1. EVENTS AND MATCHES
A-Leagues Terms of Admission – Download PDF
2. other policy and documents
A-Leagues Terms of Accreditation – Download PDF
3. Isuzu UTE A-League Men 24/25 Competition Rules Summary
The Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s competition consists of a Regular Season and a Finals Series (featuring the top six (6) Clubs from the Regular Season), the winner of which will be crowned Isuzu UTE A-League Men Champions.
Competition Format – Regular Season
The Isuzu UTE A-League Regular Season is comprised of thirteen (13) Clubs.
The Regular Season will consist of:
- twenty-six (26) Matches per Club;
- twenty-nine (29) rounds with each Club playing each other a minimum of two (2) times, and certain opponents three (3) times including three (3) byes per Club; and
- A total of 169 Regular Season Matches.
The following points will be awarded for Matches during the Regular Season:
- Win = 3 points
- Draw = 1 point
- Loss = 0 points
- Bye = 0 points
- No Result = 0 points
Outcome of Cancelled Matches and Matches Abandoned due to a Force Majeure Event or Pandemic Event – Regular Season
- A cancelled Regular Season Match that is not rescheduled will be recorded as a nil-all draw with both Clubs awarded one (1) point;
- A Regular Season Match that is abandoned before half-time due to a Force Majeure Event (as determined by APL) that is not rescheduled will be recorded as a nil-all draw with both Clubs awarded one (1) point;
- Where a Regular Season Match is abandoned at half-time or during the second (2nd) half of the Match due to a Force Majeure Event (as determined by APL) and is not rescheduled, the result at the time of the abandonment will be deemed the final result.
Procedures to Determine Placings after Regular Season
At the completion of the Regular Season Clubs are ranked from one (1) through to thirteen (13), with the first six (6) Clubs progressing to the Finals Series. The position of each Club will be determined based on the following criteria:
- Highest number of points accumulated during the Regular Season;
- if two (2) or more Clubs are level on points accumulated, the following criteria will be applied, in order, until all Clubs can be separated and ranked in order:
- highest goal difference;
- highest number of goals scored;
- total number of wins;
- highest number of points accumulated in Matches between the Clubs concerned;
- highest goal difference in Matches between the Clubs concerned;
- lowest number of Fair Play Points accumulated;
- away goals difference (being the number of goals scored by the Club in away Matches minus the number of goals scored against the Club in away Matches);
- away goals per away Match;
- home goals difference (being the number of goals scored by the Club in home Matches minus the number of goals scored against the Club in home Matches);
- home goals for per home Match; and
- toss of a coin (tie of two clubs) or drawing of lots (tie of three or more clubs).
Substitution Rules
Clubs must select at least five (5) Players as substitutes on the Starting List, including one (1) nominated goalkeeper; or
- may select six (6) Players as substitutes on the Starting List, including one (1) nominated goalkeeper if at least two (2) Players selected on the Starting List are eligible for the Australian National Team (and New Zealand in the case of Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix) and are born on or after 1 January 2001
- may select seven (7) Players as substitutes on the Starting List, including one (1) nominated goalkeeper if at least three (3) Players selected on the Starting List are eligible for the Australian National Team (and New Zealand in the case of Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix) and are born on or after 1 January 2001
- For all Finals Series Matches, one (1) additional Player (outfield Player or goalkeeper) may be replaced and each team will have one (1) additional substitution opportunity during Extra Time of a Match up until the conclusion of Extra Time (whether or not the team has already used the full number of permitted substitutes or substitution opportunities).
- In addition to the above Substitution Rules, each team will be permitted to use a maximum of one (1) concussion substitution in a Match where a Player suffers a concussion, or suspected concussion, in accordance with the APL Concussion Policy and the Approved IFAB Permanent Concussion Substitute Protocol adopted by FA. For clarity, concussion substitutions will not count towards the permitted substitution opportunities during a Match.
Competition Format – Isuzu UTE A-League Finals Series
The top six (6) Clubs at the conclusion of the Regular Season will progress to the Finals Series.
The Finals Series for this Season will be played over a four (4) week period and consist of a total of seven (7) Finals Series Matches.
Procedures to Determine the Winner of Finals Matches
If, at the conclusion of the regular period in an Elimination Final, across the two legs of a Semi Final match or the Grand Final the scores between the two (2) Clubs are tied, then extra time of two (2) equal periods of fifteen (15) minutes will be played. The conditions of the Laws of the Game will apply.
If scores remain equal at the conclusion of both periods of extra time, penalties will be taken, in accordance with the FIFA Laws of the Game, to determine the winner of the Match.
Elimination Finals
- Clubs ranked 3 & 6 (Match A) and 4 & 5 (Match B) will play-off with the winners from each of these Matches to advance to the Semi Finals of the Isuzu UTE A-League Finals Series.
- Clubs ranked 3 & 4 will be considered the ‘home’ Club for Matches A & B.
Semi Finals Each Semi Final tie will be played over two legs
- The Club ranked 1 will play the lowest ranked winner of Matches A & B (Matches C & E).
- The Club ranked 2 will play the highest ranked winner of Matches A & B (Matches D & F).
- Clubs ranked 1 & 2 are able to nominate a preference to play the first leg of their Semi Final tie at home or away
- Scores across the two legs will be aggregated to determine the winner of the tie. The Away Goals rule will NOT be used.
- The highest placed Club to advance to the Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final (Match G) will be considered the ‘home’ Club.
Grand Final
- The Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final will be contested between the winners of Matches C & E and D & F (Match G).
- The Club who wins the Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final will be crowned the Isuzu UTE A-League Champions and will be awarded the Championship Trophy.
Outcome of Cancelled Matches and Matches Abandoned due to a Force Majeure Event or Pandemic Event – Finals Series
- Where a cancelled Finals Series Match is not rescheduled, the Club that finished as the higher ranked Club on the Isuzu UTE A-League table at the conclusion of the Regular Season will be declared the winner of that Match.
- Where a Finals Series Match is abandoned before half-time due to a Force Majeure Event (as determined by APL) and is not rescheduled, the Club that finished as the higher ranked Club on the Isuzu UTE A-League table at the conclusion of the Regular Season will be declared the winner of that Match.
- Where a Finals Series Match is abandoned at half-time or during the second (2nd) half of the Match due to a Force Majeure Event (as determined by APL), the score in the Match at the time of the abandonment will be deemed the final result.
- Where at the time of a Finals Series Match being abandoned and the scores are level, APL will seek to reschedule the Match in its entirety. If such Match is not rescheduled, the Club that finished as the higher ranked Club on the Isuzu UTE A-League table at the conclusion of the Regular Season will be declared the winner of that Match.
4. Ninja A-League Women 24/25 Competition Rules Summary
The Ninja A-League Women’s competition consists of a Regular Season and a Finals Series (featuring the top six (6) Clubs from the Regular Season), the winner of which will be crowned Ninja A-League Women’s Champions.
Competition Format – Regular Season
The Ninja A-League Regular Season is comprised of twelve (12) Clubs.
The Regular Season will consist of:
- twenty-three (23) Matches per Club;
- twenty-three (23) rounds with each Club playing each other twice, and one Club three times;
- A total of 138 Regular Season Matches.
The following points will be awarded for Matches during the Regular Season:
- Win = 3 points
- Draw = 1 point
- Loss = 0 points
- No Result = 0 points
Outcome of Cancelled Matches and Matches Abandoned due to a Force Majeure Event or Pandemic Event
- A cancelled Regular Season Match that is not rescheduled will be recorded as a nil-all draw with both Clubs awarded one (1) point;
- A Regular Season Match that is abandoned before half-time due to a Force Majeure Event (as determined by APL) that is not rescheduled will be recorded as a nil-all draw with both Clubs awarded one (1) point;
- Where a Regular Season Match is abandoned at half-time or during the second (2nd) half of the Match due to a Force Majeure Event (as determined by APL) and is not rescheduled, the result at the time of the abandonment will be deemed the final result.
Procedures to Determine Placings after Regular Season
At the completion of the Regular Season Clubs are ranked from one (1) through to twelve (12), with the first six (6) Clubs progressing to the Finals Series. The position of each Club will be determined based on the following criteria:
- Highest number of points accumulated during the Regular Season;
- if two (2) or more Clubs are level on points accumulated, the following criteria will be applied, in order, until all Clubs can be separated and ranked in order:
- highest goal difference;
- highest number of goals scored;
- total number of wins;
- highest number of points accumulated in Matches between the Clubs concerned;
- highest goal difference in Matches between the Clubs concerned;
- lowest number of Fair Play Points accumulated;
- away goals difference (being the number of goals scored by the Club in away Matches minus the number of goals scored against the Club in away Matches);
- away goals per away Match;
- home goals difference (being the number of goals scored by the Club in home Matches minus the number of goals scored against the Club in home Matches);
- home goals for per home Match; and
- toss of a coin (tie of two clubs) or drawing of lots (tie of three or more clubs).
Substitution Rules
- For all Matches Clubs must select a minimum and maximum of five (5) Players as substitutes on the Starting List, including one (1) nominated goalkeeper.
- For all Finals Series Matches Clubs must select a minimum and maximum of six (6) Players as substitutes on the Starting List, including one (1) nominated goalkeeper.
- For all Finals Series Matches, one (1) additional Player (outfield Player or goalkeeper) may be replaced and each team will have one (1) additional substitution opportunity during Extra Time of a Match up until the conclusion of Extra Time (whether or not the team has already used the full number of permitted substitutes or substitution opportunities).
- In addition to the above Substitution Rules, each team will be permitted to use a maximum of one (1) concussion substitution in a Match where a Player suffers a concussion, or suspected concussion, in accordance with the APL Concussion Policy and the Approved IFAB Permanent Concussion Substitute Protocol adopted by FA. For clarity, concussion substitutions will not count towards the permitted substitution opportunities during a Match.
Competition Format – Ninja A-League Finals Series
The top six (6) Clubs at the conclusion of the Regular Season will progress to the Finals Series.
The Finals Series for this Season will be played over a four (4) week period and consist of a total of seven (7) Finals Series Matches.
Procedures to Determine the Winner of Finals Matches
If, at the conclusion of the regular period in an Elimination Final, across the two legs of a Semi Final match or the Grand Final the scores between the two (2) Clubs are tied, then extra time of two (2) equal periods of fifteen (15) minutes will be played. The conditions of the Laws of the Game will apply.
If scores remain equal at the conclusion of both periods of extra time, penalty kicks will be taken, in accordance with the FIFA Laws of the Game, to determine the winner of the Match.
Elimination Finals
- Clubs ranked 3 & 6 (Match A) and 4 & 5 (Match B) will play-off with the winners from each of these Matches to advance to the Semi Finals of the Ninja A-League Finals Series.
- Clubs ranked 3 & 4 will be considered the ‘home’ Club for Matches A & B.
Semi Finals
- Each Semi Final tie will be played over two legs
- The Club ranked 1 will play the lowest ranked winner of Matches A & B (Matches C & E).
- The Club ranked 2 will play the highest ranked winner of Matches A & B (Matches D & F).
- Clubs ranked 1 & 2 are able to nominate a preference to play the first leg of their Semi Final tie at home or away.
- Scores across the two legs will be aggregated to determine the winner of the tie. The Away Goals rule will NOT be used.
- The highest placed Club to advance to the Ninja A-League Grand Final (Match G) will be considered the ‘home’ Club.
Grand Final
- The Ninja A-League Grand Final will be contested between the winners of Matches C & E and D & F (Match G).
- The Club who wins the Ninja A-League Grand Final will be crowned the Ninja A-League Champions and will be awarded the Championship Trophy.
Outcome of Cancelled Matches and Matches Abandoned due to a Force Majeure Event or Pandemic Event – Finals Series
- Where a cancelled Finals Series Match is not rescheduled, the Club that finished as the higher ranked Club on the Ninja A-League table at the conclusion of the Regular Season will be declared the winner of that Match.
- Where a Finals Series Match is abandoned before half-time due to a Force Majeure Event (as determined by APL) and is not rescheduled, the Club that finished as the higher ranked Club on the Ninja A-League table at the conclusion of the Regular Season will be declared the winner of that Match.
- Where a Finals Series Match is abandoned at half-time or during the second (2nd) half of the Match due to a Force Majeure Event (as determined by APL), the score in the Match at the time of the abandonment will be deemed the final result.
- Where at the time of a Finals Series Match being abandoned and the scores are level, APL will seek to reschedule the Match in its entirety. If such Match is not rescheduled, the Club that finished as the higher ranked Club on the Ninja A-League table at the conclusion of the Regular Season will be declared the winner of that Match.
