Football Federation Australia
Encyclopedia
Football Federation Australia (FFA) is the governing body for the sport of football (soccer) in Australia
. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association (ASA), which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003. Ben Buckley
is currently the CEO of the FFA and Frank Lowy
is the chairman.
Among other duties, the FFA oversees Australia's national soccer teams (including the Socceroos (men), the Matildas (women), the Olyroos
and other various youth teams); national coaching programmes; coordination with the various state and territory governing bodies; and the national club competition. Until 2004 the national competition was the National Soccer League; the FFA launched a new national league in 2005, the A-League
.
Australia first applied to join the Asian Football Confederation
in 1964 but were denied, eventually forming the Oceania Football Federation
with New Zealand
in 1966.
In 2003, following Australia's failure to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, and allegations of fraud and mismanagement within Soccer Australia, the Australian government commissioned an independent inquiry known as the Crawford Report
. The findings of the report were dismissed by the board of Soccer Australia until the Australian Sports Commission
threatened to withdraw funding to Soccer Australia unless it implemented the measures outline by the Crawford committee. The board then resigned en-masse.
This report recommended, among other things, the reconstitution of the body as the Australia Soccer Association (ASA) with an interim board headed by prominent businessman Frank Lowy
. The ASA renamed itself in 2005 to align with the general international usage of the word "football", in preference to "soccer", and to also distance itself from the failings of the old National Soccer League
and Soccer Australia. It coined the phrase "old soccer, new football" to emphasise this.
(OFC), of which it was a founding member, to the Asian Football Confederation
(AFC). The move was unanimously endorsed by the AFC Executive Committee on 23 March 2005, and assented by the OFC in 17 April. The FIFA
Executive Committee approved the move on 29 June, noting that "as all of the parties involved ... had agreed to the move, the case did not need to be discussed by the FIFA Congress", and was unanimously ratified by the AFC on 10 September. The FFA hopes that being part of the AFC will improve the standard of Australian football and give the national team a fairer chance of qualifying for World Cups
, as well as providing access to the AFC Champions League
for the A-League
clubs. The experience in being one of the first countries to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, after completing its qualifying rounds unbeaten and conceding only 1 goal, seems to confirm the wisdom of this initiative.
The two main reasons for this move were:
In February 2008, the FFA formally announced their intention to bid for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
or 2022 FIFA World Cup
and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup
. In 2010, the decision was made by the FFA to withdraw its bid for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
, instead focusing on a bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup
.
accredited referees:
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association (ASA), which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003. Ben Buckley
Ben Buckley
Benjamin "Ben" Buckley is an Australian businessman and former Australian rules footballer. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Football Federation Australia.- VFL/AFL career :...
is currently the CEO of the FFA and Frank Lowy
Frank Lowy
Frank Lowy, AC is an Australian-Israeli businessman. He is a co-founder of the Westfield Group, operator of over 100 shopping centres in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Great Britain...
is the chairman.
Among other duties, the FFA oversees Australia's national soccer teams (including the Socceroos (men), the Matildas (women), the Olyroos
Australia national under-23 football team
The Australia Olympic football team, more commonly known as the Olyroos, is controlled by Football Federation Australia and represents Australia at association football in the Olympic Games...
and other various youth teams); national coaching programmes; coordination with the various state and territory governing bodies; and the national club competition. Until 2004 the national competition was the National Soccer League; the FFA launched a new national league in 2005, the A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
.
A chequered past
The FFA's origins lie as far back as 1913, with the formation of the Commonwealth Football Association. This body was then superseded by the Australian Soccer Association, which was formed in 1921, with its headquarters in Sydney. However this association was suspended from FIFA in 1960 for the poaching of players from overseas. In 1961 the Australian Soccer Federation was formed. However, this association was refused re-admittance with FIFA until outstanding fines had been paid. In 1963 Australia was re-admitted to FIFA after the fines were reduced and paid.Australia first applied to join the Asian Football Confederation
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
in 1964 but were denied, eventually forming the Oceania Football Federation
Oceania Football Confederation
The Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
with New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1966.
Rebirth
2003 Report of the Independent Soccer Review Committee
The Independent Soccer Review Committee published a report in 2003 on the governance of Association Football in Australia popularly called the Crawford Report. The committee was announced by the then Minister for Sport Rod Kemp and the Australian Parliament after extensive media publicity...
. The findings of the report were dismissed by the board of Soccer Australia until the Australian Sports Commission
Australian Sports Commission
The Australian Sports Commission is the governing body responsible for distributing funds and providing strategic guidance for sporting activity in Australia. It is an agency of the Government of Australia within the portfolio of Health and Ageing...
threatened to withdraw funding to Soccer Australia unless it implemented the measures outline by the Crawford committee. The board then resigned en-masse.
This report recommended, among other things, the reconstitution of the body as the Australia Soccer Association (ASA) with an interim board headed by prominent businessman Frank Lowy
Frank Lowy
Frank Lowy, AC is an Australian-Israeli businessman. He is a co-founder of the Westfield Group, operator of over 100 shopping centres in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Great Britain...
. The ASA renamed itself in 2005 to align with the general international usage of the word "football", in preference to "soccer", and to also distance itself from the failings of the old National Soccer League
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
and Soccer Australia. It coined the phrase "old soccer, new football" to emphasise this.
Move to AFC
On 1 January 2006, the FFA moved from the Oceania Football ConfederationOceania Football Confederation
The Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
(OFC), of which it was a founding member, to the Asian Football Confederation
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
(AFC). The move was unanimously endorsed by the AFC Executive Committee on 23 March 2005, and assented by the OFC in 17 April. The FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
Executive Committee approved the move on 29 June, noting that "as all of the parties involved ... had agreed to the move, the case did not need to be discussed by the FIFA Congress", and was unanimously ratified by the AFC on 10 September. The FFA hopes that being part of the AFC will improve the standard of Australian football and give the national team a fairer chance of qualifying for World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, as well as providing access to the AFC Champions League
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...
for the A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
clubs. The experience in being one of the first countries to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, after completing its qualifying rounds unbeaten and conceding only 1 goal, seems to confirm the wisdom of this initiative.
The two main reasons for this move were:
- Improved competition: The strongest footballing nation in Oceania is now New Zealand, with the other teams involved being tiny Pacific Island nations who do not pose any threat against teams of Australian professionals. This led to Australia holding the world record for most goals in a game in its 31-0 annihilation of American Samoa in 2001. Many Asian nations such as Japan, Korea and some Middle Eastern clubs have a club competition equal or better in subjective quality than the Australian A-League, and have many other players in the top European leagues.
- Reduced travel time: Many of the top sides in the AFC are from the Middle East, which allows European based players a much shorter journey to away games in, say, BeirutBeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
or RiyadhRiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
than to those in TahitiTahitiTahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
or AucklandAucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
In February 2008, the FFA formally announced their intention to bid for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
2018 FIFA World Cup
The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups was the process by which the locations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were selected. The process began officially in March 2009; eleven bids from thirteen countries were received, including one which was withdrawn and one that was...
or 2022 FIFA World Cup
2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the 22nd FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that is scheduled to take place in 2022 in Qatar. The competition is scheduled to take place in June and July, although proposals have been made for a winter season. The tournament will involve...
and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup
2015 AFC Asian Cup
The 2015 AFC Asian Cup will be the 16th edition of the AFC Asian Cup. The finals will be hosted by Australia and held from the 4 to 26 January 2015.-Host selection:...
. In 2010, the decision was made by the FFA to withdraw its bid for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
2018 FIFA World Cup
The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups was the process by which the locations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were selected. The process began officially in March 2009; eleven bids from thirteen countries were received, including one which was withdrawn and one that was...
, instead focusing on a bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup
2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the 22nd FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that is scheduled to take place in 2022 in Qatar. The competition is scheduled to take place in June and July, although proposals have been made for a winter season. The tournament will involve...
.
National level teams
Below is a list of national level teams controlled by the FFA:- "The Socceroos" (Men)
- "The Matildas"Australia women's national association football teamThe Australia women's national association football team, nicknamed the Matildas , represents Australia in international women's association football and is governed by Football Federation Australia . The team has regularly qualified for both the Women's World Cup and the Olympics although has won...
(Women) - "The Olyroos"Australia national under-23 football teamThe Australia Olympic football team, more commonly known as the Olyroos, is controlled by Football Federation Australia and represents Australia at association football in the Olympic Games...
(Men) - "The Futsalroos"Australia national futsal teamThe Australian National Futsal Team represents Australia in international futsal competitions and is controlled by Football Federation Australia.-Current squad:* Greg Giovenali * Tobias Seeto * Simon Keith * Angelo Konstantinou...
(Men) - "The Young Socceroos"Australia national under-20 football teamThe Australia national under-20 association football team, more commonly known as the Young Socceroos, is controlled by Football Federation Australia and represents Australia in international Under 20 or youth football competitions....
(Men) - "The Young Matildas"Australia women's national under-20 football teamThe Australian women's national under-20 football team, more commonly known as the Young Matildas, represents Australia in international women's Under 20 football competition.-Current squad:GoalkeepersDefendersMidfieldersForwards...
(Women) - "The Joeys"Australia national under-17 football teamThe Australia national under-17 association football team, more commonly known as the Joeys, is controlled by Football Federation Australia and represents Australia in international Under 17 or youth football competitions.-FIFA U-17 World Cup:...
(Men)
State football federations
FFA is a federation of whom the state federations are constituent members. These include a governing body for each state:- Football Federation VictoriaFootball Federation VictoriaFootball Federation Victoria is the state governing body for football in Victoria, Australia. It is affiliated with Football Federation Australia, the sport's national governing body....
- Capital FootballCapital FootballCapital Football is the trading name for the ACT Football Federation Incorporated, the state governing body for association football in the Australian Capital Territory...
(Australian Capital Territory) - Football Federation Northern TerritoryFootball Federation Northern TerritoryThe Football Federation Northern Territory is the state governing body for association football in the Northern Territory, Australia. It is affiliated with Football Federation Australia, the national governing body...
- Football QueenslandFootball QueenslandFootball Queensland , often abbreviated to the FQ, is the governing body of association football in the Australian State of Queensland. The body changed its name to be more in line with the new Football Federation Australia in 2005...
- Football Federation of South AustraliaFootball Federation of South AustraliaThe Football Federation of South Australia is the governing body of association football in South Australia. The FFSA are affiliated to the Football Federation Australia...
- Football WestFootball WestFootball West is the state governing body for association football in Western Australia. It is affiliated with the Football Federation Australia, the sport's national governing body...
(Western Australia) - Football Federation TasmaniaFootball Federation TasmaniaFootball Federation Tasmania is the governing body for Association football in the Australian state of Tasmania. The federation oversees leagues in Northern and Southern Tasmania, Tasmanian representative teams, and development of the sport in the state...
- Football NSW
- Northern New South Wales FootballNorthern New South Wales FootballNorthern New South Wales Football is the governing body for football of the northern zone of New South Wales, Australia. It is a member of the national governing body, the Football Federation of Australia.-NBN State Football League:...
FIFA Referees
FFA currently has 22 FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
accredited referees:
- 5 Male FIFAFIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
Referees - 8 Male FIFAFIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
Assistant Referees - 2 Female FIFAFIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
Referees - 4 Female FIFAFIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
Assistant Referees - 3 Male FIFAFIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
FutsalFutsalFutsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
Referees
External links
- Official website
- Australia at AFC site
- at FIFA Online