National Premier Leagues South Australia: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m typo(s) fixed: join together → join, ’s → 's (10)
OAbot (talk | contribs)
Bots
419,746 edits
m Open access bot: hdl updated in citation with #oabot.
 
(40 intermediate revisions by 16 users not shown)
Line 2: Line 2:
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox football league
{{Infobox football league
| name = {{nowrap|National Premier Leagues South Australia}}
| logo =
| pixels = 120px
| logo =
| pixels = 180px
| organiser = [[Football South Australia]]
| state = {{flag|South Australia}}
| state = {{flag|South Australia}}
| country = {{AUS}}
| country = {{AUS}}
| confed = [[Asian Football Confederation|AFC]]
| confed = [[Asian Football Confederation|AFC]]
| first = {{start date and age|2013}}
| founded = 2005
| teams = 12
| teams = 12 (since [[2016 FFSA season|2016]])
| promotion =
| promotion =
| relegation = [[South Australian State League 1|State League 1]]
| relegation = [[South Australian State League 1|SA State League 1]]
| levels = [[Australian football league system|2]]
| levels = [[Australian football league system|2]]
| domest_cup = [[FFA Cup]] <br />[[FFSA Federation Cup|Federation Cup]]
| domest_cup = [[Australia Cup]] <br />[[Football SA Federation Cup|Federation Cup]]
| champions = [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] (2021)
| champions = [[Adelaide United FC Youth|Adelaide United Youth]]
| premiers = [[Adelaide Comets FC|Adelaide Comets]] (2021)
| premiers = [[North Eastern MetroStars SC|North Eastern MetroStars]]
| current = [[2022 Football South Australia season#2022 NPL South Australia|2022 NPL season]]
| season = [[2023 Football South Australia season#2023 National Premier Leagues South Australia|2023]]
| current = [[2024 Football South Australia season#2024 National Premier Leagues South Australia|2024 National Premier Leagues SA]]
| tv = [https://npl.tv NPL.TV] <br/> [[YouTube]]
| tv = [https://www.youtube.com/@FSALeagues/streams YouTube]<br/>[[Channel 44 (Adelaide)|Channel 44]] (1 game per week)
| website = [http://www.ffsa.com.au ffsa.com.au]
| sponsor = [[Royal Automobile Association|RAA]]
| website = [http://www.footballsa.com.au footballsa.com.au]
}}
}}


The '''National Premier Leagues South Australia''' (often abbreviated to '''NPL South Australia''' or '''NPL SA''') is a [[semi-professional]] [[Association football|football]] competition in the Australian state of [[South Australia]]. The league is a subdivision of the second tier [[National Premier Leagues]], which sits below the [[A-League]] on the [[Australian soccer league system|national pyramid]]. The competition is controlled by [[Football South Australia]], the governing body for the sport in the state.
The '''National Premier Leagues South Australia''', also known as '''National Premier Leagues SA''', '''NPL South Australia''' or officially abbreviated to '''NPL SA''' and known for sponsorship reasons as the '''[[Royal Automobile Association|RAA]] National Premier League''',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.footballsa.com.au/news/raa-becomes-naming-rights-partner-local-footballs-top-tier-competition|title=RAA becomes naming rights partner of local football's top tier competition|website=[[Football South Australia]]|date=8 April 2021}}</ref> is a [[semi-professional sports|semi-professional]] men's [[Association football|soccer]] league in the Australian state of [[South Australia]]. The league is one of eight that comprises the [[National Premier League]], the [[Australian soccer league system|second tier of Australian soccer]]. The league was founded in 2012 as a successor to the [[FFSA Super League|Super League]], and is managed by [[Football South Australia]].

Seasons start in late February, and conclude in early September with a Grand Final, which since 2022, has been held at [[State Centre for Football|ServiceFM Stadium]]. The team was initially contested by 14 teams, and was reduced to 12 teams ahead of the 2016 season.


==History==
==History==
In 2012 it was announced that the FFSA Premier League was to become the top tier of South Australian football (below the national [[A-League]]) after the disbandment of the now defunct [[FFSA Super League]]. It was announced that the competition would consist of 14 teams. These teams would be made up of the 10 teams from the defunct Super League with the remaining 4 spots being filled by the top 4 teams from the 2012 Premier League season.
In 2012 it was announced that the FFSA Premier League was to become the top tier of South Australian football (below the national [[A-League]]) after the disbandment of the now defunct [[FFSA Super League]]. It was announced that the competition would consist of 14 teams. These teams would be made up of the 10 teams from the defunct Super League with the remaining 4 spots being filled by the top 4 teams from the 2012 Premier League season.


In 2013 the league joined the [[National Premier Leagues]] and was named correspondingly to NPL SA. The top placed team after the completion of the season will enterer into the National Premier Leagues finals and will play-off against other top placed teams from interstate conferences to determine a nationwide champion.
In 2013 the league joined the [[National Premier Leagues]] and was named correspondingly to NPL SA. The top placed team after the completion of the season will enter into the National Premier Leagues finals and will play-off against other top placed teams from interstate conferences to determine a nationwide champion.


National Premier Leagues South Australia (abbreviated as NPL SA), a subdivision of National Premier Leagues (NPL), is a semi-professional football competition in the state of South Australia. National Premier Leagues is the second-tier football competition in Australia, which sits below the Hyundai A-League and Westfield W-League on the country's football national pyramid. Football Federation Australia (FFA) embarked on a National Competition Review in October 2010, which aimed to review the football competition structure in Australia.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.myfootball.com.au/news-display/ffa-launches-national-premier-leagues/60728|title=FFA launches National Premier Leagues (2013)|publisher=[[Football Australia|Football Federation Australia]]}}</ref> The process of conducting the National Competition Review lasted for 20 months, and the review results were released in May 2012, in which FFA proposed to revitalise the country's state-based competitions to promote the development of elite players.<ref name=":0" /> As a result of this review, National Premier Leagues was established in February 2013. At the time of establishment, NPL has five subdivisions, including football teams from five corresponding state-based federations, which are Football Federation South Australia, Football Federation Tasmania, Football Queensland, Football NSW, and Capital Football.<ref name=":0" /> The inaugural season of NPL SA began in March 2013. Currently, this competition is run and managed by Football South Australia (formerly known as Football Federation South Australia), which is a governing body of football issues in South Australia and a competition administrator for different levels of football games in the state.
National Premier Leagues South Australia (abbreviated as NPL SA), a subdivision of National Premier Leagues (NPL), is a semi-professional football competition in the state of South Australia. National Premier Leagues is the second-tier football competition in Australia, which sits below the Hyundai A-League and Westfield W-League on the country's football national pyramid. Football Federation Australia (FFA) embarked on a National Competition Review in October 2010, which aimed to review the football competition structure in Australia.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.myfootball.com.au/news-display/ffa-launches-national-premier-leagues/60728|title=FFA launches National Premier Leagues (2013)|publisher=[[Football Australia|Football Federation Australia]]}}</ref> The process of conducting the National Competition Review lasted for 20 months, and the review results were released in May 2012, in which FFA proposed to revitalise the country's state-based competitions to promote the development of elite players.<ref name=":0" /> As a result of this review, National Premier Leagues was established in February 2013. At the time of establishment, NPL has five subdivisions, including football teams from five corresponding state-based federations, which are Football Federation South Australia, Football Federation Tasmania, Football Queensland, Football NSW, and Capital Football.<ref name=":0" /> The inaugural season of NPL SA began in March 2013. Currently, this competition is run and managed by Football South Australia (formerly known as Football Federation South Australia), which is a governing body of football issues in South Australia and a competition administrator for different levels of football games in the state.


==Competition Format==
==Competition format==
The regular season consists of a double round robin of 22 rounds, followed by a finals series for the top 6 teams. The team who finishes first is crowned Premier and qualifies for the [[National Premier Leagues]] finals series. The teams placed 11th and 12th are relegated to the [[State League 1 South Australia|State League 1]] in the following season.
Since 2012 two teams have been relegated from the Premier League to the [[FFSA State League]], replaced by the top two teams from the [[FFSA State League]] in the year prior.

Football South Australia has outlined a set of eligibility criteria which clubs need to meet in order to be eligible to participate in NPL competitions.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.footballsa.com.au/sites/ffsa/files/2020-02/2020%20Directory_0.pdf|title=2020 Club Directory|publisher=Football South Australia}}</ref> The seven eligibility criteria include:

1) Total number of teams and age groups;

2) Coach accreditation criteria;

3) Facilities standards;

4) Establishment of a player points system;

5) Charging of player registration fees;

6) Organisational planning (e.g. business planning, organisational structure);

7) Youth development practices (e.g. the implementation of the National Curriculum).

===NPL Finals Series===


In the finals, the 1st and 2nd placed teams playoff in a two-legged game to qualify for the grand final, with the loser moving to a preliminary final against the winner of playoffs by the 3rd to 6th placed teams. A grand finl is held at [[State Centre for Football|ServiceFM Stadium]], where the winner is crowned Champion.
After each regular season has been completed, the winner of NPL SA competes with the winners of other Federation leagues in a national finals playoff tournament. The final series ends by holding a Grand Final, in which the winner is crowned National Premier Leagues Champions. In Season 2019, after Campbelltown City had a 3–0 victory against Adelaide Comets in the Grand Final held in the Coopers Stadium, the club was crowned 2019 National Premier League Champions.


== NPL SA Player Point System (PPS) ==
== NPL SA Player Point System (PPS) ==
Line 110: Line 98:


== NPL SA digital presence ==
== NPL SA digital presence ==
Increasing the digital presence of NPL SA has been a strategic focus of Football South Australia in recent years. Since the 2019 season, all NPL SA fixtures have been digitally recorded. Media releases of home and away games are delivered on the official website of Football South Australia.<ref name=":4">{{cite journal|vauthors = Sherwood M, Nicholson M, Marjoribanks T |title=Controlling the message and the medium?|journal=Digital Journalism|volume=5| issue=5|pages=513–531|date=2017}}</ref> As Football South Australia continued to expand their digital offerings, they also celebrated the history of NPL SA clubs by creating a history makers series, showing the clubs’ development stories and their cultural heritage to the football family. This series has attracted more than 250,000 individual viewers.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|publisher=Football South Australia|title=Football South Australia Annual Report 2019|url=https://www.footballsa.com.au/sites/ffsa/files/2020-06/Football%20South%20Australia%20-%20Annual%20Report%202019.pdf|date=June 2020|access-date=15 August 2021}}</ref> In the 2020 season, the audience could watch all NPL game broadcasts.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal|vauthors = Vale L, Fernandes T|title=Social media and sports: Driving fan engagement with football clubs on Facebook|journal=Journal of Strategic Marketing|volume=26| issue=1|pages=37–55|date=2018}}</ref>
Increasing the digital presence of NPL SA has been a strategic focus of Football South Australia in recent years. Since the 2019 season, all NPL SA fixtures have been digitally recorded. Media releases of home and away games are delivered on the official website of Football South Australia.<ref name=":4">{{cite journal|vauthors = Sherwood M, Nicholson M, Marjoribanks T |title=Controlling the message and the medium?|journal=Digital Journalism|volume=5| issue=5|pages=513–531|date=2017|doi=10.1080/21670811.2016.1239546 }}</ref> As Football South Australia continued to expand their digital offerings, they also celebrated the history of NPL SA clubs by creating a history makers series, showing the clubs’ development stories and their cultural heritage to the football family. This series has attracted more than 250,000 individual viewers.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|publisher=Football South Australia|title=Football South Australia Annual Report 2019|url=https://www.footballsa.com.au/sites/ffsa/files/2020-06/Football%20South%20Australia%20-%20Annual%20Report%202019.pdf|date=June 2020|access-date=15 August 2021}}</ref> In the 2020 season, the audience could watch all NPL game broadcasts.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal|vauthors = Vale L, Fernandes T|title=Social media and sports: Driving fan engagement with football clubs on Facebook|journal=Journal of Strategic Marketing|volume=26| issue=1|pages=37–55|date=2018|doi=10.1080/0965254X.2017.1359655 |hdl=10216/108001 |hdl-access=free}}</ref>


== The Celebration Of Football ==
== The Celebration Of Football ==
The Celebration of Football is an annually held event that allows all members of the South Australian football family to join and celebrate the achievements that have been achieved during the past season. In 2019, the Celebration of Football was held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, attracting more than 900 members to attend. Under the category of National Premier League Team of the Year, the following members won National Premier League Awards:<ref name=":5" />
The Celebration of Football is an annually held event that allows all members of the South Australian football family to join and celebrate the achievements that have been achieved during the past season. In 2022, the Celebration of Football was held at the [[Adelaide Convention Centre]], attracting more than 950 members to attend. The following players were a part of the Team of the Year.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|'''Position'''
! colspan="3"|Team of the Year
|'''Name'''
|-
|'''Club'''
!'''Position'''
!'''Name'''
!'''Club'''
|-
|-
|'''Goalkeeper'''
|'''Goalkeeper'''
|Dakota Ochsenham
|[[John Hall (footballer, born 1994)|John Hall]]
|[[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]]
|[[Croydon Kings]]
|-
|-
| rowspan="4" |'''Defenders'''
| rowspan="4" |'''Defenders'''
|Jake Halliday
|Shaun Harvey
|[[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]]
|[[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]]
|-
|-
|Matthew Halliday
|Kerrin Stokes
|[[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]]
|[[Croydon Kings]]
|-
|-
|Scott Nagel
|[[Iain Fyfe]]
|[[Adelaide Comets FC|Adelaide Comets]]
|[[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]]
|-
|-
|Jackson Walls
|Kyle Krout
|[[Para Hills Knights SC|Para Hills Knights]]
|[[North Eastern MetroStars SC|North Eastern MetroStars]]
|-
|-
| rowspan="3" |'''Midfielders'''
| rowspan="3" |'''Midfielders'''
|[[Alexander Mullen]]
|Hamish McCabe
|[[Adelaide Blue Eagles]]
|-
|[[Alex Mullen]]
|[[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]]
|[[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]]
|-
|-
|[[Allan Welsh]]
|[[Allan Welsh]]
|[[Adelaide Comets FC|Adelaide Comets]]
|[[Adelaide Comets FC|Adelaide Comets]]
|-
|Charlie Devereux
|[[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]]
|-
|-
| rowspan="3" |'''Forwards'''
| rowspan="3" |'''Forwards'''
|Aladin Irabona
|Yohei Matsumoto
|[[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]]
|[[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]]
|-
|-
|[[Kur Kur]]
|Terence Carter
|[[Adelaide Raiders SC|Adelaide Raiders]]
|[[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]]
|-
|-
|Joshua Mori
|Christos Pounendis
|[[FK Beograd (Australia)|FK Beograd]]
|[[Adelaide Olympic FC|Adelaide Olympic]]
|}
|}


Line 171: Line 162:
In the Regional Football Programme, there is a selection process for teams that would visit Singapore to compete for the SINGA CUP. A total of 80 players traveled to Singapore and were tested in humid and tough conditions.<ref name=":5" /> This was a development opportunity for regional players to compete with opponents from the member countries and regions of the Asian Football Confederation, such as Japan, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Taiwan. This is a 20-team competition, and '''Under 16 Boys''' from South Australia finished the competition in the 3rd place.<ref name=":5" />
In the Regional Football Programme, there is a selection process for teams that would visit Singapore to compete for the SINGA CUP. A total of 80 players traveled to Singapore and were tested in humid and tough conditions.<ref name=":5" /> This was a development opportunity for regional players to compete with opponents from the member countries and regions of the Asian Football Confederation, such as Japan, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Taiwan. This is a 20-team competition, and '''Under 16 Boys''' from South Australia finished the competition in the 3rd place.<ref name=":5" />


==Clubs for 2022 season==
==Clubs for 2024 season==
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
! Club
! Club
! Location
! Home Ground
! Home Ground
! Suburb
|-
|-
| [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]]
| [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]]
| [[Adelaide City Park]]
| [[Oakden, South Australia|Oakden]]
| [[Oakden, South Australia|Oakden]]
| [[Adelaide City Park]]
|-
|-
| [[Adelaide Comets FC|Adelaide Comets]]
| [[Adelaide Comets FC|Adelaide Comets]]
| [[Mile End, South Australia|Mile End]]
| [[State Centre for Football|ServiceFM Stadium]]
| [[Gepps Cross, South Australia|Gepps Cross]]
| [[Santos Stadium]]
|-
| [[Adelaide Croatia Raiders SC|Adelaide Croatia Raiders]]
| Croatian Sports Centre
| [[Gepps Cross, South Australia|Gepps Cross]]
|-
|-
| [[Adelaide Olympic FC|Adelaide Olympic]]
| [[Adelaide Olympic FC|Adelaide Olympic]]
| [[The Parks Football Centre|APEX Football Centre]]
| [[Angle Park, South Australia|Angle Park]]
| [[Angle Park, South Australia|Angle Park]]
| [[The Parks Football Centre|VALO Football Centre – The Parks]]
|-
|-
| [[Adelaide United FC Youth|Adelaide United Youth]]
| [[Adelaide United FC Youth|Adelaide United Youth]]
| [[State Centre for Football|ServiceFM Stadium]]
| [[Ridgehaven, South Australia|Ridgehaven]]
| [[Gepps Cross, South Australia|Gepps Cross]]
| Smith Partners Stadium
|-
|-
| [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]]
| [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]]
| [[Newton, South Australia|Newton]]
| Steve Woodcock Sports Centre
| Steve Woodcock Sports Centre
| [[Newton, South Australia|Newton]]
|-
|-
| [[Croydon Kings FC|Croydon Kings]]
| [[Croydon FC (Australia)|Croydon FC]]
| Regency Park
| [[Croydon Park, South Australia|Croydon Park]]
| [[Regency Park, South Australia|Regency Park]]
| Polonia Reserve
|-
|-
| [[FK Beograd (Australia)|FK Beograd]]
| [[Cumberland United FC|Cumberland United]]
| Frank Mitchell Park
| [[Clarence Gardens, South Australia|Clarence Gardens]]
| [[Woodville West, South Australia|Woodville West]]
| AA Bailey Reserve
|-
|-
| [[Sturt Lions FC|Sturt Lions]]
| [[Modbury Jets SC|Modbury Jets]]
| Smith Partners Stadium
| [[Mitcham, South Australia|Mitcham]]
| [[Ridgehaven, South Australia|Ridgehaven]]
| Adelaide Shores Football Centre
|-
|-
| [[North Eastern MetroStars FC|North Eastern MetroStars]]
| [[North Eastern MetroStars FC|North Eastern MetroStars]]
| [[Klemzig, South Australia|Klemzig]]
| [[T.K. Shutter Reserve]]
| [[T.K. Shutter Reserve]]
| [[Klemzig, South Australia|Klemzig]]
|-
| [[Para Hills Knights SC|Para Hills Knights]]
| Feel Good Physio Co Stadium
| [[Para Hills West, South Australia|Para Hills West]]
|-
|-
| [[South Adelaide Panthers SC|South Adelaide Panthers]]
| [[South Adelaide Panthers SC|South Adelaide Panthers]]
| O'Sullivan Beach Sports and Community Centre
| [[O'Sullivan Beach, South Australia|O'Sullivan Beach]]
| [[O'Sullivan Beach, South Australia|O'Sullivan Beach]]
| O'Sullivan Beach Sports Complex
|-
| [[West Torrens Birkalla SC|West Torrens Birkalla]]
| [[Camden Park, South Australia|Camden Park]]
| Jack Smith Park
|-
| [[White City FC|White City FC Beograd]]
| [[Woodville West, South Australia|Woodville West]]
| Frank Mitchell Park
|}
|}


Line 232: Line 223:
! Year !! Premiers !! Champions !! NPL Finals Representation
! Year !! Premiers !! Champions !! NPL Finals Representation
|-
|-
| [[2013 National Premier Leagues South Australia|2013]] || [[North Eastern MetroStars]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] – Semi Finalist
| [[2013 National Premier Leagues South Australia|2013]] || [[North Eastern MetroStars]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] – Semi-finals
|-
|-
| [[2014 National Premier Leagues South Australia|2014]] || [[North Eastern MetroStars]] || [[Croydon Kings FC|Croydon Kings]] || [[North Eastern MetroStars]] – '''Champions'''
| [[2014 National Premier Leagues South Australia|2014]] || [[North Eastern MetroStars]] || [[Croydon Kings FC|Croydon Kings]] || [[North Eastern MetroStars]] – '''Champions'''
|-
|-
| [[2015 FFSA season|2015]] || [[West Adelaide SC|West Adelaide]] || [[West Adelaide SC|West Adelaide]] || [[West Adelaide SC|West Adelaide]] – Quarter Finalist
| [[2015 FFSA season|2015]] || [[West Adelaide SC|West Adelaide]] || [[West Adelaide SC|West Adelaide]] || [[West Adelaide SC|West Adelaide]] – Quarter-finals
|-
|-
| [[2016 FFSA season|2016]] || [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] || [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] – Quarter Finalist
| [[2016 FFSA season|2016]] || [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] || [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] – Quarter-finals
|-
|-
| [[2017 FFSA season|2017]] || [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] || [[Croydon Kings]] || [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] – Quarter Finalist
| [[2017 FFSA season|2017]] || [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] || [[Croydon Kings]] || [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] – Quarter-finals
|-
|-
| [[2018 FFSA season|2018]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] – '''Champions'''
| [[2018 FFSA season|2018]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] – '''Champions'''
|-
|-
| [[2019 FFSA season|2019]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] – Quarter Finalist
| [[2019 FFSA season|2019]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] – Quarter-finals
|-
|-
| [[2020 FFSA season|2020]] || [[Adelaide Comets FC|Adelaide Comets]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] || —{{efn|NPL finals series cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Australia]].<ref name="Cancel2020">{{cite web|url=https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/coronavirus-forces-ffa-cup-to-be-cancelled|title=Coronavirus forces FFA Cup to be cancelled|publisher=[[Special Broadcasting Service|SBS]]|work=[[The World Game]]|date=7 July 2020|access-date=7 July 2020}}</ref>}}
| [[2020 FFSA season|2020]] || [[Adelaide Comets FC|Adelaide Comets]] || [[Campbelltown City SC|Campbelltown City]] || —{{efn|name=covid|NPL finals series cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Australia]].<ref name="Cancel2020">{{cite web|url=https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/coronavirus-forces-ffa-cup-to-be-cancelled|title=Coronavirus forces FFA Cup to be cancelled|publisher=[[Special Broadcasting Service|SBS]]|work=[[The World Game]]|date=7 July 2020|access-date=7 July 2020}}</ref>}}
|-
|-
| [[2021 Football South Australia season|2021]] || [[Adelaide Comets FC|Adelaide Comets]] || [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] || —{{efn|NPL finals series cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.}}
| [[2021 Football South Australia season|2021]] || [[Adelaide Comets FC|Adelaide Comets]] || [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] || —{{efn|name=covid}}
|-
|-
| [[2022 Football South Australia season|2022]] || [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] || [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] || [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] - ''TBD''
| [[2022 Football South Australia season|2022]] || [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] || [[Adelaide City FC|Adelaide City]] || —{{efn|name=notheld|Not Held}}
|-
| [[2023 Football South Australia season|2023]] || [[North Eastern MetroStars SC|North Eastern MetroStars]] || [[Adelaide United FC Youth|Adelaide United Youth]] || —{{efn|name=notheld}}
|}
|}


Line 256: Line 249:


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Soccer in South Australia|Football in South Australia]]
*[[Soccer in South Australia]]
*[[National Premier Leagues]]

*[[National Premier Leagues Capital Football]]
==Further reading==
*[[National Premier Leagues NSW]]
* Christopher, C., Jonathan, B., Lee, N., & Thomas, R. (2008). The role of motion analysis in elite soccer: Contemporary performance measurement techniques and work rate data. ''Sports Medicine,'' 38(10), 839–862.
*[[National Premier Leagues Northern NSW]]
* Evens,T., Iosifidis, P., & Smith, P. (2013). ''The Political Economy of Television Sports Rights.'' Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
*[[National Premier Leagues Queensland]]
*[[National Premier Leagues Tasmania]]
*[[National Premier Leagues Victoria]]
*[[National Premier Leagues Western Australia]]


==Notes==
==Notes==
Line 269: Line 266:


==External links==
==External links==
* [https://www.footballsa.com.au/ Football South Australia website]
* [https://www.footballsa.com.au/ Official website]


{{National Premier Leagues South Australia}}
{{National Premier Leagues South Australia}}

Latest revision as of 04:38, 1 April 2024

National Premier Leagues South Australia
Organising bodyFootball South Australia
First season2013; 11 years ago (2013)
Country Australia
State South Australia
ConfederationAFC
Number of teams12 (since 2016)
Level on pyramid2
Relegation toSA State League 1
Domestic cup(s)Australia Cup
Federation Cup
Current championsAdelaide United Youth
(2023)
Current premiersNorth Eastern MetroStars
TV partnersYouTube
Channel 44 (1 game per week)
Sponsor(s)RAA
Websitefootballsa.com.au
Current: 2024 National Premier Leagues SA

The National Premier Leagues South Australia, also known as National Premier Leagues SA, NPL South Australia or officially abbreviated to NPL SA and known for sponsorship reasons as the RAA National Premier League,[1] is a semi-professional men's soccer league in the Australian state of South Australia. The league is one of eight that comprises the National Premier League, the second tier of Australian soccer. The league was founded in 2012 as a successor to the Super League, and is managed by Football South Australia.

Seasons start in late February, and conclude in early September with a Grand Final, which since 2022, has been held at ServiceFM Stadium. The team was initially contested by 14 teams, and was reduced to 12 teams ahead of the 2016 season.

History[edit]

In 2012 it was announced that the FFSA Premier League was to become the top tier of South Australian football (below the national A-League) after the disbandment of the now defunct FFSA Super League. It was announced that the competition would consist of 14 teams. These teams would be made up of the 10 teams from the defunct Super League with the remaining 4 spots being filled by the top 4 teams from the 2012 Premier League season.

In 2013 the league joined the National Premier Leagues and was named correspondingly to NPL SA. The top placed team after the completion of the season will enter into the National Premier Leagues finals and will play-off against other top placed teams from interstate conferences to determine a nationwide champion.

National Premier Leagues South Australia (abbreviated as NPL SA), a subdivision of National Premier Leagues (NPL), is a semi-professional football competition in the state of South Australia. National Premier Leagues is the second-tier football competition in Australia, which sits below the Hyundai A-League and Westfield W-League on the country's football national pyramid. Football Federation Australia (FFA) embarked on a National Competition Review in October 2010, which aimed to review the football competition structure in Australia.[2] The process of conducting the National Competition Review lasted for 20 months, and the review results were released in May 2012, in which FFA proposed to revitalise the country's state-based competitions to promote the development of elite players.[2] As a result of this review, National Premier Leagues was established in February 2013. At the time of establishment, NPL has five subdivisions, including football teams from five corresponding state-based federations, which are Football Federation South Australia, Football Federation Tasmania, Football Queensland, Football NSW, and Capital Football.[2] The inaugural season of NPL SA began in March 2013. Currently, this competition is run and managed by Football South Australia (formerly known as Football Federation South Australia), which is a governing body of football issues in South Australia and a competition administrator for different levels of football games in the state.

Competition format[edit]

The regular season consists of a double round robin of 22 rounds, followed by a finals series for the top 6 teams. The team who finishes first is crowned Premier and qualifies for the National Premier Leagues finals series. The teams placed 11th and 12th are relegated to the State League 1 in the following season.

In the finals, the 1st and 2nd placed teams playoff in a two-legged game to qualify for the grand final, with the loser moving to a preliminary final against the winner of playoffs by the 3rd to 6th placed teams. A grand finl is held at ServiceFM Stadium, where the winner is crowned Champion.

NPL SA Player Point System (PPS)[edit]

Player Points System, abbreviated as PPS, refers to a system that calculates and records the points of players in NPL clubs. It was after the issue of the National Competitions Review (NCR) in 2012 that the Player Points System (PPS) was introduced for the National Premier Leagues, as a complement to the Club Licensing framework.[3] The introduction of PPS aimed to:

1) Provide Australia football players with more opportunities;

Promoting players’ development through the youth development structures whilst delivering the NCR objectives and outcomes;

2) Promote the long-term sustainability of NPL clubs by adjusting Players’ salaries;

3) Ensure the parity and competitive balance amongst NPL clubs;

4) Improve the stability of NPL Club Player Rosters;

5) Encourage players to progress through to a National Elite Pathway Team.[3]

  • Note: A National Elite Pathway Team refers to a team, determined by the FFA Technical Department and the Member Federations, to take part in the National Elite Pathway. If a player moves through the National Elite Pathway, certain points are credited for that.

There are two different types of NPL Club teams: NPL Club Age-Eligible Team and the First Team. NPL Club Age Eligible Team refers to those facing an age restriction, such as U16s, U18s, and U20s, whilst the First Team means the senior team of NPL Club. Only in limited circumstances can players from the NPL Club's Age-Eligible Teams be promoted to the First Team Player Roster, As outlined under First Team Player Roster Requirements, if a NPL club does not promote a player from its NPL Age-Eligible Teams onto the First Team Player Roster, the club is only allowed to promote the player to the First Team up to a maximum of 40% of matches throughout a NPL season. If the percentage exceeds 40%, the club must include the player on the NPL Club's First Team Player Roster.[3]

The First Team should remain within the PPS Points Cap, which applies to NPL Club's First Team Player Roster. In NPL 2019 season, the Member Federation, in consultation with FFA, set the PPS Points Cap, which was up to a maximum of 200 points. According to this, each NPL player is attributed of 10 points as the beginning. During the season, a player's value of points is added or deducted depending on certain characteristics (see table below). It is further required that a player's points value should not be less than 0 points.[3]

Category Definition Points Adjustment Explanation
Youth Player A Youth Player is 22-year-old or below at the current NPL season. 1 point is deducted for each year the player is below 23-year-old Under this category, the maximum value of adjustment is 5 points.
Visa Player A Visa Player is a non-Australian player. 10 points are added to a player's points value for each Visa Player. A NPL club can simultaneously have up to 2 Visa Players on their First Team Player Roster.
Homegrown Player A Homegrown Player is a player who has been registered with a NPL Club's Age-Eligible Teams. 1 point is deducted for each season Under this category, the maximum value of adjustment is 5 points. 
Loyalty Player A Loyalty Player is a player who has registered for at least 5 continuous seasons with the NPL Club's First Team 1 point is deducted for each season starting from the fifth continuous season None
Pathway Player A Pathway Player is a player who joins a National Elite Pathway Team. 0 No points are added to or deducted from the points value of a Pathway Player.
Australian Marquee Player An Australian Marquee Player is a player that used to be registered as a professional Player for a Hyundai A-League Club or an overseas Club immediately before the player registers with the NPL Club. 0 A NPL club can have only one Australian Marquee Player on their First Team Player Roster.

NPL SA digital presence[edit]

Increasing the digital presence of NPL SA has been a strategic focus of Football South Australia in recent years. Since the 2019 season, all NPL SA fixtures have been digitally recorded. Media releases of home and away games are delivered on the official website of Football South Australia.[4] As Football South Australia continued to expand their digital offerings, they also celebrated the history of NPL SA clubs by creating a history makers series, showing the clubs’ development stories and their cultural heritage to the football family. This series has attracted more than 250,000 individual viewers.[5] In the 2020 season, the audience could watch all NPL game broadcasts.[6]

The Celebration Of Football[edit]

The Celebration of Football is an annually held event that allows all members of the South Australian football family to join and celebrate the achievements that have been achieved during the past season. In 2022, the Celebration of Football was held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, attracting more than 950 members to attend. The following players were a part of the Team of the Year.

Team of the Year
Position Name Club
Goalkeeper Dakota Ochsenham Adelaide City
Defenders Jake Halliday Campbelltown City
Matthew Halliday Adelaide City
Scott Nagel Adelaide Comets
Jackson Walls North Eastern MetroStars
Midfielders Alexander Mullen Campbelltown City
Allan Welsh Adelaide Comets
Charlie Devereux Adelaide City
Forwards Aladin Irabona Adelaide City
Kur Kur Adelaide City
Joshua Mori FK Beograd

Players' Development Pathways[edit]

Regional Football Programme

NPL SA, under the management of Football South Australia, has established development pathways to allow talented young footballers to enter NPL competitions and used motion analysis to monitor the progress of elite soccer (Christopher et al., 2008). In 2013, the Regional Football Programme was introduced by FSA to provide services and support to regional players.[5] In 2019, more than 160 regional players from all over the state joined the programme held in Adelaide, receiving education and coaching from a selected group of experienced football coaches.[5] The number of regional squads has also increased, for:

  • Under 16 Girls
  • Under 14 Girls
  • Under 16 Boys
  • Under 14 Boys
  • Under 12 Boys
  • SINGA CUP

In the Regional Football Programme, there is a selection process for teams that would visit Singapore to compete for the SINGA CUP. A total of 80 players traveled to Singapore and were tested in humid and tough conditions.[5] This was a development opportunity for regional players to compete with opponents from the member countries and regions of the Asian Football Confederation, such as Japan, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Taiwan. This is a 20-team competition, and Under 16 Boys from South Australia finished the competition in the 3rd place.[5]

Clubs for 2024 season[edit]

Club Home Ground Suburb
Adelaide City Adelaide City Park Oakden
Adelaide Comets ServiceFM Stadium Gepps Cross
Adelaide Croatia Raiders Croatian Sports Centre Gepps Cross
Adelaide Olympic APEX Football Centre Angle Park
Adelaide United Youth ServiceFM Stadium Gepps Cross
Campbelltown City Steve Woodcock Sports Centre Newton
Croydon FC Regency Park Regency Park
FK Beograd Frank Mitchell Park Woodville West
Modbury Jets Smith Partners Stadium Ridgehaven
North Eastern MetroStars T.K. Shutter Reserve Klemzig
Para Hills Knights Feel Good Physio Co Stadium Para Hills West
South Adelaide Panthers O'Sullivan Beach Sports and Community Centre O'Sullivan Beach

Honours[edit]

Year Premiers Champions NPL Finals Representation
2013 North Eastern MetroStars Campbelltown City Campbelltown City – Semi-finals
2014 North Eastern MetroStars Croydon Kings North Eastern MetroStars – Champions
2015 West Adelaide West Adelaide West Adelaide – Quarter-finals
2016 Adelaide City Campbelltown City Adelaide City – Quarter-finals
2017 Adelaide City Croydon Kings Adelaide City – Quarter-finals
2018 Campbelltown City Campbelltown City Campbelltown City – Champions
2019 Campbelltown City Campbelltown City Campbelltown City – Quarter-finals
2020 Adelaide Comets Campbelltown City —[a]
2021 Adelaide Comets Adelaide City —[a]
2022 Adelaide City Adelaide City —[b]
2023 North Eastern MetroStars Adelaide United Youth —[b]

For details of winners pre-NPL (2006–2012):

Further information: FFSA Super League § Champions and premiers

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b NPL finals series cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[7]
  2. ^ a b Not Held

References[edit]

  1. ^ "RAA becomes naming rights partner of local football's top tier competition". Football South Australia. 8 April 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "FFA launches National Premier Leagues (2013)". Football Federation Australia.
  3. ^ a b c d "Football SA Competition Operating Regulations" (PDF). Football South Australia. February 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  4. ^ Sherwood M, Nicholson M, Marjoribanks T (2017). "Controlling the message and the medium?". Digital Journalism. 5 (5): 513–531. doi:10.1080/21670811.2016.1239546.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Football South Australia Annual Report 2019" (PDF). Football South Australia. June 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  6. ^ Vale L, Fernandes T (2018). "Social media and sports: Driving fan engagement with football clubs on Facebook". Journal of Strategic Marketing. 26 (1): 37–55. doi:10.1080/0965254X.2017.1359655. hdl:10216/108001.
  7. ^ "Coronavirus forces FFA Cup to be cancelled". The World Game. SBS. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Premier_Leagues_South_Australia&oldid=1216633424"