A-League: Difference between revisions

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The '''A-League''' is the premier domestic [[Australia]]n [[football (soccer)]] competition. Founded in 2004 and staging its [[A-League 2005-06|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 [[A-League 2006-07|2006–07 season]].
The '''A-League''', founded in 2004, is the premier domestic [[association football|football]] competition in Australia.<ref>[https://www.a-league.com.au/ Hyundai A-League.]</ref>


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===Origins===
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==Format==
[[Category:Association football competitions in Australia]][[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]]
===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 &ndash; 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 [[Misconduct (football)|cards]] each team received.<ref name="Rules">{{cite web | url = http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=rules | title = Hyundai A-League > Rules | work = A-League.com.au | accessmonthday = November 3 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref> The top-ranked club is awarded the title of "Premiers", and is entered into the following season's [[AFC Champions League]].<ref name="AFCCL">{{cite web | url = http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=3823 | title = Grand Final rematch to open HAL season | work = A-League.com.au|date = May 1, 2006 | accessmonthday = November 3 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>
 
===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-legged match|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]].<ref name="Rules"/> 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.<ref name="AFCCL"/>
 
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==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]].<ref>{{cite web | date = March 22, 2004 | title = ASA announce several significant initiatives | url = http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=601&pageid=11 | work=A-League.com.au | accessmonthday = February 25 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web | date = February 16, 2007 | last = Hand | first = Guy | title = Hope for A-League problem kids | work = [[Fox Sports (Australia)|Fox Sports]] | url = http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,21237960-23215,00.html | accessmonthday = February 25 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref>
 
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&ndash;07 season, where Octagon Sports Limited, owners of [[New Zealand Knights FC]], were found to have breached an insolvency clause in the agreement.<ref>{{cite web | date = December 14, 2006 | title = FFA Statement regarding New Zealand Knights | url = http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=6349 | accessmonthday = February 25 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web | date = February 15, 2007 | title = NZ Soccer offered Hyundai A-League licence | url = http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=7057 | accessmonthday = February 25 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref>
 
==Premiers and Champions==
{| class="prettytable"
|-
!rowspan=2|Season
!colspan=2|Premiership
!colspan=2|Championship
|-
!Premiers
!Runners-up
!Champions
!Runners-up
|-
|[[A-League 2005-06|2005&ndash;06]]
|'''[[Adelaide United FC]]'''
|[[Sydney FC]]
|'''[[Sydney FC]]'''
|[[Central Coast Mariners FC]]
|-
|[[A-League 2006-07|2006&ndash;07]]
|'''[[Melbourne Victory FC]]'''
|[[Adelaide United FC]]
|'''[[Melbourne Victory FC]]'''
|[[Adelaide United FC]]
|}
 
==References==
<div class="references-small">
<references/>
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==External links==
* [http://www.a-league.com.au/ Official A-League website]
* [http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/ Official Football Federation Australia website]
 
[[Category:CZ Live]]
[[Category:Sports Workgroup]]

Latest revision as of 11:00, 4 July 2024

The A-League, founded in 2004, is the premier domestic football competition in Australia.[1]

Notes

  1. ↑ Hyundai A-League.
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