A-League
The A-League is the premier domestic Australian football (soccer) competition. Founded in 2004 and staging its inaugural season in 2005–06, the league is contested by by seven teams covering Australia's major cities and regional centres, as well as one representing New Zealand. The team which finishes on top of the league table at the end of the 21-round regular season is awarded the Premiership, with the winner of the subsequent four-team finals series awarded the Championship. The current Premiers and Champions are Melbourne Victory FC, who won both titles in the 2006–07 season.
Format
Regular season
The regular season of the A-League is played mainly during the Australian summer, from late August through to January of the following year. It is made up of 21 rounds, with each of the eight teams playing each of the others three times – twice at one team's home stadium and once at the other's. Teams which are allotted two home matches against a particular opponent in one season are then allotted a single home match against that opponent in the following season. The winner of each match is awarded three competition points, or in the case of a draw, the competing teams gain one point each. At the end of the 21 rounds the teams are ranked by the number of competition points they have accumulated over the course of the season. If two or more teams have an equal amount of points, they are then ranked based on goal difference, total goals scored, head-to-head records between tying teams and finally on the number of cards each team received.[1] The top-ranked club is awarded the title of "Premiers", and is entered into the following season's AFC Champions League.[2]
Finals series
The top four teams at the end of the regular season are then entered into a finals series to determine the Champions. The series is played under the McIntyre final four system, with the top two teams playing off for a direct place in the Grand Final, whilst the third- and fourth-placed teams vie for a spot in the preliminary final against the loser of the major semi-final. The first round of matches are played over two legs, with the winner determined by goals scored over the two matches, and then, if equal, the away goals rule. If no winner emerges via this method, the tie progresses to extra time, and finally to a penalty shootout.[1] The preliminary final is played at the home stadium of the losing team from the major semi-final, with the winning team progressing to the Grand Final. The winner of the Grand Final is declared "Champions", and gains qualification for the AFC Champions League. Where the same team wins both the Premiership and Championship, the Grand Final runner-up is awarded Australia's second position in the AFC Champions League.[2]
Clubs
The clubs participating in the A-League are determined via a licensing system, similar to franchising used in many major North American leagues. Upon the launch of the A-League, each of the eight foundation clubs were allotted guaranteed five-year tenures, with territorial exclusivity for all centres except for Sydney and Melbourne.[3] With the A-League as the only national football competition in Australia, there is no provision for the promotion and relegation of clubs to and from lower leagues, unlike the majority of European national systems. The existing eight licenses may be renewed for a further five years by June 2008, at which point the FFA has suggested that two more licences could become available, expanding the league to ten teams.[4]
Football Federation Australia does however retain control over the licences through a "Club Participation Agreement", a breach of which allows the FFA to revoke any holder's licence. This occurred during the 2006–07 season, where Octagon Sports Limited, owners of New Zealand Knights FC, were found to have breached an insolvency clause in the agreement.[5] The licence was immediately returned to the FFA, who subsequently offered it to New Zealand Soccer in order to retain a New Zealand-based club in the competition.[6]
Premiers and Champions
| Season | Premiership | Championship | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiers | Runners-up | Champions | Runners-up | |
| 2005–06 | Adelaide United FC | Sydney FC | Sydney FC | Central Coast Mariners FC |
| 2006–07 | Melbourne Victory FC | Adelaide United FC | Melbourne Victory FC | Adelaide United FC |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hyundai A-League > Rules. A-League.com.au. Retrieved on November 3, 2006.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Grand Final rematch to open HAL season. A-League.com.au (May 1, 2006). Retrieved on November 3, 2006.
- ↑ ASA announce several significant initiatives. A-League.com.au (March 22, 2004). Retrieved on February 25, 2007.
- ↑ Hand, Guy (February 16, 2007). Hope for A-League problem kids. Fox Sports. Retrieved on February 25, 2007.
- ↑ FFA Statement regarding New Zealand Knights (December 14, 2006). Retrieved on February 25, 2007.
- ↑ NZ Soccer offered Hyundai A-League licence (February 15, 2007). Retrieved on February 25, 2007.