Championship (Australia)

Australian Championship (National Second Tier) - a national second-tier men’s club competition in Australia sanctioned by Football Australia. Regulations: the competition features 16 teams, with eight Foundation Clubs and eight places allocated each season to Member Federation NPL premiers subject to meeting eligibility and compliance requirements, with a replacement mechanism if the premier is ineligible or already a Foundation Club. The tournament is played in a group format with four groups of four teams playing home and away matches, three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss, and the top two teams in each group qualify for an elimination Finals Series. If teams finish level on points in the group stage, placings are determined by the sequence of tie-break criteria set out in the competition regulations, typically starting with goal difference and goals scored, and then applying additional criteria such as head-to-head records where required. In the Finals Series, tied matches are decided under the procedure defined by the season regulations, commonly extra time followed by penalties. There is no automatic promotion or relegation tied to final standings, entry is determined by Foundation Club status and seasonal NPL qualification, and the competition does not provide a direct pathway to AFC places, which are allocated under Australia’s domestic competition regulations, including the A-League Men and the Australia Cup.