Football Victoria

{{Short description|Governing body for soccer in Victoria}} {{For|the [[Australian rules football]] governing body formerly known as Football Victoria|AFL Victoria}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Infobox sport governing body | name = Football Victoria | logo = [[File:Football Victoria logo.svg|140px]] | sport = [[Association football]] | jurisdiction = [[Victoria, Australia]] | abbrev = FV | founded = {{Start date and age|1884}} | aff = [[Football Australia]] | headquarters = [[The Home of the Matildas]] | location = [[Bundoora]], [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], Australia | president = Angela Williams | chiefexec = Dan Birrell | url = {{URL|http://www.footballvictoria.com.au/|footballvictoria.com.au}} }}

'''Football Victoria''' is the state governing body for [[association football|soccer]] in [[Victoria, Australia]]. It is affiliated with [[Football Australia]], the sport's national governing body.

==History== Football Victoria began operation in 1884 under the name Anglo Australian Football Association of Victoria and is one of the oldest sporting associations in Victoria.<ref>[http://www.footballfedvic.com.au/corporate/aboutus/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090617073433/http://www.footballfedvic.com.au/corporate/aboutus/|date=17 June 2009}}</ref> It has had several name changes over the years, but has survived as the governing body of soccer in Victoria since this time.

In 2009, player registrations for soccer in Victoria passed 50,000, the highest number in the federation's history.<ref>[http://www.footballfedvic.com.au/pageitem.aspx?id=22434&id2=1&eID=7250&entityID=7250] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928111756/http://www.footballfedvic.com.au/pageitem.aspx?id=22434&id2=1&eID=7250&entityID=7250|date=28 September 2011}}</ref>

In 2018, the federation was renamed from "Football Federation Victoria" to "Football Victoria".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.footballfedvic.com.au/ffv-rebrands-as-football-victoria-unveils-visual-identity/|title=FFV rebrands as Football Victoria, unveils visual identity|publisher=Football Victoria|date=19 October 2018|access-date=20 October 2018}}</ref>

In 2025, Football Victoria had subsumed the [[Victorian Regional Leagues]] structure into its purview, abolishing the regional associations.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2025-12-02 |title=A new era of unity for Victorian Football |url=https://footballvictoria.com.au/news/a-new-era-unity-victorian-football |access-date=2026-05-30 |website=[[Football Victoria]] |language=en}}</ref>

==Soccer pyramid in Victoria== {{Update|section|date=April 2024}} {{main|Australian soccer league system}}

The soccer pyramid in Victoria comprises the seven levels of soccer in Victoria below the [[A-League]]. It has a hierarchical format that features promotion and relegation between all levels (aside from the A-League and regional leagues). All clubs in the system are eligible for entry to the [[FFA Cup]], and are seeded in accordance to tier standing.

For the 2013 season, Football Federation Victoria announced a restructure of the league.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.footballfedvic.com.au/index.php?id=17&tx_ttnews%5Byear%5D=2012&tx_ttnews%5Bmonth%5D=11&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=901&cHash=90447e3051861620701dcc3afdd870d5 |title=Football Federation Victoria : Restructure of 2013 men's leagues |publisher=Footballfedvic.com.au |access-date=2013-08-21}}</ref> Tiers 5, 6 and 7, which were previously known as Provisional League 1, 2 and 3 respectively were removed, as was the Metropolitan League (tier 8). They were replaced by State League 4 and 5, divided geographically into North, East, South and West divisions, thus making State League 5 the lowest division in which are club can theoretically be promoted into the VPL. The Victorian Premier League and State League 1 to 3 remained the same.

2013 will also see the inaugural State League Champions series take place in Victoria. The champion of each league from State League 1 and below will play a finals series against the champions of other regions in their division as follows: * State League 1 North-West v South-East * State League 2 North-West vs South-East * State League 3 North-West vs South-East * State League 4 North vs West & South vs East, with winners meeting in a final * State League 5 North vs West & South vs East, with winners meeting in a final

Various regional leagues that are affiliated with Football Victoria, although they are not connected to the Victorian soccer pyramid and thus there is no promotion or relegation between them. These leagues include FV Greater Ballarat, FV Greater Bendigo, FV Geelong, FV Latrobe Valley, FV Gippsland, FV Shepparton, FV South West & FV Sunraysia.<ref name=":0" />

===Men's pyramid=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;" |- !Level !colspan=4|Leagues |- ! 1 |colspan=4|'''[[National Premier Leagues Victoria]]''' ''14 clubs'' ''↓ relegate 3'' |- ! 2 |colspan=4|'''[[Victoria Premier League 1]]''' ''14 clubs'' ''↑ promote 3'' ''↓ relegate 3'' |- ! 3 |colspan=4|'''[[Victoria Premier League 2]]''' ''14 clubs'' ''↑ promote 3'' ''↓ relegate 3'' |- ! 4 |colspan=2|{{nowrap|'''[[Victorian State League Division 1 North-West]]'''}} ''12 clubs'' ''↑ promote 1.5'' ''↓ relegate 2'' |colspan=2|{{nowrap|'''[[Victorian State League Division 1 South-East]]'''}} ''12 clubs'' ''↑ promote 1.5'' ''↓ relegate 2'' |- ! 5 |colspan=2|'''[[Victorian State League Division 2 North-West]]''' ''12 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2'' ''↓ relegate 2'' |colspan=2|'''[[Victorian State League Division 2 South-East]]''' ''12 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2'' ''↓ relegate 2'' |- ! 6 |colspan=2|'''[[Victorian State League Division 3 North-West]]''' ''12 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2'' ''↓ relegate 2'' |colspan=2|'''[[Victorian State League Division 3 South-East]]''' ''12 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2'' ''↓ relegate 2'' |- ! 7 | colspan="2" |'''[[Victorian State League Division 4 North|Victorian State League Division 4 North-West]]''' ''12 clubs'' ''↑ promote 1'' ''↓ relegate 2'' | colspan="2" |'''[[Victorian State League Division 4 South|Victorian State League Division 4 South-East]]''' ''12 clubs'' ''↑ promote 1'' ''↓ relegate 2'' |- ! 8 | colspan="2" |'''[[Victorian State League Division 5 North|Victorian State League Division 5 North-West]]''' ''12 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2'' ''↓ relegate 2'' | colspan="2" |'''[[Victorian State League Division 5 South|Victorian State League Division 5 South-East]]''' ''12 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2'' ''↓ relegate 2'' |- !9 | colspan="2" |'''[[Victorian State League Division 5 North|Victorian State League Division 6 North-West]]''' ''12 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2'' ''No relegation'' | colspan="2" |'''[[Victorian State League Division 5 South|Victorian State League Division 6 South-East]]''' ''12 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2'' ''↓ relegate 2'' |- !10 | colspan="2" |'''[[Victorian State League Division 5 North|Victorian State League Division 7 North-West]]''' ''12 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2'' ''No relegation'' | colspan="2" |'''[[Victorian State League Division 5 South|Victorian State League Division 7 South]]''' ''12 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2'' ''No relegation'' |- ! rowspan="9" | Non-League | colspan="2" | '''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 1]]''' ''No promotion'' | colspan="2" rowspan="9;" | '''[[Victorian Regional Leagues|Regional Leagues]]''' ''8 associate league structures'' ''No promotion'' |- |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 2 North-West]]''' ''No promotion'' |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 2 South-East]]''' ''No promotion'' |- |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 3 North-West]]''' ''No promotion'' |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 3 South-East]]''' ''No promotion'' |- |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 4 North-West]]''' ''No promotion'' |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 4 South-East]]''' ''No promotion'' |- |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 5 North-West]]''' ''No promotion'' |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 5 South-East]]''' ''No promotion'' |- |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 6 North-West]]''' ''No promotion'' |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 6 South-East]]''' ''No promotion'' |- |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 7 North-West]]''' ''No promotion'' |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 7 South-East]]''' ''No promotion'' |- |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 8 North-West]]''' ''No promotion'' |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 8 South-East]]''' ''No promotion'' |- |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 9 North-West]]''' ''No promotion'' |'''[[Metropolitan League (Victoria)|Metropolitan League Division 9 South-East]]''' ''No promotion'' |}

===Women's pyramid=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- ! style="width:9%;"| Level ! colspan="5" style="width:96%;" | League(s)/Division(s) |- ! style="width:9%;" |1 | colspan="5" style="width:32%;" | '''[[National Premier Leagues Victoria Women]]''' ''14 clubs'' ''↓ relegate 2'' |- ! style="width:9%;" |2 | colspan="5" style="width:96%;" | '''Victorian Women's Premier League''' (''12 clubs'')'' ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2'' |- ! style="width:9%;" |3 | colspan="2" style="width:48%;" | '''[[Women's State League Div 1 North-West]]'''

''10 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2'' | style="width:48%;" | '''[[Women's State League Div 1 South-East]]'''

''10 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2'' |- ! style="width:9%;" |4 | colspan="2" style="width:32%;" | '''[[Women's State League Div 2 North-West]]''' ''10 clubs ↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2'' | style="width:32%;" | '''[[Women's State League Div 2 South-East]]''' ''10 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2'' |- !5 | colspan="2" |'''[[Women's State League Div 2 North-West|Women's State League Div 3 North-West]]''' ''10 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2'' |'''[[Women's State League Div 2 South-East|Women's State League Div 3 South-East]]''' ''10 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2'' |- !6 | colspan="2" |'''[[Women's State League Div 2 North-West|Women's State League Div 4 North-West]]''' ''10 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2'' |'''[[Women's State League Div 2 South-East|Women's State League Div 4 South-East]]''' ''10 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2'' |- !7 | colspan="2" |'''[[Women's State League Div 2 North-West|Women's State League Div 5 North-West]]''' ''10 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2'' |'''[[Women's State League Div 2 South-East|Women's State League Div 5 South-East]]''' ''10 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2'' |- !8 | colspan="2" |'''[[Women's State League Div 2 North-West|Women's State League Div 6 North-West]]''' ''10 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2'' |'''[[Women's State League Div 2 South-East|Women's State League Div 6 South-East]]''' ''10 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2'' |- !9 | colspan="2" |'''[[Women's State League Div 2 North-West|Women's State League Div 7 North-West]]''' ''10 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2'' |'''[[Women's State League Div 2 South-East|Women's State League Div 7 South-East]]''' ''10 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2 ↓ relegate 2'' |- !10 | colspan="2" |'''[[Women's State League Div 2 North-West|Women's State League Div 8 North-West]]''' ''10 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2 No relegation'' |'''[[Women's State League Div 2 South-East|Women's State League Div 8 South-East]]''' ''10 clubs'' ''↑ promote 2 No relegation'' |- !Non-League |'''Women's Metropolitan League North-West''' ''6-10 clubs No promotion'' |'''Women's Metropolitan League South-East''' ''6-10 clubs No promotion''

|'''Regional Leagues''' ''8 associate league structures No promotion'' |}

==References== {{reflist}} 5. https://websites.mygameday.app/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-8746-0-0-0 6. https://www.footballvictoria.com.au/news/metropolitan-masters-metropolitan-league-and-womens-state-league-finals-proudly-supported-vrgf

==External links== *[http://www.footballfedvic.com.au/ Football Federation Victoria Official website]

[[Category:Soccer governing bodies in Australia]] [[Category:Soccer in Victoria (state)]] [[Category:Sports governing bodies in Victoria (state)]] [[Category:Sports organizations established in 1884]] [[Category:1884 establishments in Australia]]