Football
Football, or soccer, is played with a round ball between two teams of 11, aiming to score in the opponent’s goal. Only the goalkeeper can use their hands inside the penalty area.
First Nations peoples have a long history of playing ball games, including ones kicking a possum-skin ball.
In the 1800s, European settlers brought their own ball games, and small-sided kicking matches for prizes were reported before the Melbourne Football Club established its first rules in 1859.
The influx of immigrants in the 1880s included many familiar with the Football Association or its Scottish variant. The inaugural inter-colonial match between Victoria and New South Wales took place in Melbourne in 1883, soon followed by matches in other states.
Women’s teams were reported in New South Wales from 1903, and the first public women’s match took place at the Brisbane Cricket Ground on 24 September 1921.
The Commonwealth Football Association was formed on 21 December 1911. 1
Discover more about football through the Clearinghouse evidence base:
- Modified Sports - adaptations that make football more inclusive and accessible.
- Australian Sport History - history and hall of fame information about football.
Evolution:
- Commonwealth Football Association [1911-1923]
- Football Association [1923-192?]
- Australian Soccer Football Association (ASFA) [192?-1960]
- Australian Soccer Federation (ASF) [1961-1995]
- Australian Women’s Soccer Association [1974-2003]
- Soccer Australia [1995-2003]
- Australia Soccer Association (ASA) [2003-2005]
- Football Federation Australia (FFA) [2005-2020]
- Football Australia [2020-]
Participation
An estimated 1,206,500 Australians [aged 15+] participated in football at least once in 2024.2
An estimated 670,500 Australian children [aged 0-14] participated in football at least once in 2024. 2
An estimated 25,500 Australian women [aged 15+] and an estimated 949,500 Australian men [aged 15+] participated in football at least once in 2024. 2
Explore further participation statistics for football through the Football/soccer Report, opens in a new tab and AusPlay online portal., opens in a new tab
Governing body
Football Australia, opens in a new tab is recognised by all levels of government as the national governing body for football in Australia.
The organisation has evolved through several iterations. Formed in 1911 as the Commonwealth Football Association, it became the Football Association in 1923.
During the 1920s, the Australian Soccer Football Association (ASFA) became the controlling body and gained FIFA membership in 1956. However, ASFA was disbanded in 1960 after losing its FIFA membership due to disputes over overseas player recruitment.
Australian Soccer Federation (ASF) for formed in 1961 as the new governing body and received FIFA membership in 1963. The organisation renamed to Soccer Australia in 1995.
In 1961, the Australian Soccer Federation (ASF) was established as the new governing body, regaining FIFA membership in 1963. It was renamed Soccer Australia in 1995. Following financial and organisational challenges, Soccer Australia was placed into liquidation in 2003, leading to the creation of the Australian Soccer Association (ASA), which also became responsible for women’s football. Previously, women’s football had been governed by the Australian Women’s Association since 1974.
In 2005, the ASA was renamed Football Federation Australia (FFA) and later became Football Australia in 2020.
Australia’s first national football competition, the Philips Soccer League, later known as the National Soccer League (NSL), launched in 1977 and ran until the 2003–04 season, when it was replaced by the A-League in 2005.
The first national women’s competition, the Women’s National Soccer League (WNSL), began in 1996 and ran until 2004. After a transitional tournament in 2005, the W-League, now A-League Women, was established in 2008 and continues today. 1
REFERENCES
- The history of football in Australia, opens in a new tab, Football Australia
- AusPlay Data Portal: Sport-related participation – frequency of participation, opens in a new tab, Australian Sports Commission, (accessed 15 October 2025)
Documents
The Clearinghouse for Sport has sought permission from relevant organisations for the inclusion of their documents in this archive. Copyright ownership remains vested with the organisation and as such permission from the copyright owner should be sought if you wish to communicate, adapt or reproduce these documents.
- Football Australia Annual Review 2024[PDF • 114.05 mb]
- Football Australia Annual Review 2023[PDF • 11.42 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Annual Review 2022[PDF • 11.61 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Annual Review 2021[PDF • 36.95 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Annual Review 2020[PDF • 18.99 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Annual Review 2019[PDF • 6.54 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Annual Review 2018[PDF • 6.57 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Annual Review 2017[PDF • 9.82 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Annual Review 2016[PDF • 21.53 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Annual Report 2009[PDF • 1.42 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Annual Report 2008[PDF • 1.28 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Leagues 2013-14 Season Report[PDF • 6.93 mb]
- Soccer Australia Annual Report 2000[PDF • 21.37 mb]
- Soccer Australia Directors Report 1998[PDF • 694.79 kb]
- Soccer Australia Annual Report 1997[PDF • 629.7 kb]
- Australian Soccer Federation Annual Report 1995[PDF • 1.96 mb]
- Australian Soccer Federation Annual Report 1994[PDF • 1.63 mb]
- Australian Soccer Federation Annual Report 1992[PDF • 30.1 mb]
- Australian Soccer Federation Annual Report 1991[PDF • 23.22 mb]
- Australian Soccer Federation Development Program Annual Report 1990-1991[PDF • 914.14 kb]
- Australian Soccer Federation Annual Report 1989[PDF • 1.34 mb]
- Australian Soccer Federation Annual Report 1988[PDF • 3.49 mb]
- Australian Soccer Federation Annual Report 1987[PDF • 725.77 kb]
- Australian Soccer Federation Annual Report 1986[PDF • 4.07 mb]
- Australian Soccer Federation Annual Report 1985[PDF • 5.51 mb]
- Australian Soccer Federation Annual Report 1984[PDF • 2.71 mb]
- Australian Soccer Federation Annual Report 1983[PDF • 4.56 mb]
- Australian Soccer Federation Annual Report 1982[PDF • 4.64 mb]
- Australian Women's Soccer Association Annual Report 1993[PDF • 8.13 mb]
- Australian Women's Soccer Association Annual Report 1992[PDF • 10.86 mb]
- Australian Women's Soccer Association Annual Report 1991[PDF • 11.45 mb]
- Australian Women's Soccer Association Annual Report 1990[PDF • 10.59 mb]
- Australian Women's Soccer Association Annual Report 1989[PDF • 8.36 mb]
- Australian Women's Soccer Association Annual Report 1987[PDF • 15.81 mb]
- Australian Women's Soccer Association Annual Report 1986[PDF • 15.17 mb]
- Football Australia Financial Report for the year ended 30 June 2024[PDF • 526.99 kb]
- Football Australia Financial Report for the year ended 30 June 2023[PDF • 658.15 kb]
- Football Australia Financial Report for the year ended 30 June 2022[PDF • 601.79 kb]
- Football Australia Financial Report for the year ended 30 June 2021[PDF • 618.93 kb]
- Football Federation Australia Financial Report year ended 30 June 2020[PDF • 698.47 kb]
- Football Federation Australia Financial Report year ended 30 June 2019[PDF • 3.04 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Financial Report year ended 30 June 2018[PDF • 10.5 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Financial Report year ended 30 June 2017[PDF • 2.24 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Financial Report year ended 30 June 2016[PDF • 578.32 kb]
- Football Federation Australia Financial Report year ended 30 June 2015[PDF • 958.2 kb]
- Football Federation Australia Financial Report year ended 30 June 2014[PDF • 2.73 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Financial Report year ended 30 June 2013[PDF • 16.16 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Financial Report year ended 30 June 2012[PDF • 6.45 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Financial Report year ended 30 June 2011[PDF • 725.68 kb]
- Football Federation Australia Financial Report year ended 30 June 2010[PDF • 2.48 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Financial Report year ended 30 June 2009[PDF • 2.78 mb]
- Soccer Australia Limited Financial Statements 1996[PDF • 2.74 mb]
- Football Australia One Football Strategy 2022-2026[PDF • 18.54 mb]
- Football Federation Australia Strategic Plan 2016-2019 [infographic][PDF • 50.99 kb]
- We are Football : this is our vision, whole of Football plan 2015-2035[PDF • 11.57 mb]
- FFA National Curriculum (2009)[PDF • 5.4 mb]
- National Football Development Plan 2007 : Making Australia a World Leader in the World Game[PDF • 3.47 mb]
- Australian Soccer Federation Development Programme 1990-1991[PDF • 5.46 mb]
- Building Australia's Football Community: a review into the sustainability of Football (2011)[PDF • 953.38 kb]
- Come play!: Australia's bid for the 2018 FIFA World Cup or 2022 FIFA World Cup (2009)[PDF • 5.77 mb]
- Report of the NSL Task Force into the structure of a new National Soccer League competition (2003)[PDF • 825.66 kb]
- Australian Soccer Federation: final report (into independent advice on the management structure and organisation arrangements required to make the administration of Australian soccer more effective in the 1990s) (1990)[PDF • 2.09 mb]
