Football Australia facts for kids
| AFC | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Full name | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Short name | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Founded |
|
| Folded | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Headquarters | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| FIFA affiliation | 1963 |
| AFC affiliation | 2006 |
| AFF affiliation | 2013 |
| Chairman | Chris Nikou |
Football Australia is the main group that looks after soccer, futsal (a type of indoor soccer), and beach soccer in Australia. Its main office is in Sydney.
Even though the first group for soccer was started in 1911, Football Australia as we know it today began in 1961. Back then, it was called the Australian Soccer Federation. Later, in 2003, it became the Australian Soccer Association. Then, in 2005, it changed its name to Football Federation Australia. In December 2020, it changed its name again to Football Australia. This was done to help bring all parts of Australian football closer together.
Football Australia is in charge of many things. It looks after Australia's national teams for men, women, youth, and even teams for players with disabilities (Paralympic), beach soccer, and futsal. It also runs coaching programs and works with smaller soccer groups in each state. Football Australia helps organize professional, semi-professional, and amateur soccer games across the country.
In 2006, Football Australia decided to leave the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), which it helped start. It then joined the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). This move was made to help Australian teams play against stronger competition. In 2013, it also joined the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF).
Contents
History of Football in Australia
The story of Football Australia goes way back to 1911, when the "Commonwealth Football Association" was formed. This group was later replaced by the Australian Soccer Football Association in 1921. This group worked for 40 years and became a member of FIFA (the world soccer body) in 1956. However, in 1960, FIFA stopped them from being a member because of problems with signing players from other countries.
In 1961, the Australian Soccer Federation was created to take over. It took some time, but in 1963, this new group was finally allowed to join FIFA.
For many years, Australia felt a bit alone in international soccer. They tried to join the AFC in 1960 and 1974 but were not allowed. So, Australia and New Zealand helped create the Oceania Football Federation (now OFC) in 1966. Australia left the OFC for a short time in 1972 to try and join the AFC again, but they rejoined the OFC in 1978.
In 1995, the Australian Soccer Federation changed its name to Soccer Australia.
After Australia did not qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, there were some problems and questions about how Soccer Australia was being run. An independent report was made to look into these issues. As a result, in 2003, a new group called the Australia Soccer Association (ASA) was formed.
On January 1, 2005, the ASA changed its name to Football Federation Australia (FFA). This was done to use the word "football" like most of the world, instead of "soccer." It also helped them show that they were a new start, different from the old Soccer Australia. They even used the saying "old soccer, new football."
Joining the Asian Football Confederation
On January 1, 2006, Football Federation Australia moved from the OFC to the AFC. Everyone involved agreed to this change. Football Australia hoped that joining the AFC would give Australia a better chance to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. It also meant that Australian club teams could play in the AFC Champions League. This was meant to make Australian soccer better at both the national and club levels.
In 2013, Australia became a full member of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF).
In November 2018, there were big changes to the leadership of Football Australia. Many members of the board of directors were replaced. Chris Nikou became the new chairman.
On June 25, 2020, Australia won the right to co-host the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup with New Zealand. This was a very exciting moment for Australian football!
On November 25, 2020, Football Federation Australia officially voted to change its name to Football Australia. The CEO, James Johnson, said this change would help make the brand more unified across all parts of Australian football.
At the end of 2020, the top professional leagues in Australia, like the A-League, W-League, and Y-League, became separate from Football Australia. A new group called Australian Professional Leagues now runs these leagues. This means they can make their own decisions about how the professional game is run.
How Football Australia is Organized
Soccer in Australia is set up with a main national group and smaller groups in each state and territory. This system has been in place since 1882. Today, there is one national group (Football Australia) and nine state and territory groups. There are also over 100 smaller local groups.
These are the nine main state and territory groups:
- Capital Football
- Northern NSW Football
- Football NSW
- Football Northern Territory
- Football Queensland
- Football South Australia
- Football Tasmania
- Football Victoria
- Football West
National Indigenous Advisory Group
In November 2021, Football Australia created a special group called the National Indigenous Advisory Group (NIAG). This group helps Football Australia work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Their goal is to get more Indigenous people involved in soccer.
The NIAG is made up of 9 members from First Nations communities. These members come from different parts of soccer, as well as media, universities, and government. Some well-known members include Frank Farina OAM, Karen Menzies (the first Indigenous player for the Matildas), Kyah Simon, and Jade North. Jade North and Sarah Walsh are the co-chairs of the group.
The NIAG focuses on helping First Nations players and staff stay in the game. They also look at ways soccer can help improve social outcomes for Indigenous communities. They work on creating partnerships and developing plans for how Football Australia can support reconciliation.
Competitions Organized by Football Australia
Football Australia helps organize several national soccer competitions. The state groups organize their own competitions too.
Here are some of the national competitions:
- A-League Men (Football Australia used to own this, but not anymore since July 2019)
- Australia Cup
- National Second Division (planned to start in 2025)
- National Premier Leagues
- A-League Women, which used to be called W-League (Football Australia used to own this, but not anymore since July 2019)
- Women's Australia Cup (planned to start in 2024)
- A-League Youth, which used to be called Y-League (Football Australia used to own this, but not anymore since July 2019)
- FFA State Institute Challenge
- F-League
See also
In Spanish: Football Australia para niños
- Soccer in Australia
- Futsal in Australia
