National Premier Leagues Strategy Development Project …footballwest.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Full-NPL-Report.pdf · National Premier Leagues Strategy Development Project

National Premier Leagues Strategy Development Project (NPL Strategy)

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National Premier Leagues Strategy Development Project

(NPL Strategy)

Football West

People Places 10/62 Moondine, Drive

Planet Pty Ltd Wembley WA 6014

PO Box 944 Subiaco WA 6904

Australia

Telephone 0426 105 351

ACN 163 962 810 Email: [email protected]


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People Places Planet Pty Ltd

This document is the property of People Places Planet Pty Ltd ("People Places Planet"). This document and the information contained in it are solely for the use of the authorised recipient and this document may not be used, copied or reproduced in whole or part for any purpose other than that for which it was supplied by People Places Planet. People Places Planet makes no representation, undertakes no duty and accepts no responsibility to any third party who may use or rely upon this document or the information contained in it.

Drafted by: Alan Beattie and Greg McLennan

Approved by: Alan Beattie

Signed: ..................................................................................................

Date: 11 July 2017

People Places Planet acknowledges the time and contribution made by all people who attended the various workshops and meetings held as part of this project. And in particular we would like to thank the contribution made by the Board Sub-Committee members, the Project Reference Group members and staff from Football West.


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Contents

Page Number

Executive Summary 8

Key Findings 12

Recommendations 18

1. Introduction 23

1.1 Project Terms of Reference 23

1.2 Review Approach / Process 23

1.2.1 Desktop Review 25

1.2.2 Survey 25

1.2.3 Consultations 26

1.3 Data Limitations 27

2. Background 28

3. General Assessment/Comments 31

3.1 Is the NPL working? 31

3.2 Strategic Plan 31

3.2.1 Recommendations 31

3.3 Development vs Performance 32

3.4 The Need to Work Better Together 33

3.5 Players vs Clubs (and vice versa) 33

3.6 Development Pathway and Regional Areas 34


4. Key Areas 35

4.1 Licensing 35

4.1.1 Key Findings 36

4.1.2 Options 36


4.2 Eligibility Criteria 37


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4.2.2 Options 37


4.3 Number of NPL Senior Clubs 39


4.3.2 Options 40


4.3.4 Options 41


4.4 Number of NPL Junior Clubs 42


4.4.2 Options 43


4.5 Promotion and Relegation 48


4.5.2 Options 48


4.6 Women’s / Female NPL 50


4.6.2 Options 50


4.7 Salary Cap, Player Payments & Points System 51


4.7.2 Options 52


4.8 Fees and Transparency 54


4.8.1 Options 54


5. Other Areas within Scope 56

5.1 Game Day Experience 56


5.1.2 Options 56


5.2 Administrative Demands (Football West and FFA) 57


5.3 Sustainability 58


5.4 Player Mobility 58



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5.5 Coaching Qualifications 58



5.6 Governance Requirements 59


5.6.1 Options 59


6. Feedback and Implementation 61


Appendices

Appendix A – Project Terms of Reference

Appendix B – NPLWA Survey, Feedback Summary


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Executive Summary

The National Premier Leagues (NPL) is the national second tier competition in Australia

that underpins the Hyundai A-League. Every member federation with the exception of

Football Northern Territory has introduced an NPL competition. The NPL in Western

Australia commenced in 2014 and is managed by Football West.

The NPL is a direct outcome of the National Competition Review (NCR) announced by

Football Federation Australia (FFA) in May 2012 which aimed to:

Address key gaps in the elite player pathway

Ensure the sustainability of league competitions nationally

Improve the quality of youth development by clubs of all levels.

The first NPLWA was run in 2014 and consisted of a premier top-tier competition and other competitions at the U20, U18, U16, U15, U14, U13 and U12 levels. This basic structure has not changed. According to FFA’s NPL Women’s Strategic Plan, NPL competitions for women should commence by 2018.

In 2014 and 2015, the JNPL had a total of 12 teams, as did the SNPL. These were:

Armadale

Balcatta

Bayswater City

Cockburn City

ECU Joondalup

Floreat Athena

Inglewood United

Perth Glory

Perth SC

Sorrento

Stirling Lions

Subiaco 2016 saw the inclusion of eight teams which only compete at the U16 level and below. This was done to provide more development opportunities for players outside of the SNPL structure. The new teams included in this change were:

Ellenbrook United

Fremantle City

Joondalup City

Mandurah City

Melville City

Quinns

Rockingham City

South West Phoenix

In 2017, Joondalup United and Mandurah City were promoted to the Senior NPLWA, which

was expanded to 14 clubs. Joondalup United also joined the Junior NPL, expanding that

competition to 21 clubs.

The Project Terms of Reference was developed by Football West. Its stated purpose being

“The National Premier Leagues Strategy Development Project (NPL Strategy) is designed

to establish the framework for the National Premier Leagues WA for the next 5 years”.

The key focus areas for the project being:

Design

o Number of NPL clubs

o Licensing and eligibility criteria

o Promotion and relegation


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o Women’s NPL (implementation, age groups)

o Junior NPL (tiering, pathways)

Game day experience

Administrative demands (Football West and FFA)

Sustainability

Player Mobility

Coaching Qualifications

Governance requirements

People Places Planet was appointed by Football West to undertake the Project on 13

February 2017. With the project report due June 2017.

The Project consisted of several key processes:

Desktop review of existing quantitative data

Development and delivery of a survey to Football West members and the

broader community

Facilitation of consultation workshops

As 2017 is only the fourth year for the NPL in Western Australia it is too early to tell if the

goal to improve standards across the board is succeeding and is it resulting in better

players, which in turn results in improved performance by Australia at the international

level.

It will take a minimum of five (5) years, more likely 7-10 years before this assessment can

be made.

It is apparent though, particularly at the junior level, that the introduction of the NPL has

resulted in increased interest at the elite level, with both parents and children/youth now

seeing a clearer pathway to becoming an elite or professional footballer.

Overall there is evidence that would indicate that football as a whole has benefitted from

the introduction of the NPL.

The report identified a number of key findings related to the key focus areas, in summary

these being:

Licensing

There was little to no consensus with regard to if a licensing arrangement should be

adopted in W.A. and similarly with regard to if a licensing arrangement would benefit the

NPL.

Eligibility Criteria

There is a need for the eligibility criteria to be as clear as possible, communicated well to

and understood and accepted by all stakeholders in particular the NPL and State League


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clubs. In addition should the recommendation to fully de-couple the Senior and Junior NPL

be adopted a separate eligibility criteria is required for Senior and Junior NPL clubs.

Number of NPL Senior Clubs

There was general consensus to move to 12 teams for NPL, State League 1 and 2 in 2019.

Number of NPL Junior Clubs

There was general consensus that the expansion from 12 to 21 clubs has occurred too

quickly resulting in a significant number of games where one team is considerably stronger

than the other and this in turn resulting in games with significant score differentials.

There was also general consensus that expansion was required in order to cater for areas

that were not catered for (geographically) with only 12 teams.

Promotion and Relegation

There was strong support for promotion and relegation at the Senior level both for NPL and

State League 1 and 2. This was not the case in Junior NPL as there were differing views.

However given the focus on development at the Junior level promotion and relegation was

seen as factor that could negatively impact the focus on skill development.

Women’s / Female Football

There has been a far greater focus on men’s rather than women’s football in W.A.. There is

a need to develop a Female Football Strategy, as part of the Football West Strategic Plan.

This should include an examination regarding the establishment of a Women’s NPL in W.A.

Salary Cap, Player Payments and Player Points System

NPL Senior clubs reported that their greatest expense was player payments. There was a

general view that the salary cap is not being adhered and measures should be put in place

to better monitor this. With regard to the Player Points System this is supported with

varying views with regard to if the current 200 points allocation should be decreased so at

to greater promote the development of local players.

Fees and Transparency

The introduction of the NPL has seen a significant increase in fees, particularly with NPL

Junior clubs. The need for greater transparency regarding where fees are spent was very

apparent and needs to be built into the eligibility criteria for all NPL Senior and Junior clubs.

Game Day experience

Similar to other team-based sports, in recent years there has been a significant decline in

attendance. A marketing and communications plan that in part looks at the “game day

experience” is required. As is the development of a Facilities Master Plan that includes but

is not limited to the shared use of facilities

Administrative Demands (Football West and FFA)

The introduction of the NPL has resulted in increased administrative demands on NPL

clubs. This is further exacerbated by NPL clubs largely being volunteer run and the general

decline in volunteers in the community and sport/recreation sector. In addition the increase


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in Junior NPL fees has resulted in many parents having a view that the amount they are

paying should mean that they are not required to volunteer.

Sustainability

The key sustainability issue from a financial perspective appears to be player payments

and how these can be kept at a level that does not place clubs in financial jeopardy.

Player Mobility

Issues such as but not limited to the frequency of transfers and the capacity or availability

for players to transfer requires further examination and is linked to player payments and

player contracts.


There is generally an accepted view that the requirement for specific coaching licence

accreditation has resulted in improved coaching standards, with recognition that there is

still significant room for improvement and adherence to the National Football Curriculum

Governance Requirements

The current Standing Committee structure excludes Junior-only NPL clubs from the NPL

decision-making process. The Junior NPL is controlled by an NPL Standing Committee

consisting entirely of clubs with a Senior NPL component, which, in 2017, meant seven

Junior NPL clubs were not represented in the governance structure. An alternative

structure must be considered to ensure all clubs are represented.

Feedback and Implementation

Comprehensive feedback needs to be provided to all stakeholders once Football West has

determined which recommendations it will accept. In addition there is a need for Football

West and the football community to work together to make the necessary changes.

The report has 46 recommendations, all with the view to delivering an NPL strategy that

establishes the framework for the NPL competitions (both short and long term).

Of note is that the introduction of an additional 9 Junior Clubs in 2016 resulted in the partial

de-coupling of NPL Senior and Junior Clubs. This along with geographical, Senior NPL

promotion and relegation considerations and the different focus for Juniors (development)

and Seniors (performance) needs to be factored into the NPL strategy. Ideally a club (all

clubs) would be able to balance Development and Performance, however there is strong

evidence to support that is currently not always the case and is unlikely to be the case

moving forward.

Football West has consulted broadly with all key stakeholders and provided anyone and

everyone in the football community to contribute and provide comment.

This dialogue with the football community in W.A. needs to continue after the completion of

this review. Firstly so that the outcomes of this review are communicated in an open and

transparent manner to all stakeholders (including those who chose not to participate in the

review process), and secondly for football to progress all stakeholders need to be invested

and involved in the implementation process, with the primary aim being “To better football

in W.A.”


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Key Findings

Licensing

There was little to no consensus with regard to introducing a licensing

arrangement or if this would provide benefits to football or the NPLWA


The eligibility criteria needs to be as clear as possible and communicated well to

all clubs (both those already in the NPL and those seeking to enter the NPL)

All clubs seeking to enter or remain in the NPL should have their eligibility

determined as early into the season as possible, preferably prior to the season

commencing

The documentation and processes implemented by Football West during the

2017 season have clarified the eligibility criteria, including dates clubs must

achieve each element

That no matter how clear or unambiguous, clubs may decide upon legal action in

a bid to either remain in the NPL or be promoted to the NPL

FFA is currently in the process of developing a “Star System” as way of

measuring and recognising a club’s overall qualities. The Star System is due to

be piloted in Victoria in 2018. This Star System may impact upon and replace

the NPL eligibility criteria

At the commencement of the NPL, all clubs were required to have Senior and

Junior components. In 2016, additional Junior-only NPL clubs were introduced,

which partially decoupled the Junior and Senior components


As a result of complications with promotion and relegation, the number of NPL

teams has increased from 12 to 14 since the commencement of the NPL in 2014

There is general agreement that if the number of teams is decreased it should be

phased in and not implemented at the start of the 2018 season.

The Project Reference Group agreed by consensus that the optimum

arrangement at the current time would be for three (3) competitions each with 12

teams

Although not directly related to the number of teams in the Senior NPL the

following key findings relate to the Senior NPL:

There is currently a requirement that all Senior NPL clubs must have a team in

all Junior NPL age groups. There was mixed views with regard to the merit of

maintaining this requirement

There appears to be little appetite for each senior NPL club to have formally

designated junior “feeder” clubs - either junior NPL or other non-NPL junior

clubs. Currently, trial days are held which allow NPL clubs to recruit from the

whole player base within junior football


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There is general consensus that the expansion from 12 to 21 clubs has occurred

too quickly resulting in a significant number of games where one team is

considerably stronger than the other and this in turn resulting in games with

significant score differentials

There is general consensus that some expansion was required in order to cater

for areas of population growth in the Perth metropolitan area (and the Peel /

South West), however the level of expansion was too great

There is general consensus that it would be difficult to reduce the number of

clubs in the Junior NPL

There is general consensus, and it is Football Federation Australia’s

recommendation, that the U/12’s should be changed to playing on a smaller

pitch with nine (9) a side. This being the case the U/12’s would be removed from

the Junior NPL

Although not directly related to the number of teams in the Junior NPL the

following key findings relate to the Junior NPL:

A consistent level of concern was expressed with regard to the number of

players that Perth Glory has in its squads. In many instances this was more than

the maximum number of 16. This was confirmed by Perth Glory, who advised

they require more than 16 squad members due to players trying out overseas

during school holidays, injuries and players go away during school holidays.

These issues are not exclusive to Perth Glory

Perth Glory also advised that in most age groups they have “train-on” players (of

up to 5 players) who train one night at week with Perth Glory but play with their

own NPL Junior club. Of note is that these “train-on” players are not covered by

Football West insurance when they are training with Perth Glory. The Football

West insurance applies only to players at their own club or those training with a

club they intend to join

During our consultations it became evident that Football West need to continue

to work with the school system, both private and public, to ensure that

participants are not disadvantaged by unnecessary impediments such as strict

competition rules that may see them not being involved in the NPL in their school

years

There was general consensus that Football West and clubs (possibly via their

Technical Directors) need to better inform and educate parents (and significant

others i.e. others who come along to watch) on the principles of talent

development and how these are reflected in the coaching and playing

methodologies at the various age groups:

o Skill Acquisition Phase (SAP) age groups U9 - U13

o Game Training Phase (GTP) age groups U14 – U16

o Performance Phase (PP) age groups U/18 and above as seniors

This information/education needs to be provided in the written form and verbally,

prior to and during the season


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There was general consensus that promotion and relegation should apply for

both the NPL Senior and the State League Senior competitions

Promotion and relegation is part of the FIFA Statutes. 1 Page 73: 9 – Principle of Promotion and Relegation, in part states: “A club’s entitlement to take part in a domestic league championship shall depend principally on sporting merit. A club shall qualify for a domestic league championship by remaining in a certain division or by being promoted or relegated to another at the end of a season.”

That the rules associated with promotion and relegation need to be clear to all

clubs at both NPL and State League levels

That the FFA is in favour of a model at the Junior level that does not include

promotion and relegation as this can negatively impact player development

There wasn’t general agreement regarding should the Junior NPL have

promotion and relegation


That Football West has significantly greater focused its attention in the past and

since the introduction of the NPL in 2014 on the men’s game rather than female

football

Far more resources are provided by both Football West and the football clubs in

general to the men’s game rather than the women’s or female game

That the majority of the women’s/female clubs/teams are not aligned with the

NPL Senior clubs

Although female children/youth can participate in the NPL Junior competition

very few are doing so:

Under 12’s 7

Under 13’s 9

Under 14’s 10

Under 15’s 3

Under 16’s 1

Under 18’s 1

Under 20’s 1

TOTAL 32

That there has been very significant developments with elite women’s team

sports in past 1-2 years in Australia both nationally and internationally (in

particular cricket and AFL) which has already started to impact female

participation in football particularly at the elite level

1 FIFA Statutes, April 2016 edition pg. 73


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Clubs reported that their biggest operating cost was senior player payments

There is a general view that most Senior NPL clubs are in breach of the salary

cap, however clubs provide Football West a statutory declaration of payments

each year that show they are not paying beyond the financial cap. (NOTE. Not

all States set a salary cap, this is not a FFA requirement)

The Project Reference Group was of the view that if a system could be

established that resulted in greater accountability and transparency with regard

to player payments that this would be beneficial (NOTE. this is a problem being

experienced and addressed by other sporting codes)

There was a general view that a salary cap is required (1) for player payment

expenditure to be kept at a level where clubs can still operate, and (2) without a

salary cap (and player points system) the club with the most money would simply

by the premiership

Players expressed the view that there should be no salary cap and market forces

should determine the rate a player is paid

Only one player in the NPL is on a player contract however it is highly likely that

all players playing senior NPL are receiving some form of player payment

There was anecdotal evidence to support the assertion that fees paid by Junior

NPL players were being used to pay/supplement Senior NPL player payments

Associated with the salary cap and player payments is the question of whether NPL

players are professionals or amateurs?

According to the FFA National Registration Regulations:

Section 3.1 Amateur or Professional Player

A Player participating in football is either an Amateur or a Professional.

A Professional is a Player who has a written contract with a Club, under which he or she is paid to play football for that Club. (c)

An Amateur is any Player that is not a Professional. A Club may pay or reimburse a Player any expenses incurred by that Player without affecting the amateur status, including for travel, kit, equipment or insurance premiums. If, however, an Amateur is paid or reimbursed more than $100 a week by a Club, the onus is on that Club to satisfy the Competition Administrator that the amount paid accurately reflects the expenses incurred by that Amateur. If the Club fails to satisfy this onus, that Player will be deemed to be a Professional”

Points System

There was quite varied views with regard to how effective the current points

system is (currently set at 200 points, however varies in other States – e.g.

Northern NSW is 180 points and NSW Division 3 is 270 points)

There was however general consensus (not necessarily the players) that a

points system is beneficial and should be retained (NOTE. Some form of points

system is mandated by FFA)

There was general consensus that the rules associated with the Player Points

System should be reviewed as there are some anomalies that negatively impact

players and clubs and are against the spirit of the Player Points System


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Discussions with FFA indicated that FFA was likely to move to 180 points at

some point


The introduction of the Junior NPL has seen a significant increase in fees for

Junior players in the NPL (fees vary from $390 to $1,150)

There was very strong feedback during the consultation workshops with regard

to “What are our fees being spent on?”

In addition many have made the assumption that significant proportion of the

fees they pay is being spent on NPL Senior player payments

There was sufficient feedback during the consultation process to confirm that the

level of fees is impacting those able to afford to play in the Junior NPL. Resulting

in some players with the ability to play NPL Juniors not playing in the elite

competition

The comparative cost per session for Junior NPL with other sports is favourable,

although this is not necessarily reflected in public perception

Game Day experience

Similar to other elite sports at the State level (e.g. the WAFL), there has been a

significant decline in attendance in recent years. This is more likely due to

work/life pressures, more leisure options now being available and the capability

now to watch elite level sports (e.g. the English Premier League on television)

rather than there being a decline in the quality of football now being played in the

NPL

There has been little change in the fixturing, playing times etc. as a way of

increasing game day attendance

That there is currently a lack of direction and guidance provided by Football

West with regard to facility management and planning. If government is

requested to invest into higher quality football facilities it is essential that Football

West work with local and state government to provide the expertise required in

the planning, design, construction and ongoing management of these facilities.

Government is keen to support football but critically require guidance from

Football West


The introduction of the NPL has resulted in increased administrative demands on

NPL clubs. This includes but is not limited to technology requirements (hardware

and more significantly volunteer capacity/knowledge) and compliance

requirements. The recommendations of this project, if implemented will result in

more administrative demands on both Football West and the NPL clubs

The NPL clubs are predominately operated by volunteers and are not in the

position financially for this to change in the foreseeable future

The number of volunteers, similar to other community and sporting clubs, is

decreasing placing greater demands on those whom are willing to volunteer their

services


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That the workload on volunteers associated with NPL clubs has increased with

the introduction of the NPL. Given the challenge with recruiting and retaining

volunteers is this sustainable?

With the introduction of higher fees, in particular with the Junior NPL, many

people (parents) who would have volunteered in the past now have an

expectation that with the level of fees they are paying they should not have to

also contribute in a volunteer capacity

Sustainability

The Project Terms of Reference included player payments and salary cap, as such

please refer to Section 4.7 of this report.

Player Mobility

There was representation from players that the transfer window, transfer

deadline and other such matters require further examination

Most players are not currently on contracts. It was also reported that some

players are being asked by clubs to take pay cuts post the transfer window


The introduction of the NPL has resulted in all NPL Junior coaches having to

have a “C” licence accreditation and all NPL first team head coaches and

Technical Directors having to have a “B” licence accreditation

The general consensus is that this has resulted in better coaching, however this

is not the case across the board and there is still significant room for

improvement and adherence to the National Football Curriculum




The cost to acquire coaching accreditation was reported by individuals and clubs

as a barrier to coaching development. As was the time component, particularly

for the level B qualification

That the workload on Technical Directors (paid for a part-time role) and coaches

(some paid for a part-time role, some as volunteers) has increased. This has

resulted in many Technical Directors performing these roles for a limited period

of time and then resigning which may well be inhibiting coach development and

in-turn player development. In addition is this resulting in people who would be

good Technical Directors or coaches now not being willing to take on these

roles?


The current Standing Committee structure excludes Junior-only NPL clubs from

the NPL decision-making process. The Junior NPL is controlled by an NPL

Standing Committee consisting entirely of clubs with a Senior NPL component,

which, in 2017, meant seven Junior NPL clubs were not represented in the

governance structure. An alternative structure must be considered to ensure all

clubs are represented


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Recommendations

General Assessment/Comments

Recommendation 1 – That Football West develop a Strategic Plan that provides the

vision, sets the direction for football in Western Australia in the short, mid and long

term and has key performance indicators to measure its performance.

Recommendation 2 – That as part of Football West’s Strategic Plan consideration is

made for the development of football in regional W.A. including talent identification

and a talent pathway that is accessible by regional junior players and support

personnel.

Licensing

Recommendation 3 – That Football West at this point not enter into a licensing

arrangement with any NPL clubs and over the next two years (2018 and 2019)

undertake a more detailed analysis into the merits of establishing a licensing system

for the NPL in Western Australia.


Recommendation 4 – That Football West set an eligibility criteria to be a senior NPL

club and a separate set of eligibility criteria to be a junior NPL club.

Recommendation 5 – That all NPL senior clubs, including those currently in the NPL

and those who advise they would like to enter the NPL via promotion at the end of

the coming season be assessed/audited on an annual basis. This should include

announced and unannounced visits for assessment/audit.

Recommendation 6 – That all NPL junior clubs be assessed/audited on an annual

basis. This includes announced and unannounced visits for assessment/audit.

Recommendation 7 – That these assessments/audits (seniors and juniors) be

conducted by an independent person or body. This removes any perception of bias

and also allows Football West to focus on development and performance rather

than compliance (it separates the developer and the regulator).

Recommendation 8 – That a dispute resolution process be established so that in the

event that a club is deemed as not meeting the eligibility criteria and they dispute

this finding, that a clear process known and agreed to by all parties is undertaken.

Recommendation 9 – That any club can apply to be an NPL accredited club (seniors

and/or juniors). Any club, senior or junior, that is deemed to have met the eligibility

criteria will be authorised and can advertise itself as an NPL accredited club.

Recommendation 10 – Football West develop a “model club” profile to guide clubs in

their development towards becoming an NPL Senior or Junior accredited club and

also to maintain their accreditation.


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Recommendation 11 – That the eligibility criteria be reviewed and modified as

required during the 2020 season for implementation in the 2021 season.


Recommendation 12 – That for the 2018 season the NPL remain at 14 teams, 11 in

State League division 1 and 11 in State League division 2.

Recommendation 13 – That all clubs be advised prior to the commencement of the

2018 season that the NPL, State League division 1 and 2 will move to 12 team

format’s in 2019. This provides all clubs with more than 12 months’ notice of the

impending change.

Recommendation 14 – That in the 2019 season there should be 12 teams in the

NPL and 12 teams in both the competitions below the NPL.

Recommendation 15 – That the requirement for an NPL Senior club to have a Junior

NPL team in all age groups be removed (NOTE. Senior NPL clubs would still be

required to have an U/20’s and U/18’s team).

Recommendation 16 – That the structure remain NPL, State League division 1 and

State League division 2.

Recommendation 17 – That the number of teams and the structure for the NPL be

reviewed and modified as required during the 2020 season for implementation in the

2021 season.


Recommendation 18 – That the Junior NPL move to 24 teams for the 2018 season

(as per the structure and format in section 4.3.3 of the report).

Recommendation 19 – That Football West invite clubs who are not currently in the

NPL to nominate to join the Junior NPL for the 2018 season and undertake an

assessment and selection process based upon the new Junior NPL eligibility

criteria.

Recommendation 20 – As per recommendation 6, that all Junior NPL clubs be

assessed/audited in relation to the new Junior NPL criteria with all clubs needing to

meet this criteria by the mid-point of the 2019 season in order to remain in the NPL

Junior competition.

Recommendation 21 – That both the number of teams and the structure for the

Junior NPL be reviewed and modified as required during the 2020 season for

implementation in the 2021 season.

Recommendation 22 – That from the 2018 season on the NPL Junior competition

commence with U/13’s. With U/12’s to play on a smaller pitch with nine (9) a side.

Recommendation 23 – That Football West develop a package for parents and

significant others that explains the principles of talent development and how these

are reflected in the coaching and playing methodologies at the various age groups:




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And part of the Technical Directors role be to meet with all teams (parents and

significant others) both prior to and during the season to explain these principles

and how these are reflected in the coaching and playing methodologies at the

various age groups.


Recommendation 24 – That promotion and relegation apply at NPL, State League

division 1 and State League division 2.

Recommendation 25 – That the bottom team in the Senior NPL automatically be

relegated.

In the event that the winner of State League division 1 does not meet/comply with

the Senior NPL eligibility criteria, the second team in State League division 1

(subject to compliance) and the side relegated from the Senior NPL will play off to

determine which club will play in the Senior NPL in the following season.

In the event that neither the winner nor the 2nd team in the State League division 1

(subject to compliance) meet/comply with the Senior NPL eligibility criteria that the

third team in State League division 1 and the side relegated from the Senior NPL

play off to determine which club will play in the Senior NPL in the following season.

In the event that neither the winner nor the 2nd or 3rd teams in the State League

division 1 meet/comply with the Senior NPL eligibility criteria, the side relegated

from the Senior NPL will be invited to remain in the Senior NPL in the following

season.

Recommendation 26 – That as per recommendation 18, no promotion and

relegation apply to the NPL Junior competition (Note. Recommendations 19 and 21

also apply).

Recommendation 27 – That the promotion and relegation policies and procedures

for both the NPL Senior and Junior competitions be reviewed and modified as



Recommendation 28– That a separate review should be conducted as soon as

practicable into Women’s / Female Football in Western Australia, including but not

limited to the feasibility of establishing a Women’s / Female NPL.


Recommendation 29 – That the salary cap be retained with measures put into place

so that there is greater accountability and transparency (clubs and players).

Recommendation 30 – That Football West further investigate and implement the

Statutory Declaration concept and also measures similar to the WACFL. And that

this be applied in all competitions where there is a salary cap mandated by Football

West.


21

Recommendation 31 – Football West work with the NPL Standing Committee to

highlight any suggested amendments to the rules associated with the Player Points

System, with a focus on changes that promote the development of local players.

And these be presented to FFA with the view to any agreed changes coming into

effect at the start of the 2018 NPL season.

Recommendation 32 – That the Senior NPL competition move to 180 player points

for the 2019 season. This gives all Clubs time to plan and recruit so that this

reduced allocation can be complied with.


Recommendation 33 – That Football West as part of the eligibility criteria make it

mandatory for all NPL clubs (Senior and Junior) to provide all members with

financial statements (profit and loss and balance sheets), such that all members can

clearly see the income and expenditure for the club including but not limited to

player payments.

In addition provide a breakdown on what the fees are used for. For example: $100

on general admin, $300 coaching, $50 ground maintenance, $200 on kit = $650

And that a meeting open to all members must be held on an annual basis prior to

the 30 June at which this information is presented and members provided with an

opportunity to raise queries. All members must be advised a minimum of one (1)

month prior to this meeting.

Recommendation 34 – That Football West must also be advised one (1) month prior

to the meeting and they (Football West) have the option to attend or for an

independent representative appointed by Football West to attend.

Recommendation 35 – Football West itself and/or in association with the NPL Junior

clubs examine ways that scholarships or some other form of financial assistance

can be provided where an individual or family is unable to pay the required fees.

Recommendation 36 – Football West in association with the NPL Junior clubs and

the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (formerly the

Department of Sport and Recreation) work to ensure that all potential NPL players

and their families are aware of and where eligible apply for KidSport funding.

Game Day experience

Recommendation 37 – Football West in association with the NPL Senior clubs

develop and implement a marketing and communications plan.


examine ways to provide a game day experience that results in increased.

attendance

Recommendation 39 – Football West introduce an award for NPL Senior Club of the

Year, NPL Junior Club of the Year and NPL Club of the Year.

Recommendation 40 – Football West in association with the NPL Senior clubs and

other key stakeholders such as the Department of Local Government, Sport and


22

Cultural Industries (formerly the Department of Sport and Recreation) and Local

Government’s develop and implement a Facilities Master Plan that includes but is

not limited to the shared use of facilities.


No specific recommendations.

Player Mobility

Recommendation 41 – Football West consult with NPL Senior clubs, the

Professional Footballers Australia and NPL Senior players and further examine

issues such as the frequency of player movement between clubs, the capacity /

availability for players to move clubs, transfer windows etc.


Recommendation 42 – Football West in association with clubs re-assess coach

accreditation requirements. The aim being to improve standards within the capacity

of the clubs.

Recommendation 43 – Football West determine its own position and then if

appropriate consult with FFA regarding ways to reduce costs and time but not

impact quality regarding coach accreditation. Including but not limited to some of the

content and assessment being on-line. This may result in decreasing the cost and

should result in decreasing the time required.


Recommendation 44 – That Football West establish a separate Junior NPL

Standing Committee to represent the interests of all clubs involved in the Junior

NPL. This committee shall be solely responsible for making recommendations to the

Football West Board regarding, and in the best interests of the Junior NPL

competition.

Feedback and Implementation

Recommendation 45 – Football West provide feedback meetings/workshops to

ensure that all stakeholders receive feedback on the project report and

recommendations, which recommendations Football West will endorse and

implement and the general direction and vision for football in Western Australia for

the next 5-10 years.

Recommendation 46 – Football West develop an implementation plan and as part of

this consider continuing with either or both the Board Appointed Sub-Committee and

the Project Reference Group.


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1. Introduction

1.1 Project Terms of Reference

The Project Terms of Reference was developed by Football West. Its stated

purpose being “The National Premier Leagues Strategy Development Project (NPL

Strategy) is designed to establish the framework for the National Premier Leagues

WA for the next 5 years”.

The Project Management structure included a Board Appointed Sub-Committee and

a Project Reference Group.

The key focus areas for the project being:

Design

o Number of NPL clubs

o Licensing and eligibility criteria

o Promotion and relegation

o Women’s NPL (implementation, age groups)

o Junior NPL (tiering, pathways)

Game day experience


Sustainability

Player Mobility



The deliverable for the project being the “… delivery of an NPL strategy that

establishes the framework for the NPL competitions (both short and long term).”

The full Project Terms of Reference is provided in Appendix A.

1.2 Review Approach / Process

People Places Planet was appointed by Football West to undertake the Project on

13 February 2017. With the project report due by early June 2017.

The Project Terms of Reference included the following with regard to the process for

how the project was to be undertaken:

The Project Sub-Committee will utilise several key processes for the

development of the NPL Strategy. These will include:


24

Desktop review of existing quantitative data

Development and delivery of a survey to Football West members and the

broader community

Facilitation of consultation workshops

Throughout the project Football West had a highly visible link on the homepage

of the Football West website related to the review. Information included:

Details for all workshops

Access to the survey/s

Access to a Discussion Paper related to the NPL

Access to written summaries from all Board Appointed Sub-Committee

and Project Reference Group meetings


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1.2.1 Desktop Review

Leading into and ongoing throughout the project Football West provided People

Places Planet with a range of background information related to the

establishment of the NPL and its operations since the NPL commenced in

Western Australia in 2014.This included but was not limited to:

NPLWA Discussion Paper

NPLWA Survey Feedback Summary

FFA and Football West Technical Summary

Member Federation Technical Director Assessment

Women’s football discussion document

NPLWA Compliance By-Law

NPLWA Competition Rules

State League Competition Rules

FIFA Statutes

1.2.2 Survey

Several surveys were developed and made available via the Football West

website. All 46,339 people on the Football West database were also emailed,

inviting them to provide a response to the survey. Four tailored surveys were

available via the Football West website during the period 31 March to 17 May

2017:

Junior NPL players

Junior NPL Participants

Senior NPL Participants

Non National Premier League participants

A total of 211 responses were received.


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Overall Summary

Strong support for promotion and relegation across the board; some support

for geographic split among those not involved in the NPLWA

General agreement across the surveys that junior NPLWA is about

development

Most in the NPLWA didn’t mind travel distances – when NPLWA participants

did have an issue with travel, this was generally with travel to matches and not

their club

A number of open comments criticised the 2017 junior NPLWA structure

Some disagreements between parents and junior participants on whether or

not NPL should be separate from community competitions

Fees were raised as an issue for both seniors and juniors, BUT juniors also

highlighted inadequate quality of football; whereas seniors highlighted

inadequate quality of coaching and facilities

While there is support for attracting skilled coaches, there is disagreement over

whether or not they should have B licence minimums

A copy of the NPLWA Survey, Feedback Summary is provided in Appendix B.

1.2.3 Consultations

An extensive consultation process was undertaken. This included:

8 consultation workshops:

o NPL Senior and Junior clubs

o Junior clubs

o State League clubs

o Women’s clubs

o Referee’s

o Coaches

o Junior Players/Parents

o Open Forum (open to anyone who wanted to attend)

8 workshops with the Project Reference Group


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Meetings with key stakeholders (primarily face to face, discussions with

FFA were held face to face and over the phone)

o Football Federation Australia

o Perth Glory

o Football West

o Players Association (and individual meetings with senior players

whom wished to provide input)

o Local Government (City of Armadale, City of Stirling and City of

Joondalup)

o Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries

(formerly the Department of Sport and Recreation)

1.3 Data Limitations

A review of this nature has a number of inherent limitations/challenges associated with the data collected and analysed. Some of these limitations include: Wide range of stakeholders – The review has obtained perspectives and views from a wide range of stakeholders with quite differing views. From an analysis perspective the challenge is to ascertain is there a general consensus and if yes what is the general consensus? Survey Response – 211 survey responses were received. This is a limited response given the number of people directly involved with the NPL and in particular the broader football community in Western Australia. Quantitative analysis has been based upon the survey response, however this is limited by the response rate.


28

2. Background

The National Premier Leagues (NPL) is the national second tier competition in

Australia that underpins the Hyundai A-League. Every member federation with the

exception of Football Northern Territory has introduced an NPL competition. The

NPL in Western Australia commenced in 2014 and is managed by Football West.

The NPL is a direct outcome of the National Competition Review (NCR) announced

by Football Federation Australia (FFA) in May 2012 which aimed to:

Address key gaps in the elite player pathway

Ensure the sustainability of league competitions nationally


A Player Points System operates in first team squads that incentivises clubs to

develop players through their youth team structure as well as produce talent that

progresses to national pathway programmes (including Skilleroos, NTC and FFA

Centre of Excellence) and the Foxtel National Youth League, Hyundai A-League

and FFA National Teams.

The NPL represents an important step in the realisation of FFA's strategic vision to

make Australia a world class football nation and to better connect elite player

development and the wider football community.

The establishment of the NPL across Australia is ambitious and is to be commended

but its implementation is not without difficulty. Its basic framework is prescriptive and

therefore the adage “not one shoe fits all” could be used to describe the root cause

of some of the difficulties faced in its implementation. Critical impacts come from,

but are not limited to, the following:

Geographic and demographic spread of the participation base of football

across the country – the “tyranny of distance” needs to be considered in the

longer term.

The capability of clubs to meet the demands of the NPL varies considerably.

The capacity of clubs in terms of resources required to be included in the

NPL varies considerably.

The capacity of the State based “peak” body to ensure compliance to the

NPL criteria and rules.

Although this project is focused on the NPL, it should be noted that the number of

participants at the NPL level constitutes a fraction of those participating in football in

Western Australia.

A breakdown of registered Football West players by demographic information is presented in Figure 1, below.


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Figure 1: Demographics of Registered Football Players2

Gender Male 32,948

Female 6,486

Age Junior 29,078

Senior 10,356

NPL or Outdoor? NPL 2,330

Outdoor3 2,330

The majority of players do not play at an elite level. As Figure 1 shows, the majority of registered players are juniors. This may be related to broader trends, which suggest that involvement in organised sport tends to decrease during the teenage years.4 For a broader comparison, the proportion of all players involved in the NPL is shown below.

Figure 2: Proportion of Registered Players in the NPL The NPL aimed to improve player development by allowing players to access an elite competition and providing a clear progression pathway. The first NPLWA was run in 2014 and consisted of a premier top-tier competition and other competitions at the U20, U18, U16, U15, U14, U13 and U12 levels. This basic structure has not changed. According to FFA’s NPL Women’s Strategic Plan, NPL competitions for women should commence by 2018.

In 2014 and 2015, the JNPL had a total of 12 teams, as did the SNPL. These were:

Armadale

Balcatta

Bayswater City

Cockburn City

ECU Joondalup

Floreat Athena

Inglewood United

Perth Glory

Perth SC

Sorrento

Stirling Lions

Subiaco

2 Data retrieved from Football West member registration database, as at 31/10/2016.

3 Note: Does not include players registered in social competition.

4 AusPlay, AusPlay: Participation Data for the Sports Sector – Summary of Key National Findings – October 2015 to

September 2016 Data, (Australian Sports Commission, 2016).


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However, 2016 saw the inclusion of eight teams which only compete at the U16 level and below. This was done to provide more development opportunities for players outside of the SNPL structure. The new teams included in this change were:

Ellenbrook United

Fremantle City

Joondalup City

Mandurah City

Melville City

Quinns

Rockingham City

South West Phoenix

While some of these clubs have good junior development programs, some do not have a SNPL team to aspire to. This is illustrated in Figure 3, below:

Figure 3: 2016 Team Pathway Model

The gap between senior and junior teams could potentially expand indefinitely through senior promotion and relegation. Every time a senior club achieves promotion, its junior teams are also promoted unless they already have teams in the JNPL. However, every time a senior club is relegated, the junior teams retain their position in the JNPL. This creates a potential for the number of junior teams to expand indefinitely as senior clubs achieve promotion. NOTE – The background information provided in this report is largely based upon the Project Terms of Reference and the NPLWA Discussion Paper.


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3. General Assessment/Comments

Having undertaken a comprehensive consultation process with a range of

stakeholders directly involved in the NPL (e.g. NPL clubs, coaches, players),

associated with the NPL (e.g. State League Clubs) and external to the NPL (e.g.

Local Government, Department of Sport & Recreation) and having met multiple

times with the Project Reference Group, the following general assessment and

comments are provided.

3.1 Is the NPL working?

As 2017 is only the fourth year for the NPL in Western Australia it is too early to tell

if the goal to improve standards across the board is succeeding and is it resulting in

better players, which in turn results in improved performance by Australia at the

international level.

It is the consultants view that it will take a minimum of five (5) years, more likely 7-10

years before this assessment can be made.

It is apparent though, particularly at the junior level that the introduction of the NPL

has resulted in increased interest at the elite level, with both parents and

children/youth now seeing a clearer pathway to becoming an elite or professional

footballer.

Overall there is evidence that would indicate that football as a whole has benefitted

from the introduction of the NPL.

3.2 Strategic Plan

Football West does not have a current Strategic Plan that provides direction for all

areas of the game both in the short, mid and long term. It is essential that this be

developed as a priority. Without this the football community at all levels and other

key stakeholders such as the Western Australian government (and Agencies) and

the various Local Governments are not sure what or how to move forward, what to

invest into etc. In this Strategic Plan there needs to be strategic “Key Performance

Indicators” developed for the NPL. This then would ensure that effective and

efficient performance measures are developed and implemented.

3.2.1 Recommendations

Recommendation 1 – That Football West develop a Strategic Plan that provides the

vision, sets the direction for football in Western Australia in the short, mid and long

term and has key performance indicators to measure its performance.


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3.3 Development vs Performance

In broad terms the NPL was established to develop quality players to feed into the

Hyundai A-League, leading to Australia performing better at the international level.

As such there is a balancing act between development and performance. This

gradual shift in emphasis from development to performance is highlighted in the

FFA’s National Curriculum:

Or put another way there is a spectrum moving from Development to Performance:

Development Performance

U/12 U/13 U/14 U/15 U/16 U/18 U/20 Seniors

At the club level, some NPL clubs are able to effectively deliver both the Junior

development and the Senior performance focuses. However some clubs are

strongly focused on their seniors and winning the Premiership (performance) to the

detriment of their juniors. Whereas some clubs are content to be a development

pathway for juniors and don’t provide a pathway to the elite senior competition.

Ideally any new model would allow clubs to focus on the area where they have

expertise and desire to focus. This could be:

Development – with a focus on juniors

Performance – with a focus on seniors

Ideally a club (all clubs) would be able to balance Development and Performance,

however there is strong evidence to support that is currently not always the case

and is unlikely to be the case moving forward.


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The following observations became apparent during the project, however they do

not fit directly into any particular aspect of the Project Terms of Reference.

3.4 The Need to Work Better Together

Football like other sports evokes emotions, it brings out the best and at times the

worst in people. Also, like many other sports the traditions and rivalries that exist at

clubs can both have positive and negative impacts.

It is apparent that at times the biggest inhibitor to football in W.A. is football itself,

and the various parties inability to work cooperatively together for the “good of the

game”.

One particular positive from this project/review is that Football West has consulted

broadly with all key stakeholders and provided anyone and everyone in the football

community to contribute and provide comment.

This dialogue with the football community in W.A. needs to continue after the

completion of this review. Firstly so that the outcomes of this review are

communicated in an open and transparent manner to all stakeholders (including

those who chose not to participate in the review process), and secondly for football

to progress all stakeholders need to be invested and involved in the implementation

process, with the primary aim being “To better football in W.A.”

3.5 Players vs Clubs (and vice versa)

There are a number of factors at play that result in clubs and players not always

being in unison.

“Losing Players” – we often heard from clubs that they were losing players to

other clubs, Perth Glory (relates to juniors), the A-League or overseas. From

this it would appear that some clubs would prefer to retain players in order to

maintain their strength rather than see the player progress. It also raises the

question do clubs have the right to view that they ‘own’ a player? Parents

clearly expressed the view they, the Parents ‘own’ their children/players and

not any individual club

Transfer and Training Fees – if a player is selected by an A-League or

professional overseas club to train or play then the clubs involved in this

players development receive a financial reward/payment. It would appear

that this is another reason clubs have an attitude of “losing players” rather

than basking in the fact they helped this individual achieve this opportunity

Trials – it is evident that at the junior level a significant number trial at a

number of clubs either to increase their odds of being selected by an NPL

club or so that they can play for what they (or their parents) perceive to a

better club or coach


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3.6 Development Pathway and Regional Areas

The current pathway model is almost exclusively focused on players developing into

elite players (Senior NPL and higher) via the Junior NPL (primarily via Perth Glory).

This in essence means that a young person residing out of the Perth metropolitan

area, Mandurah or Bunbury does not have access to this pathway.

There are numerous examples across all sports in Australia of people from regional

and remote areas reaching the highest levels of sport both within Australia and

internationally. Via the current model Football may well not be identify or providing a

pathway for talented juniors/youth from regional and remote areas.


Recommendation 2 – That as part of Football West’s Strategic Plan consideration is

made for the development of football in regional W.A. including talent identification

and a talent pathway that is accessible by regional junior players and support

personnel.


35

4. Key Areas

The Project Terms of Reference identified seven key areas:

Design

Game day experience


Sustainability

Player Mobility

Coaching Accreditation


Early into the project it became apparent that stakeholders were focusing on Design

element for providing direction for the NPL for the next five (5) years, and associated

with this the focus was on the sub-elements related to Design, these being:

Licensing and eligibility criteria

Number of NPL Clubs

Promotion and relegation

Junior NPL

Women’s NPL

A couple of other focus areas also become apparent during the consultation

process:

Player payments and the Player Points System

Fees and the transparency with regard to what these fees are being used for

Due to the stakeholder focus on the Design sub-elements, the agreed importance of

these sub-elements and the limited time to undertake the project it was agreed by

Football West, the Board Appointed Sub-Committee and the Project Reference

Group that these Design sub-elements be the focus for this project.

4.1 Licensing

During the review process it became apparent that there are differing views with

regard to if Football West did or did not enter into licensing arrangements with any

NPL clubs when the NPL was first established in Western Australia. From what we

have been able to ascertain the original application form to become an NPL club

was headed “Application for Licence”. However there were some who disputed that

what was being provided was a licence, the end result being that to the best of our


36

knowledge and the information presented Football West has not entered into any

Licensing arrangements with any NPL clubs.

Some States e.g. Queensland have done so. In Western Australia NPL status has

been dependent upon meeting a specified criteria.

4.1.1 Key Findings

There was little to no consensus with regard to introducing a licensing

arrangement or if this would provide benefits to football or the NPLWA

4.1.2 Options

Benefits and disadvantages of introducing a licensing system are outlined below:

Option 1

Introduce licensing

Pro’s

- Provides those clubs issued with a

licence certainty for the time period that

the licence is issued

- If a licence fee is applied, this could

provide additional revenue beyond the

current registration fee to Football West

to undertake eligibility compliance

related assessments

Con’s

- The issuing of licences in affect locks

those who don’t have a licence out of the

NPL which could impact promotion &

relegation and as such may not meet

FFA requirements with regard to

promotion & relegation

- Clubs are already struggling with the

financial burden of running an NPL club,

meeting the required criteria etc. A

licence fee would add to this burden

Option 2

Not introduce licensing

Pro’s

- Does not impose another level of

complexity to an already complex

situation

- Allows for clubs who are not granted a

licence to enter the NPL for the

specified time period, no matter their

performance on and off the field

Con’s

- A club’s NPL status is not guaranteed

beyond a single season


Recommendation 3 – That Football West at this point not enter into a licensing

arrangement with any NPL clubs and over the next two years (2018 and 2019)

undertake a more detailed analysis into the merits of establishing a licensing system

for the NPL in Western Australia.


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4.2 Eligibility Criteria

Currently the NPL clubs in Western Australia are required to meet a criteria that is

assessed by Football West in order for the club to be deemed an NPL eligible club.

In essence this eligibility criteria has remained similar since 2014. There have been

changes to some criteria such as facility requirements. There has however been

some confusion, different interpretations and ambiguity resulting in difficulties with

promotion and relegation.

4.2.1 Key Findings

The eligibility criteria needs to be as clear as possible and communicated well to

all clubs (both those already in the NPL and those seeking to enter the NPL)

All clubs seeking to enter or remain in the NPL should have their eligibility

determined as early into the season as possible, preferably prior to the season

commencing

The documentation and processes implemented by Football West during the

2017 season have clarified the eligibility criteria, including dates clubs must

achieve each element

That no matter how clear or unambiguous, clubs may decide upon legal action in

a bid to either remain in the NPL or be promoted to the NPL

FFA is currently in the process of developing a “Star System” as way of

measuring and recognising a club’s overall qualities. The Star System is due to

be piloted in Victoria in 2018. This Star System may impact upon and replace


At the commencement of the NPL, all clubs were required to have Senior and

Junior components. In 2016, additional Junior-only NPL clubs were introduced,

which partially decoupled the Junior and Senior components

4.2.2 Options

All clubs playing in the NPL must comply with the eligibility criteria. The question is

can clubs not playing in the NPL be NPL accredited? i.e. they meet the NPL

eligibility criteria but do not currently have a team playing in the NPL competition.

And, secondly, should there be separate criteria for seniors and juniors? Currently

there are clubs with only NPL juniors. Should they be required to meet/adhere to the

same eligibility criteria as those with clubs who also have teams in the senior NPL?

For example the criteria for a Junior NPL club should include the implementation of

FFA’s “Skill Acquisition Program”. This would not be included in the criteria for a

senior NPL club.

In addition there are a host of options with regard to what should or should not be

part of the eligibility criteria.


38

Option 1

Can only be an NPL accredited club if

you are playing in the NPL

Pro’s

- Provides a level of eliteness (Premier)

- Drives clubs to remain as a “playing”

club in the NPL

Option 2

Any club can be an NPL accredited club

if they meet the NPL criteria (Note. this

does not mean that they will be playing

in the NPL competition)

Pro’s

- Provides an incentive for clubs to meet


- Provides recognition for those clubs

that have striven to and now met the

NPL eligibility criteria

- Allows parents at the junior level to

better determine which clubs provide a

quality environment for their children to

participate

- Provides an incentive and recognition

for clubs in country areas to reach and

maintain a high standard even though

they are never likely to play in the NPL

Option 1

There should be one set of eligibility

criteria that applies to both NPL seniors

and juniors

Pro’s

- Provides consistency at all levels

Option 2

There should be a set of NPL eligibility

criteria applicable for NPL seniors and a

separate set of eligibility criteria for NPL

juniors

Pro’s

- Recognises that the focus and

requirements for juniors and seniors is

different

- Allows those clubs that chose to focus

just or mainly on seniors or juniors to

create an environment suitable for that

particular playing group


39


Recommendation 4 – That Football West set an eligibility criteria to be a senior NPL

club and a separate set of eligibility criteria to be a junior NPL club.

Recommendation 5 – That all NPL senior clubs, including those currently in the NPL

and those who advise they would like to enter the NPL via promotion at the end of

the coming season be assessed/audited on an annual basis. This should include

announced and unannounced visits for assessment/audit.

Recommendation 6 – That all NPL junior clubs be assessed/audited on an annual

basis. This includes announced and unannounced visits for assessment/audit.

Recommendation 7 – That these assessments/audits (seniors and juniors) be

conducted by an independent person or body. This removes any perception of bias

and also allows Football West to focus on development and performance rather

than compliance (it separates the developer and the regulator).

Recommendation 8 – That a dispute resolution process be established so that in the

event that a club is deemed as not meeting the eligibility criteria and they dispute

this finding, that a clear process known and agreed to by all parties is undertaken.

Recommendation 9 – That any club can apply to be an NPL accredited club (seniors

and/or juniors). Any club, senior or junior, that is deemed to have met the eligibility

criteria will be authorised and can advertise itself as an NPL accredited club.

Recommendation 10 – Football West develop a “model club” profile to guide clubs in

their development towards becoming an NPL Senior or Junior accredited club and

also to maintain their accreditation.

Recommendation 11 – That the eligibility criteria be reviewed and modified as


4.3 Number of NPL Senior Clubs

4.3.1 Key Findings

As a result of complications with promotion and relegation, the number of NPL

teams has increased from 12 to 14 since the commencement of the NPL in 2014

There is general agreement that if the number of teams is decreased it should be

phased in and not implemented at the start of the 2018 season

The Project Reference Group agreed by consensus that the optimum

arrangement at the current time would be for three (3) competitions each with 12

teams

Although not directly related to the number of teams in the Senior NPL the

following key findings relate to the Senior NPL:

There is currently a requirement that all Senior NPL clubs must have a team in

all Junior NPL age groups. There was mixed views with regard to the merit of

maintaining this requirement


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There appears to be little appetite for each senior NPL club to have formally

designated junior “feeder” clubs - either junior NPL or other non-NPL junior

clubs. Currently, trial days are held which allow NPL clubs to recruit from the

whole player base within junior football

4.3.2 Options

There are two options with regard to the number of teams in the highest level of

competition in the NPL. (1) It remain as 14 teams (2) Move to 12 teams as

recommended by the Project Reference Group

Option 1

Remain as a 14 team competition

Pro’s

- Keeps the status quo. No clubs would

be negatively impacted

- Results in more players playing in the

States Premier Football competition

Option 2

Change to a 12 team competition

Pro’s

- Supported by the Project Reference

Group (and at a number of the

workshops that were held)

- Would result in all three (3)

competitions starting and finishing on

the same dates

- All teams would play each other twice

(22 games plus finals)

There are two options with regard to if as part of the Senior NPL eligibility criteria

a Senior NPL club must have a Junior NPL team in all age groups


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Option 1

The requirement to have a Junior NPL

team in all age groups remain as an

eligibility criteria requirement

Pro’s

- Keeps the status quo

- Forces NPL Senior clubs to have a

junior development focus

Con’s

- Can and has resulted in the automatic

expansion of the number of Junior NPL

clubs/teams

- Can and has resulted in the adding of a

Junior NPL club into a location/area

already adequately serviced by Junior

NPL clubs

- Can and has resulted in some clubs

meeting the quantitative targets (teams

in each age group) but not necessarily

with the quality of players

Option 2

The requirement to have a Junior NPL

team in all age groups be removed as an

eligibility criteria requirement

Pro’s

- Means that the number of NPL Junior

clubs/teams is not impacted by a Senior

club being promoted to the NPL Senior

competition

- Would allow those clubs that wish to

focus more on Senior NPL the ability to

do so

Con’s

- NPL Senior clubs who do not have

Junior NPL teams may be impacted over

time due to the player points system


Recommendation 12 – That for the 2018 season the NPL remain at 14 teams, 11 in

State League division 1 and 11 in State League division 2.

Recommendation 13 – That all clubs be advised prior to the commencement of the

2018 season that the NPL, State League division 1 and 2 will move to 12 team

format’s in 2019. This provides all clubs with more than 12 months’ notice of the

impending change.

Recommendation 14 – That in the 2019 season there should be 12 teams in the

NPL and 12 teams in both the competitions below the NPL.

Recommendation 15 – That the requirement for an NPL Senior club to have a Junior

NPL team in all age groups be removed (NOTE. Senior NPL clubs would still be

required to have an U/20’s and U/18’s team).

4.3.4 Options

Currently there is NPL and State League Division 1 and Division 2. Should this

be changed?


42

Option 1

NPL, State League 1 and 2

Pro’s

- NPL would be the Premier

competition with 12 teams in

the NPL

- Provides an incentive for

teams to win the State League

to win State League division 1

and gain promotion to the NPL

(should they have meet the

NPL eligibility criteria)

Option 2

NPL 1 and 2, State League 1

Pro’s

- Results in more players playing in

the States Premier Football

competition

Con’s

- Only viable if there is 24 teams

that meet the NPL eligibility criteria

- Does this format recognise the

NPL as the Premier Competition

with only the best teams competing

in the States Premier Football

competition?

Option 3

NPL 1, 2 and 3

Pro’s

- Results in more players playing

in the States Premier Football

competition

Con’s

- Only viable if there is 36 teams

that meet the NPL eligibility

criteria

- Does this format recognise the

NPL as the Premier Competition

with only the best teams

competing in the States Premier

Football competition?


Recommendation 16 – That the structure remain NPL, State League division 1 and

State League division 2.

Recommendation 17 – That the number of teams and the structure for the NPL be

reviewed and modified as required during the 2020 season for implementation in the

2021 season.

4.4 Number of NPL Junior Clubs

4.4.1 Key Findings

There is general consensus that the expansion from 12 to 21 clubs has occurred

too quickly resulting in a significant number of games where one team is

considerably stronger than the other and this in turn resulting in games with

significant score differentials

There is general consensus that some expansion was required in order to cater

for areas of population growth in the Perth metropolitan area (and the Peel /

South West), however the level of expansion was too great

There is general consensus that it would be difficult to reduce the number of

clubs in the Junior NPL

There is general consensus, and it is Football Federation Australia’s

recommendation, that the U/12’s should be changed to playing on a smaller

pitch with nine (9) a side. This being the case the U/12’s would be removed from

the Junior NPL


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Although not directly related to the number of teams in the Junior NPL the

following key findings relate to the Junior NPL:

A consistent level of concern was expressed with regard to the number of

players that Perth Glory has in its squads. In many instances this was more than

the maximum number of 16. This was confirmed by Perth Glory, who advised

they require more than 16 squad members due to players trying out overseas

during school holidays, injuries and players go away during school holidays.

These issues are not exclusive to Perth Glory

Perth Glory also advised that in most age groups they have “train-on” players (of

up to 5 players) who train one night at week with Perth Glory but play with their

own NPL Junior club. Of note is that these “train-on” players are not covered by

Football West insurance when they are training with Perth Glory. The Football

West insurance applies only to players at their own club or those training with a

club they intend to join

During our consultations it became evident that Football West need to continue

to work with the school system, both private and public, to ensure that

participants are not disadvantaged by unnecessary impediments such as strict

competition rules that may see them not being involved in the NPL in their school

years

There was general consensus that Football West and clubs (possibly via their

Technical Directors) need to better inform and educate parents (and significant

others i.e. others who come along to watch) on the principles of talent

development and how these are reflected in the coaching and playing

methodologies at the various age groups:




This information/education needs to be provided in the written form and verbally,

prior to and during the season

4.4.2 Options

With regard to the number of clubs in the NPL Junior competition, there are a

number of options:

o Go to back to a situation where only Senior NPL clubs can have an NPL

Junior team

o Reduce the number of clubs to a number that is more aligned with the

number of top quality juniors

o Remain as is (i.e. stay at 21 clubs/teams)

o Move to a new structure (and number of clubs/teams) that facilitates

player opportunity and limited travel times to training and also facilitates

more even matches/competition


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Option 1

Only Senior NPL Clubs

can have a Junior team

Pro’s

- May result in the

perceived overall quality

of the Junior NPL being

raised

Con’s

- Not seen as a viable

proposition now that the

expansion has taken

place

- Would result in Junior

players spending

significant time having to

travel to & from training

(or some players

remaining with their non

NPL clubs, therefore

failing to address the

quality issues in the NPL)

- Goes against the reason

for expanding the number

of Junior NPL teams

Option 2

Reduce the number of

Junior NPL clubs/teams

Pro’s

- May result in the


of the Junior NPL being

raised

Con’s

- Not seen as a viable

proposition now that the

expansion has taken

place

- Would need to be very

carefully & strategically

done or it could result in

players spending

significant time having to

travel to & from training

- Goes against the reason

for expanding the number

of Junior NPL teams

Option 3

Remain as is at 21

clubs/teams

Pro’s

- No change to the

status quo, minimal

impact & likely

backlash

Con’s

- Likely to result in the

continued significant

number of one-sided

games due to the

significant difference in

the overall standard of

players within teams

Option 4

Move to a new structure

(as per below)

Pro’s

- Fosters the opportunity

to play in the NPL

- Provides an

opportunity for players

from the best teams to

play against each other

during the 2nd half of the

season

- Players should be able

to play with an NPL club

within 30 minutes or

less from any residence

within the Perth metro

area

Con’s

- Adding a further 3

teams could further

result in lowering the


of the competition


Recommendation 18 – That the Junior NPL move to 24 teams for the 2018 season

(as structure below).

Recommendation 19 – That Football West invite clubs who are not currently in the

NPL to nominate to join the Junior NPL for the 2018 season and undertake an

assessment and selection process based upon the new Junior NPL eligibility

criteria.

Recommendation 20 – As per recommendation 6, that all Junior NPL clubs be

assessed/audited in relation to the new Junior NPL criteria with all clubs needing to

meet this criteria by the mid-point of the 2019 season in order to remain in the NPL

Junior competition.


45

Recommendation 21 – That both the number of teams and the structure for the

Junior NPL be reviewed and modified as required during the 2020 season for

implementation in the 2021 season.

Recommendation 22 – That from the 2018 season on the NPL Junior competition

commence with U/13’s. With U/12’s to play on a smaller pitch with nine (9) a side.

Recommendation 23 – That Football West develop a package for parents and

significant others that explains the principles of talent development and how these

are reflected in the coaching and playing methodologies at the various age groups:




And part of the Technical Directors role be to meet with all teams (parents and

significant others) both prior to and during the season to explain these principles

and how these are reflected in the coaching and playing methodologies at the

various age groups.

Proposed Structure for the NPL Junior Competition

Two options for the Junior NPL are provided for consideration. One a revised 21

club format and the second a 24 club format.

Option A: 21 club format for 2018 moving to a two division format in 2019

Year 1: 2018 – 3 groups of 7 teams who play each other twice (one home and one

away), with a bye in each round (12 games). This is followed by a playoff for the top

4 and a playout for the bottom 3, during which each team will play each other once

(the playout teams will need additional games to play the same number of games as

the playout teams). This format would provide each team in the top four places in

each group with 23 games in the season and 20 games for those in the bottom three

of each group.


46

Year 2: 2019 – A thorough assessment be conducted during and post the 2018

season including the overall Junior NPL club performance, leading to a NPL 1 and

NPL 2 structure for the 2019 season (24 teams, 12 in each division – requires

additional 3 teams to be admitted to the Junior NPL in 2019).

These teams would then play each twice during the season (22 games), followed by

finals. At the end of the 2019 season the bottom club of NPL 1, based on overall

performance would move to NPL 2, with the top club of NPL 2, based on overall

performance moving to NPL 1.

NOTE – Moving to a tiered structure may be counter-productive given most

NPLWA clubs understand a need to focus on development at junior level rather

than results based outcomes. The establishment of a tiered structure could

promote a win-at-all-costs approach which is not entirely compatible with

development processes, which should be focused on performance rather than

results.

Option B: 24 club format for 2018 and 2019 seasons

This proposed structure has 24 Junior NPL clubs (this format could also be applied

where the competition has 18 or 21 Junior NPL clubs).

The first half of the season would have three groups of 8. Each of these teams

would play each other twice (14 games). All games would be played as a club (i.e.

club 1 would play club 2 across all age groups.

At the end of these 14 games the top 2 teams in each division would play the

remainder of the season in the Junior NPL division 1 (6 teams), the next 2 teams in

each division would play the remainder of the season in the Junior NPL division 2 (6

teams), the next 2 teams in each division would play the remainder of the season in

the Junior NPL division 3 (6 teams), with the remaining 6 teams playing in the

remainder of the season in the Junior NPL division 4. All teams would also play

each other twice during the second half of the season (10 games). During the

second-half of the season, teams would play each other in the respective age

groups, rather on a whole of club basis.

There would be a one week break after the initial 14 games to allow Football West

to develop fixtures and for clubs to arrange grounds for the remainder of the season.

A grand final would be played for each division by the two top teams in each

division. As such the season would be 26 week season – first half 14 games, a bye,

second half 10 weeks, 1 week for grand finals.


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Conf. A Conf. B Conf C. Division 1 Division 2 Division 3 Division 4

Club 1 Club 2 Club 3 Top team Conf A 3rd team Conf A 5th

team Conf A 7th team Conf A

Club 4 Club 5 Club 6 Top team Conf B 3rd team Conf B 5th team Conf B 7th team Conf B

Club 7 Club 8 Club 9 Top team Conf C 3rd team Conf C 5th team Conf C 7th team Conf C

Club 10 Club 11 Club 12 2nd team Conf A 4th team Conf A 6th team Conf A 8th team Conf A

Club 13 Club 14 Club 15 2nd team Conf B 4th team Conf B 6th team Conf B 8th team Conf B

Club 16 Club 17 Club 18 2nd team Conf C 4th team Conf C 6th team Conf C 8th team Conf C

Club 19 Club 20 Club 21

Club 22 Club 23 Club 24

Year Two

At the end of the season every team in each age group would finish between

positions 1 and 24. The total for each club would then be calculated. For example a

club may have teams that finish as follows:

U/13’s – 2nd

U/14’s – 12th

U/15’s – 6th

U/16’s – 23rd

This club would have 43 points.

Each clubs points would be calculated. Club 1 (the club with the least points) would

then be placed in Conference A, club 2 would be placed into Conference B, club 3

would be placed into Conference C etc.

In the consultants view both formats are an advancement on the current format.

Option B, the 24 club format is recommended as it:

Supports increased opportunity to play at the NPL Junior level

Will not result in any of the current NPL Junior clubs being forced out of the NPL

Does not result in any relegation at the end of a season (e.g. to Division 2)

Should result in any individual residing in the Perth metropolitan area wishing to

play in the Junior NPL being able get to training at an NPL Junior club in under

30 minutes


48

Allows teams to play each other twice (one home game each both during the 1st

half season format and during 2nd half season format)

Allows Technical Directors to work with all coaches at the one venue during the

first half of the season (14 games)

Allows teams of a more equal level being able to play each other during the 2nd

half of the season resulting in more even games/matches and competition (10

games)

Will produce an overall champion team for each age group

4.5 Promotion and Relegation

4.5.1 Key Findings

There was general consensus that promotion and relegation should apply for

both the NPL Senior and the State League Senior competitions

Promotion and relegation is part of the FIFA Statutes. 5 Page 73: 9 – Principle of Promotion and Relegation, in part states: “A club’s entitlement to take part in a domestic league championship shall depend principally on sporting merit. A club shall qualify for a domestic league championship by remaining in a certain division or by being promoted or relegated to another at the end of a season.”

That the rules associated with promotion and relegation need to be clear to all

clubs at both NPL and State League levels

That the FFA is in favour of a model at the Junior level that does not include

promotion and relegation as this can negatively impact player development

There wasn’t general agreement regarding should the Junior NPL have

promotion and relegation

4.5.2 Options

Given the views of FFA and WA football stakeholders there is only one viable option

with regard to promotion and relegation for both the Senior and Junior competitions.

Senior NPL – Promotion and Relegations applies

Junior NPL – Promotion and Relegation does not apply

The question is at the NPL Senior level should promotion and relegation be

determined solely by where the Senior team finishes or where in an overall context

the Senior, U/20’s and U/18’s finish?

5 FIFA Statutes, April 2016 edition pg. 73


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Option 1

Solely based upon the Senior team

Pro’s

- Keeps the status quo, likely to be more

palatable to general football followers

- Mirrors how most football competitions

operate both within Australia and

internationally

Con’s

- A club could focus on its Seniors

paying little attention to its U/20’s and

U/18’s

Option 2

Based upon an aggregation of the

accumulated point across the Seniors,

U/20’s and U/18’s (Note. a variation on

this is for more point to be allocated to a

Senior win in comparison to an U/20 or

U/18’s win)

Pro’s

- Supports a more even emphasis on all

three (3) teams, Seniors, U/20’s and

U/18’s

Con’s

- Unlikely to be supported by NPL clubs

and football fans

In addition at the Senior NPL level there are several factors related to promotion and

relegation that need to be taken into account.

i. That for any club to be promoted to the NPL is must meet the NPL eligibility

criteria

ii. That the Perth Glory team in the NPL has restrictions on player selection in

addition to those imposed on all other NPL clubs (this is to support player

development). As such should they have the same relegation policy applied

to them?


Recommendation 24 – That promotion and relegation apply at NPL, State League

division 1 and State League division 2.

Recommendation 25 – That the bottom team in the Senior NPL automatically be

relegated.

In the event that the winner of State League division 1 does not meet/comply with

the Senior NPL eligibility criteria, the second team in State League division 1

(subject to compliance) and the side relegated from the Senior NPL will play off to

determine which club will play in the Senior NPL in the following season.

In the event that neither the winner nor the 2nd team in the State League division 1

(subject to compliance) meet/comply with the Senior NPL eligibility criteria that the

third team in State League division 1 and the side relegated from the Senior NPL

play off to determine which club will play in the Senior NPL in the following season.


50

In the event that neither the winner nor the 2nd or 3rd teams in the State League

division 1 meet/comply with the Senior NPL eligibility criteria, the side relegated

from the Senior NPL will be invited to remain in the Senior NPL in the following

season.

Recommendation 26 – That as per recommendation 18, no promotion and

relegation apply to the NPL Junior competition (Note. Recommendations 19 and 21

also apply).

Recommendation 27 – That the promotion and relegation policies and procedures

for both the NPL Senior and Junior competitions be reviewed and modified as


4.6 Women’s / Female NPL

4.6.1 Key Findings

That Football West has significantly greater focused its attention in the past and

since the introduction of the NPL in 2014 on the men’s game rather than female

football

Far more resources are provided by both Football West and the football clubs in

general to the men’s game rather than the women’s or female game

That the majority of the women’s/female clubs/teams are not aligned with the

NPL Senior clubs

Although female children/youth can participate in the NPL Junior competition

very few are doing so:

Under 12’s 7

Under 13’s 9

Under 14’s 10

Under 15’s 3

Under 16’s 1

Under 18’s 1

Under 20’s 1

TOTAL 32

That there has been very significant developments with elite women’s team

sports in past 1-2 years in Australia both nationally and internationally (in

particular cricket and AFL) which has already started to impact female

participation in football particularly at the elite level

4.6.2 Options

Although the Project Terms of Reference includes under 7.1 (Design), Women’s

Football, it was agreed early into the Project by Football West, the Board Appointed


51

Sub-Committee and the Consultants that a separate, in-depth review and analysis

should be undertaken with regard to Women’s/Female Football and in particular the

possibility of establishing a Women’s NPL competition in Western Australia.

The Consultants held a Women’s/Female football specific forum. This forum had a

greater number of attendees than any other forum showing (1) the female interest in

football and (2) the desire to have a say on how the female game is structured and

ran at all levels and in particular at the NPL level.

The four (4) key points coming from this workshop were:

a. That if women’s/female football was not an integral part of this review

process, then a separate review process should be conducted as a priority

and they wanted to be a key part of this process

b. They were keen to at minimum explore the establishment of an NPL

Women’s / Female competition if not establish a NPL Women’s / Female

competition commencing in 2018

c. That any such exploration or review must include the women’s clubs, players,

administration etc. They need to be a part of the process or the outcome is

highly unlikely to be accepted and implementable

d. They were firmly of the view that Female Juniors / Girls Football should come

under the umbrella of Football West’s Women’s Standing Committee and not

the Junior Standing Committee


Recommendation 28– That a separate review should be conducted as soon as

practicable into Women’s / Female Football in Western Australia, including but not

limited to the feasibility of establishing a Women’s / Female NPL.

4.7 Salary Cap, Player Payments & Points System

4.7.1 Key Findings

Salary Cap & Player Payments

Clubs reported that their biggest operating cost was senior player payments

There is a general view that most Senior NPL clubs are in breach of the salary

cap, however clubs provide Football West a statutory declaration of payments

each year that show they are not paying beyond the financial cap. (NOTE. Not

all States set a salary cap, this is not a FFA requirement)

The Project Reference Group was of the view that if a system could be

established that resulted in greater accountability and transparency with regard

to player payments that this would be beneficial (NOTE. this is a problem being

experienced and addressed by other sporting codes)

There was a general view that a salary cap is required (1) for player payment

expenditure to be kept at a level where clubs can still operate, and (2) without a


52

salary cap (and player points system) the club with the most money would simply

by the premiership

Players expressed the view that there should be no salary cap and market forces

should determine the rate a player is paid

Only one player in the NPL is on a player contract however it is highly likely that

all players playing senior NPL are receiving some form of player payment

There was anecdotal evidence to support the assertion that fees paid by Junior

NPL players were being used to pay/supplement Senior NPL player payments

Associated with the salary cap and player payments is the question of whether NPL

players are professionals or amateurs?

According to the FFA National Registration Regulations:

Section 3.1 Amateur or Professional Player

A Player participating in football is either an Amateur or a Professional.

A Professional is a Player who has a written contract with a Club, under which he or she is paid to play football for that Club. (c)

An Amateur is any Player that is not a Professional. A Club may pay or reimburse a Player any expenses incurred by that Player without affecting the amateur status, including for travel, kit, equipment or insurance premiums. If, however, an Amateur is paid or reimbursed more than $100 a week by a Club, the onus is on that Club to satisfy the Competition Administrator that the amount paid accurately reflects the expenses incurred by that Amateur. If the Club fails to satisfy this onus, that Player will be deemed to be a Professional”

Points System

There was quite varied views with regard to how effective the current points

system is (currently set at 200 points, however varies in other States – e.g.

Northern NSW is 180 points and NSW Division 3 is 270 points)

There was however general consensus (not necessarily the players) that a

points system is beneficial and should be retained (NOTE. Some form of points

system is mandated by FFA)

There was general consensus that the rules associated with the Player Points

System should be reviewed as there are some anomalies that negatively impact

players and clubs and are against the spirit of the Player Points System

Discussions with FFA indicated that FFA was likely to move to 180 points at

some point

4.7.2 Options

Salary Cap & Player Payments

It is possible to abandon the salary cap, however there is general consensus that

a salary cap is required. The consultants agree however only if a mechanism

can be put into place that results in accountability and transparency from both

clubs and players

Two potential mechanisms that may facilitate this are:


53

i. As part of their agreement to participate players agree to sign a statutory

declaration prior to the season and again at end of the season with regard

to remuneration.

The statutory declaration completed prior to the season would indicate

what remuneration they anticipate they will receive. The statutory

declaration completed at the end of the season would indicate what

remuneration they actually received.

Players would need to be re-assured that their personal information will

not be passed onto clubs. The information will however be used so that

Football West can determine how much individual players from each club

are reporting as being paid in comparison to the player payment

information provided by the club to Football West.

Players would need to be advised that Statutory Declarations are a legal

document and the provision of misleading or incorrect information is an

offence from a legal perspective.

ii. The Western Australian Country Football League (WACFL) is currently in

the process of putting in measures so that each club complies with the

WACFL Paid Player Bylaws (see the following link for full details,

http://wacfl.com.au/resources/117/paid-player-paperwork).

A similar set of measures could be put in place by Football West.

Points System

There are three (3) options. (i) have no player points system (ii) remain at 200

pts (iii) move to an alternate number of points such as 180 points

The first option, no Player Points System would not be supported by FFA, nor by

most stakeholders as such this is not seen as a viable option

Option 2

Remain at 200 points

Pro’s

- 200 points from all reports is

working currently

- In line with current FFA

requirements

Option 3

Change to 180 points

Pro’s

- most clubs are currently quite

comfortably under 200 points

- Would result in a renewed

emphasis on youth development

without negatively impacting a

clubs capacity to recruit a high

impact senior player

http://wacfl.com.au/resources/117/paid-player-paperwork


54


Recommendation 29 – That the salary cap be retained with measures put into place

so that there is greater accountability and transparency (clubs and players).

Recommendation 30 – That Football West further investigate and implement the

Statutory Declaration concept and also measures similar to the WACFL. And that

this be applied in all competitions where there is a salary cap mandated by Football

West.

Recommendation 31 – Football West work with the NPL Standing Committee to

highlight any suggested amendments to the rules associated with the Player Points

System, with a focus on changes that promote the development of local players.

And these be presented to FFA with the view to any agreed changes coming into

effect at the start of the 2018 NPL season.

Recommendation 32 – That the Senior NPL competition move to 180 player points

for the 2019 season. This gives all Clubs time to plan and recruit so that this

reduced allocation can be complied with.

4.8 Fees and Transparency

4.8.1 Key Findings

The introduction of the Junior NPL has seen a significant increase in fees for

Junior players in the NPL (fees vary from $390 to $1,150)

There was very strong feedback during the consultation workshops with regard

to “What are our fees being spent on?”

In addition many have made the assumption that significant proportion of the

fees they pay is being spent on NPL Senior player payments

There was sufficient feedback during the consultation process to confirm that the

level of fees is impacting those able to afford to play in the Junior NPL. Resulting

in some players with the ability to play NPL Juniors not playing in the elite

competition

The comparative cost per session for Junior NPL with other sports is favourable,

although this is not necessarily reflected in public perception

4.8.1 Options

Football West has the option to implement as part of its eligibility criteria for

both NPL Seniors and Juniors (particularly Juniors) that it be mandatory that

all clubs provide all members with a full set of the finances in a manner that

clearly shows all members the income and expenditure for the club including

but not limited to player payments and what this money is being spent on

Football West investigate ways that it can work with the football community

and individuals and families facing financial hardship to ensure the best talent

remains in the game


55


Recommendation 33 – That Football West as part of the eligibility criteria make it

mandatory for all NPL clubs (Senior and Junior) to provide all members with

financial statements (profit and loss and balance sheets), such that all members can

clearly see the income and expenditure for the club including but not limited to

player payments.

In addition provide a breakdown on what the fees are used for. For example: $100

on general admin, $300 coaching, $50 ground maintenance, $200 on kit = $650

And that a meeting open to all members must be held on an annual basis prior to

the 30 June at which this information is presented and members provided with an

opportunity to raise queries. All members must be advised a minimum of one (1)

month prior to this meeting.

Recommendation 34 – That Football West must also be advised one (1) month prior

to the meeting and they (Football West) have the option to attend or for an

independent representative appointed by Football West to attend.

Recommendation 35 – Football West itself and/or in association with the NPL Junior

clubs examine ways that scholarships or some other form of financial assistance

can be provided where an individual or family is unable to pay the required fees.

Recommendation 36 – Football West in association with the NPL Junior clubs and

the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (formerly the

Department of Sport and Recreation) work to ensure that all potential NPL players

and their families are aware of and where eligible apply for KidSport funding.


56

5. Other Areas within Scope

5.1 Game Day Experience

5.1.1 Key Findings

Similar to other elite sports at the State level (e.g. the WAFL), there has been a

significant decline in attendance in recent years. This is more likely due to

work/life pressures, more leisure options now being available and the capability

now to watch elite level sports (e.g. the English Premier League on television)

rather than there being a decline in the quality of football now being played in the

NPL

There has been little change in the fixturing, playing times etc. as a way of

increasing game day attendance

That there is currently a lack of direction and guidance provided by Football

West with regard to facility management and planning. If government is

requested to invest into higher quality football facilities it is essential that Football

West work with local and state government to provide the expertise required in

the planning, design, construction and ongoing management of these facilities.

Government is keen to support football but critically require guidance from

Football West

5.1.2 Options

Options or alternatives may include (but are not limited to):

Playing games at different times to the traditional Saturday afternoon (e.g. on

a Friday night)

Having a double-header at one venue so that fans can see two NPL Senior

games

Promoting a couple of marque games per club per to increase revenue and

raise the clubs and footballs profile

As a way to promote the new structure and recognise the Senior NPL and

Junior NPL as separate entities but also recognise those clubs that have both

Senior and Junior NPL teams three combined points Club awards be

introduced

o Senior NPL Club of the Year – would include the Senior, U/20’s and

U/18’s

It could be you simply add the points up from each of the

competition tables

Or 5 points for a win and 2 points for a draw for the Senior team

and 3 points for a win and 1 point for a draw for the U/20’s and

U/18’s or alternatively given points have already been tallied

according to three points for a win and one for a draw, a better

model might be to add 50% of first team points, to 30% of U20

and 20% of U18


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o Junior NPL Club of the Year – would include the U/13’s, U/14’s, U/15’s

and U/16’s

Add the points up from each of the competition tables

(NOTE. This would need to be modified under the proposed

format of splitting the league halfway through because some

teams would be competing against the best teams and others

against weaker opponents. However, points could be weighted

towards the teams that play in the higher pool in the second half of

the season)

o NPL Club of the Year – this would only be open to clubs that have both

Senior and Junior teams in the NPL

Would include the combined totals from both the Seniors and

Juniors

For the Seniors this would recognise clubs that are both focused on

winning the Senior NPL and developing players through their U/20’s

and U/18’s

For the Juniors it would let the football community see which clubs are

providing good coaching and a good overall environment for player

development

The combined award recognises those clubs that provide a pathway

from U/13’s right through to NPL Seniors



develop and implement a marketing and communications plan.


examine ways to provide a game day experience that results in increased

attendance.

Recommendation 39 – Football West introduce an award for NPL Senior Club of the

Year, NPL Junior Club of the Year and NPL Club of the Year.

Recommendation 40 – Football West in association with the NPL Senior clubs and

other key stakeholders such as the Department of Local Government, Sport and

Cultural Industries (formerly the Department of Sport and Recreation) and Local

Government’s develop and implement a Facilities Master Plan that includes but is

not limited to the shared use of facilities.

5.2 Administrative Demands (Football West and FFA)

5.2.1 Key Findings

The introduction of the NPL has resulted in increased administrative demands on

NPL clubs. This includes but is not limited to technology requirements (hardware

and more significantly volunteer capacity/knowledge) and compliance


58

requirements. The recommendations of this project, if implemented will result in

more administrative demands on both Football West and the NPL clubs

The NPL clubs are predominately operated by volunteers and are not in the

position financially for this to change in the foreseeable future

The number of volunteers, similar to other community and sporting clubs, is

decreasing placing greater demands on those whom are willing to volunteer their

services

That the workload on volunteers associated with NPL clubs has increased with

the introduction of the NPL. Given the challenge with recruiting and retaining

volunteers is this sustainable?

With the introduction of higher fees, in particular with the Junior NPL, many

people (parents) who would have volunteered in the past now have an

expectation that with the level of fees they are paying they should not have to

also contribute in a volunteer capacity

5.3 Sustainability

5.3.1 Key Findings

The Project Terms of Reference included player payments and salary cap, as such

please refer to Section 4.7 of this report.

5.4 Player Mobility

5.4.1 Key Findings

There was representation from players that the transfer window, transfer

deadline and other such matters require further examination

Most players are not currently on contracts. It was also reported that some

players are being asked by clubs to take pay cuts post the transfer window


Recommendation 41 – Football West consult with NPL Senior clubs, the

Professional Footballers Australia and NPL Senior players and further examine

issues such as the frequency of player movement between clubs, the capacity /

availability for players to move clubs, transfer windows etc.

5.5 Coaching Qualifications

5.5.1 Key Findings

The introduction of the NPL has resulted in all NPL Junior coaches having to

have a “C” licence accreditation and all NPL first team head coaches and

Technical Directors having to have a “B” licence accreditation


59

The general consensus is that this has resulted in better coaching, however this

is not the case across the board and there is still significant room for

improvement and adherence to the National Football Curriculum




The cost to acquire coaching accreditation was reported by individuals and clubs

as a barrier to coaching development. As was the time component, particularly

for the level B qualification

That the workload on Technical Directors (paid for a part-time role) and coaches

(some paid for a part-time role, some as volunteers) has increased. This has

resulted in many Technical Directors performing these roles for a limited period

of time and then resigning which may well be inhibiting coach development and

in-turn player development. In addition is this resulting in people who would be

good Technical Directors or coaches now not being willing to take on these

roles?


Recommendation 42 – Football West in association with clubs re-assess coach

accreditation requirements. The aim being to improve standards within the capacity

of the clubs.

Recommendation 43 – Football West determine its own position and then if

appropriate consult with FFA regarding ways to reduce costs and time but not

impact quality regarding coach accreditation. Including but not limited to some of the

content and assessment being on-line. This may result in decreasing the cost and

should result in decreasing the time required.

5.6 Governance Requirements

5.6.1 Key Findings

The current Standing Committee structure excludes Junior-only NPL clubs from

the NPL decision-making process. The Junior NPL is controlled by an NPL

Standing Committee consisting entirely of clubs with a Senior NPL component,

which, in 2017, meant seven Junior NPL clubs were not represented in the

governance structure. An alternative structure must be considered to ensure all

clubs are represented

5.6.1 Options

A number of options were put forward for consideration by the Project Reference

Group, these being:

1. Maintain the current situation

2. Continue as is with the remaining Junior Clubs invited to participate in and vote

on matters related to the Junior NPL


60

3. Extend the current NPL Standing Committee to 21 with all Clubs having the right

to vote on all matters

4. Current Junior Standing Committee to include in its scope the Junior NPL

5. Establish a separate Junior NPL Standing Committee


Recommendation 44 – That Football West establish a separate Junior NPL

Standing Committee to represent the interests of all clubs involved in the Junior

NPL. This committee shall be solely responsible for making recommendations to the

Football West Board regarding, and in the best interests of the Junior NPL

competition.


61

6. Feedback and Implementation

A significant number of people have contributed a significant amount of time, energy

and ideas over the three (3) months that this project has been undertaken. It is

essential that once the Football West digests this report and determines what path it

will take with regard to the recommendations and the direction for Football in

Western Australia that it communicates this to all stakeholders. Both in a written

form and via information / feedback workshops.

It is equally if not of even greater importance that Football West work with key

stakeholders in particular the NPL Senior and Junior clubs during the

implementation process. The greater the participation and input from key

stakeholders, in particular the clubs, the better and more smoothly implementation

will be able to take place.

Football West established a process to manage this project. Continuing with both or

one of the Board Appointed Sub-Committee and/or the Project Reference Group to

assist Football West with the implementation could well be prudent and very

beneficial.


Recommendation 45 – Football West provide feedback meetings/workshops to

ensure that all stakeholders receive feedback on the project report and

recommendations, which recommendations Football West will endorse and

implement and the general direction and vision for football in Western Australia for

the next 5-10 years.

Recommendation 46 – Football West develop an implementation plan and as part of

this consider continuing with either or both the Board Appointed Sub-Committee and

the Project Reference Group.


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Appendix A

Project Terms of Reference

National Premier Leagues

Strategy Development

Project Terms of Reference – March 2017

1. Purpose

The National Premier Leagues Strategy Development Project (NPL Strategy) is designed to establish the framework for the National Premier Leagues WA for the next 5 years.

2. Background

The National Premier Leagues (NPL) is the national second tier competition in Australia that underpins the Hyundai A-League. Every member federation with the exception of Football Northern Territory has introduced an NPL competition. The NPL in Western Australia commenced in 2014 and is managed by Football West.

The NPL is a direct outcome of the National Competition Review (NCR) announced by Football Federation Australia (FFA) in May 2012 which aimed to:

Address key gaps in the elite player pathway;

Ensure the sustainability of league competitions nationally; and


A player points system operates in first team squads to provide incentive to clubs to develop players through their youth team structure as well as produce talent that progresses to national pathway programmes (including Skilleroos, NTC and FFA Centre of Excellence) and the Foxtel National Youth League, Hyundai A-League and FFA National Teams.

The NPL represents an important step in the realisation of FFA's strategic vision to make Australia a world class football nation and to better connect elite player development and the wider football community.

3. Deliverable

The project will deliver an NPL strategy that establishes the framework for the NPL competitions (both short and long term). It is anticipated that the project will be completed by mid-2017 and that the outcomes, where applicable and feasible, will be implemented in 2018.

4. Project Management Structure

The management of the project will be two-tiered and consist of a Board appointed Sub-Committee and a Project Reference Group. These 2 working groups will comprise:

4.1 Board Appointed Sub-Committee

Henry Atturo, Deputy Chairman Football West (Chair of the Sub-Committee)

Jason Petkovic, Director

James Curtis, CEO

Jonathan Cook, General Manager Strategy & Partnerships

Jamie Harnwell, Head of Development

Alex Novatsis, Head of Member Services

Cris Ola, Technical Manager

Mal Impiombato, FFA General Manager Operations - Competitions

Chair of the Project Reference Group

4.2 Project Reference Group

Standing Committee Representatives

NPL Standing Committee – Gabby Valentini, Gary Marocchi, Mark Cheveralls

State League Standing Committee – Campbell Ballantyne, Phil Kelly, Dave Kindness

Amateur Standing Committee – Caesar Aquino

Women’s Standing Committee – Conrad McKelvie

Junior Standing Committee – Dennis Connors

Football West Staff Representatives

Jonathan Cook, General Manager Strategy & Partnerships

Henry Fagan, Strategy and Research Officer

Jamie Harnwell, Head of Development

Alex Novatsis, Head of Member Services

Cris Ola, Technical Manager

External Representatives

Heath Bailey – Netball WA

Phil Gregson – Department of Sport and Recreation

Independent consultants will facilitate meetings of the Project Reference Group.

5. Process

The Project Reference Group will utilise several key processes for the development of the NPL Strategy. These will include:

Desktop review of existing quantitative data;

Development and delivery of a survey to Football West members and the broader community;

Facilitation of consultation workshops.

5.1 Stakeholder groups to be consulted during this process include, but are not limited to:

NPL Standing Committee

State League Standing Committee

Amateur Standing Committee

Zone Representatives

NPL Senior Clubs

NPL Junior Clubs

Community Junior Clubs

Parents of Junior Players

State League Clubs

Women’s Standing Committee

Amateur League Clubs

Women’s Clubs

Broader Football Community

Local Government Authorities

WA Local Government Association

Department of Sport & Recreation

Football Federation Australia

6. Project administration, monitoring and reporting

6.1 Board Appointed Sub-Committee

The Board appointed sub-committee will meet monthly (or such other period as they determine) and report to the board through the submission of a written report.

6.2 The Project Reference Group

The Project Reference Group will meet fortnightly (or such other period as they determine) and report to the Board Appointed Sub-Committee through the submission of a written report prepared by the project manager.

Draft terms of reference for the Board Appointed Sub-Committee and the Project Reference Group will be developed.

7. In scope

The project will consider all aspects of the National Premier Leagues including matters that affect, but are not unique to the NPL. Some of the key considerations to be considered as part of the Strategy include, but are not limited to:

7.1 Design

(a) Number of NPL clubs (b) Licensing and Eligibility Criteria (c) Promotion and relegation (d) Women’s NPL (implementation, age groups) (e) Junior NPL (tiering, pathways)

7.2 Game day experience

(a) Number of spectators at NPL matches (b) Marketing and communications (c) Product quality (d) Facility standards (seating, AV, hospitality etc.)

7.3 Administrative demands (Football West and FFA)

(a) Technology and systems (b) Reducing volunteer burden (c) Compliance

7.4 Sustainability

(a) Player payment model and salary cap (b) Professionals vs amateurs

7.5 Player mobility

(a) Number of roster windows (b) Transfer deadline

7.6 Coaching qualifications

(a) Accreditation levels (b) Course design and delivery (c) Cost and availability

7.7 Governance requirements

(a) NPL Academy Tiers (b) Constitutions (c) NPL Compliance By-Law

8. Out of scope

Aspects of the NPL competition that are controlled by FFA are specifically excluded from the project. These include, but are not limited to the Player Points System, the rules for visa players and the structure of the national finals series. However, feedback on these issues will be provided to FFA for consideration at the national level.


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Appendix B

NPLWA Survey - Summary of Responses

NPLWA Surveys - Feedback Summary

General Information

Four surveys were distributed, targeting:

o JNPL Parents.

o JNPL Participants.

o SNPL Participants.

o Non-NPLWA Participants.

Open from March 31 to May 17.

Total = 211 responses.

Overall

Strong support for promotion and relegation across the surveys; some support for

geographic split among those not involved in the NPLWA.

General agreement across the surveys that junior NPLWA is about development.

Most in the NPLWA were not concerned with travel distance– when NPLWA participants did

have an issue with travel, this was generally with travel to matches and not their club.

A number of open comments criticised the 2017 junior NPLWA structure.

Some disagreement between parents and junior participants regarding whether or not NPL

should be separate from community competitions.

Fees were raised as an issue for both seniors and juniors, BUT juniors also highlighted

inadequate quality of football; whereas seniors highlighted inadequate quality of coaching

and facilities.

While there is support for attracting skilled coaches, there is disagreement over whether or

not they should have B licence minimums.

Parents of Juniors

Parents place their children in the NPL because they see it as a better development pathway

with a better standard of football. Most see the main purpose as developing an elite

pathway.

The further you travel to your club, the greater the likelihood that you think NPL should be

separate from community competitions.

People who travel further are also more likely to support increasing coach accreditation.

JNPL Participants

Support for splitting the groups based on the previous season’s performance.

Considerably more disagreement than the parents that JNPL should continue to be separate

from community competitions.

SNPL Participants

Some agreement that the NPLWA should be expanded to multiple divisions.

Strong disagreement that the salary cap achieves its purpose.

o The reasons for this were concerns that it lacks oversight and personal beliefs

against limiting payments.

o Younger participants were less likely to support the salary cap.

More people supported a WNPL than those who do not – younger respondents were more

likely to support a WNPL than older respondents.

Agreement that the NPLWA Night Series should continue.

Non-NPLWA Participants

Largest single group of respondents participated in the State League.

Satisfaction with their current competition was the largest reason why respondents did not

join the NPLWA.

More people disagreed than agreed that joining the JNPL is worth the time, money and

effort.

Interest in the NPLWA driven by higher standard of football, better coaching and access to a

better development pathway.

The largest reason why people wouldn’t join the NPLWA was fees.

The largest group was unsure whether or not FW provides enough support for clubs to join

the NPLWA.

Participation in the State League was associated with the view that Football West does not

provide enough assistance to clubs wanting to enter the NPLWA. It was also associated with

the view that coach accreditation should be increased.

Satisfaction with Travel Distances, including Insights Respondents

Note: All figures are expressed as percentages of the total number of respondents to each question.

Distance Travelled to Club

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

JNPL Parents JNPL Participants

SNPL Participants

Insights Respondents

(Players)


(Parents)

0-10km

11 - 20km

21 - 30km

More than 30km

Maximum Distance to Matches

Satisfaction with Travel Distance

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

JNPL Parents JNPL Participants

SNPL Participants


(Players)


(Parents)

0-10km

11 - 20km

21 - 30km

31 - 60km

61 - 100km

More than 100km

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Percent Satisfied with Distance to Club

Percent Satisfied with Distance to Matches

Documents

National Premier Leagues Strategy Development Project …footballwest.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Full-NPL-Report.pdf · National Premier Leagues Strategy Development Project