed on 1 January 2006, the players of the Australian national team and its football clubs now have to compete with opponents from Asia. From this exchange is hoped that especially an increase in game levels and better prospects for successful World Cup participations.
History
The Australian Football Association ( Football Federation Australia ) was established in 1961 and joined FIFA in 1963.
National
The first Match of the team in 1922 against New Zealand, which is also the most common international match opponents of the Australians with 62 internationals. The Socceroos were able in 1974 to qualify for a World Cup. On 16 November 2005 the team reached the gained qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany the second World Cup appearance, in Australia rather unhappy eliminated in the second round by a controversial penalty in stoppage time against Italy.
Club operation
→ Main article: A-League and National Soccer League
In 1977, the National Soccer League ( NSL) was introduced as a top flight of Australian football under the supervision of the then National Association of Soccer Australia. After 28 seasons, the league has been discontinued and replaced by the A-League, which still exists today as a professional league in Fanchise format. Thus, a relegation from this league is neither a rise nor possible. Only financial problems can lead to the dissolution of a club, the re-establishment of an association is possible only by request and after uptake by the A-League.
The second Australian Football League is not at the national level, but is organized through associations of the states to organize their own regional leagues and the game mode. The contests of Regional Associations of the Territory Australian Capital Territory (ACT Premier League) and the states of New South Wales ( NSW Premier League), with the exception of the northern part, Queensland (Queensland Premier League), South Australia ( FFSA Premier League) and Tasmania (T -League ) are part of the National Premier Leagues ( NPL). The winners of the regional leagues playing in a playoff system from the master of the NPL.
2014 leagues in the Northern New South Wales ( NNSW State Football League) region and the states of Victoria (Victorian Premier League) and Western Australia ( West State Premier League) the NPL be incorporated as an independent part of contests. The Federal Territory Northern Territory (NT Premier League) will follow. The leagues mentioned play currently separated the respective regional champions and not be under the supervision of the NPL. After the enlargement of 2014, the NPL will consist of eight competitions and 118 associations at the regional level, play their champions the NPL champions.
Below the second level of the Australian leagues system there are various regional leagues, which, depending on the state or regional association of different rules and classifications.