Football association
A football association is a federation , a federation or alliance in which continental, national or regional football associations or football clubs are united.
Internationally, an association is usually called an association or federation (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian).
Each association organizes and administers football competitions for its member clubs and provides the relevant regulations and football referees. There are football associations with corresponding competencies at various regional levels. There is a world association as well as continental, national and regional associations. FIFA, more precisely the International Football Association Board (IFAB), is responsible for the general football rules within these associations. UEFA is responsible for regulations relating to European competitions and the members of UEFA , German football is regulated by the DFB or, in the case of regional competitions, the regional associations cooperating with the DFB and, in the case of the Bundesliga, the DFL , which is responsible for issuing licenses, among other things Professional leagues .
World association
The largest international football association is the world association FIFA , the Fédération Internationale de Football Association , founded in Paris on May 21, 1904 . The world association has its headquarters in Zurich . FIFA organizes football events with worldwide participation, such as the football world championships and the club world championships . As of 2016, 211 national associations had come together to form FIFA.
Continental Associations
Six continental associations are subordinate to FIFA: the AFC in Asia , the African CAF association , in South America the Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol ( CONMEBOL ), in North and Central America and the Caribbean the CONCACAF , the OFC association in Oceania and the largest continental association UEFA in Europe . The national associations of the individual countries are subordinate to the continental associations.
Continental Association UEFA
UEFA organizes a total of 16 competitions, 8 of which are for national teams and 7 for club teams (as of April 2005). These include the European Football Championship for national teams , the UEFA Champions League for club teams, but also competitions for women's football and juniors . UEFA comprises a total of 54 national associations that are responsible for the respective national teams and the organization of the national competitions.
Regional football associations
Below the level of the continental associations, there are some groupings of national associations at the regional level, such as the COSAFA of Southern Africa .
National football associations
In Germany , the national football association is the German Football Association (DFB), which with six million members is not only the football association with the largest number of members, but also the largest sports association in the world. The first football association in the world is the Football Association (The FA) and was founded in England in 1863 . For Switzerland the distinguished Swiss Football Association (SFV / ASF) responsible for Austria of the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB). In Liechtenstein , the Liechtenstein Football Association (LFV) is responsible, in Luxembourg the Luxembourg Football Association (FLF) .
Regional football associations, state associations
The individual national associations pass on regional tasks such as the organization of regional competitions to (regional) sub-associations.
The DFB has five regional associations , which are subdivided again. The Swiss Football Association (SFV / ASF) and the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) also have a federal structure.
