New Zealand football league system

Last updated
New Zealand football league system
2022 New Zealand Football League System.png
A detailed layout of the league system, as of 2022.
Country New Zealand
Sport Association football
Promotion and relegation Yes
National system
Federation New Zealand Football
Confederation OFC
Top division
Second division
Cup competition
Association football in New Zealand

The New Zealand league system is the structure of leagues nationally and regionally, newly updated for the 2021 season. [1] The system previously had a path from grassroots to the top flight but that stopped in 2004 with the New Zealand Football Championship being created as a replacement to the former New Zealand National Soccer League.

Contents

The current top flight of New Zealand Football is the National League, which had its inaugural season in 2021. [2]

The top 4 Divisions of the Northern Region Football leagues for both men and women (Tiers 2–5) were restructured for the 2023 season. [3]

Cups

The premier cup competition in New Zealand is the Chatham Cup which dates back to 1923.

Regional cup competitions are also run within federations, allowing multiple teams from the same club to enter.

Men's structure

Detailed layout of 2022 New Zealand Football League System 2022 New Zealand Football League System.png
Detailed layout of 2022 New Zealand Football League System

Clubs at the top of the pyramid are only permitted to enter a single team in their confederation's higher levels. Other teams from the same club are permitted to enter teams below this threshold, but have restrictions on promotion. [4] [5] Clevedon FC and Banks Peninsula AFC are currently the lowest ranked 1st team in the country, playing in NRF South Division 9 and Mainland Division 10 (Tier 14) respectively. [6]


Level

League(s)/division(s)

1

New Zealand National League
10 clubs [a]

2

Northern League
12 clubs – 4 qualifications, 2–3 relegations

Central League
10 clubs – 3 qualifications, 1 relegation

Southern League
10 clubs – 2 qualifications, 1 relegation

3

NRFL Championship
12 clubs – 1–2 promotions, 2 relegations [b]

Central Federation League
9 clubs – 0–1 promotions

Capital Premier
10 clubs – 0–1 promotions

Canterbury Premiership League
10 clubs – 0–1 promotions

Southern Premiership
10 clubs – 0–1 promotions

4

NRFL Northern Conference
8 clubs – 0–1 promotions, 1–3 relegations [b]
NRFL Southern Conference
8 clubs – 0–1 promotions, 1–2 relegations [b]

Horizons Premiership – 8 clubs
Pacific Premiership – 7 clubs
Taranaki Premiership – 8 clubs

Capital 1
10 clubs

Canterbury Championship League
10 clubs

South Canterbury Division 1 – 6 clubs
Otago Division 1 8 clubs
Southland Division 1 5 clubs

5

NRF League One
8 clubs – 1 promotion

WaiBOP League One

10 clubs – 1 promotion

Horizons Championship – 8 clubs
Hawke's Bay Division 2 – 10 clubs
Eastern League Division 1 – 12 clubs
Taranaki Championship – 12 clubs

Capital 2
10 clubs

Mainland Division 1 – 10 clubs
Marlborough Division 1 – 5 clubs
Nelson Division 1 – 8 clubs
South Canterbury Division 2 – 5 clubs
Otago Division 2 – 7 clubs
Southland Division 2 – 6 clubs

6

NRF Northland Division 1 – 8 clubs

NRF Division 1 – 10 clubs

Waikato Division 1 – 8 clubs
Bay League Division 1 – 6 clubs

Manawatu Division 1 – 9 clubs
Whanganui Championship – 9 clubs
Hawke's Bay Division 2 – 10 clubs
Eastern League Division II – 12 clubs
Taranaki Division 1 – 12 clubs

Capital 3
10 clubs

Mainland Division 2 – 10 clubs
Marlborough Division 2 – 8 clubs
Nelson Division 2 – 8 clubs
South Canterbury Division 3 – 7 clubs
Otago Division 3 – 8 clubs
Southland Division 2 – 12 clubs

7

NRF Northland Division 2 – 6 clubs
NRF Division 2 – 10 clubs
Waikato Division 2 – 10 clubs
Bay League Division 2 – 6 clubs

Manawatu Division 2 – 10 clubs
Hawke's Bay Division 3 – 10 clubs

Capital 4
10 clubs

Mainland Division 3 – 8 clubs
Nelson Division 3 – 6 clubs
Otago Division 4 – 11 clubs

8

NRF Northland Division 3 – 8 clubs
NRF Division 3 – 10 clubs
Waikato Division 3 – 10 clubs
Bay League Division 2B – 6 clubs

Manawatu Division 2 – 12 clubs
Wellington 1 – 10 clubs
Horowhenua/Kapiti Local League 1 – 9 clubs
Wairarapa 1 – 6 clubs

Mainland Division 4 – 8 clubs
Nelson Division 4 – 8 clubs

9

NRF Northland Division 4 – 9 clubs
NRF Division 4 – 10 clubs
Waikato Division 4 – 10 clubs
Bay League Division 3 – 7 clubs

Wellington 2 – 10 clubs
Horowhenua/Kapiti Local League 2 – 6 clubs
Wairarapa 2/3 – 14 clubs

Mainland Division 5 – 8 clubs

10

NRF Division 5 – 12 clubs

Wellington 3 – 10 clubs

Mainland Division 6 – 8 clubs

11

NRF Harbour Division 6 – 10 clubs
NRF Central Division 6 – 10 clubs
NRF South Division 6 – 9 clubs

Wellington 4 – 10 clubs

Mainland Division 7 – 7 clubs

12

NRF Harbour Division 7 – 9 clubs
NRF Central Division 7 – 10 clubs
NRF South Division 7 – 10 clubs

Wellington 5 – 16 clubs

Mainland Division 8 – 7 clubs

13

NRF Harbour Division 8 – 10 clubs
NRF Central Division 8 – 9 clubs
NRF South Division 8 – 10 clubs

Mainland Division 9 – 7 clubs

14

NRF Harbour Division 9 – 10 clubs
NRF Central Division 9 – 10 clubs
NRF South Division 9 – 8 clubs

Mainland Division 10 – 7 clubs

15

NRF Harbour Division 10 – 9 clubs
NRF Central Division 10 – 9 clubs

Notes

  1. 9 clubs qualify from regional leagues to join the Wellington Phoenix Reserves, who automatically qualify. [2]
  2. 1 2 3 Promotion and relegation is dependent on regulations that only allow one team per club in the top grades [4] [5] [7]

    Women's structure

    Sources [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

    LevelLeague(s)/division(s)

    1

    New Zealand Women's National League
    10 clubs

    2

    NRFL Women's Premiership
    8 clubs – 4 qualifications, 1 relegation

    Capital W-League
    7 clubs – 1 relegation

    Mainland Women's Premier League
    4 clubs

    Women's Southern Premier League
    7 clubs

    3

    NRFL Women's Championship
    8 clubs – 1 promotion, 1 relegation

    Central Women's Federation League
    5 clubs

    Women's Capital Premier
    8 clubs – 1 promotion, 1 relegation

    Canterbury Women's Championship League 1 – 11 clubs
    Nelson Women's Premiership Division 1 – 11 clubs
    Marlborough Women's Social League – 3 clubs
    Otago Division One – 6 clubs
    Southland Kolk Cup – 7 clubs

    4

    NRF Women's Conference
    6 clubs – 0–1 promotions

    WaiBOP W-League
    6 clubs – 0–1 promotions

    Manawatu Premiership – 6 clubs
    Whanganui Kelly Hiroa League – 8 clubs
    Hawke's Bay Women's Division 1 – 5 clubs
    Gisborne Eastern League – 6 clubs
    Taranaki Women's Premiership – 12 clubs

    Capital Women's 1 – 10 clubs

    Canterbury Championship League 2 – 6 clubs
    Otago Division Two – 8 clubs

    5

    NRF Women's Northland Division 1 – 5 clubs
    NRF Women's Division 1 – 8 clubs
    Waikato Women's Division 1 – 8 clubs
    Women's Bay League Division 1 – 9 clubs

    Manawatu Women's Championship – 6 clubs

    Hawkes Bay Women's Division 2 – 7 clubs

    Capital Women's 2 – 10 clubs

    6

    NRF Northland Women's Division 2 – 6 clubs
    NRF Women's Division 2 – 10clubs
    Waikato Women's Division 2 – 9 clubs

    Capital Women's 3 – 11 clubs

    7

    NRF Harbour Division 3 – 7 clubs
    NRF Central Division 3 – 9 clubs

    Wairarapa League – 4 clubs

    8

    NRF Harbour Division 4 – 10 clubs
    NRF Central Division 4 – 8 clubs

    9

    NRF Central Division 5 – 7 clubs

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