Soccer in the Australian Capital Territory is predominantly amateur with a local, interstate, national and international history. Soccer in the ACT is organised and administered by Capital Football and involves teams from within the ACT and surrounding NSW regions, Monaro, Southern Tablelands and Riverina.
Participation Registered players 2019 2023/24 25,905Ausplay Snapshot by State 2023 28,916
National competition Current Canberra United FC (CUFC) compete in the elite national women's competition, the A-League Women (formerly known as the W-League). CUFC was established in 2008 by Capital Football and is one of eight founding members of the league. United is the only A-League Women team not affiliated with an A-League Men team.
Since 2014, Canberra, through Capital Football, has been granted one qualification place for the round of 32 of every FFA Cup annual national tournament. The Capital Football Federation Cup is the qualification process for ACT clubs to qualify for the FFA Cup, with the winner of the Cup qualifying. As of 2018, the following ACT teams have qualified and competed in the FFA Cup:
ACT (Capital Football) FFA Cup all-time recordRepresentativeResultRoundsSeasonTeamEnteredPosition 2014 Tuggeranong United Round 32 Round 16 Won 5–4 (South Hobart) Lost 0–6 (Melbourne Victory) – – – 2015 Gungahlin United Round 32 Round 32 Lost 0–1 (Sydney Olympic) – – – –2016 Canberra Olympic Round 32 Semi finals Won 1–0 (Surfers Paradise) Won 2–0 (Redlands United) Won 1–0 (Green Gully) Lost 0–3 (Sydney FC) –2017 Canberra Olympic Round 32 Round 32 Lost 1–0 (Sorrento FC) – – – –2018 Canberra FC Round 32 Round 32 Lost 1–4 (Broadmeadow Magic) – – – –2019 Tigers FC Round 32 Round 32 Lost 0–2 (Hume City) – – – –
Central Coast Mariners (CCM), in an effort to secure the Canberra region as a catchment for the regional team, but has moved home A-League fixtures away from their normal stadium in Gosford to Bruce Stadium in Canberra in both 2009 and 2016. During the 2009–10 A-League season, CCM played Perth Glory in September and Adelaide United in October at Bruce Stadium in front of crowds ranging from 5,100 and 5,500. In 2016, CCM entered into an agreement with the ACT Government to play Wellington Phoenix and Adelaide United in Canberra during the 2016–17 season. The Phoenix was chosen due to Canberra and Wellington's sister-city partnership. Adelaide United was chosen as they were the defending champions of the A-league at the time. Both matches were coordinated with Canberra's W-League team, Canberra United, to create double header match-day events.
Central Coast Mariners Canberra A-League MatchesDateTime (UTC+11)Home teamAway teamGroundAttendance4 September 200920:00Central Coast Mariners 2–1 Perth Glory Bruce Stadium 5,19331 October 200919:00Central Coast Mariners 0–0 Adelaide United Bruce Stadium 5,43712 November 201617:35Central Coast Mariners 0–2 Wellington Phoenix Bruce Stadium 5,4975 February 201717:00Central Coast Mariners 2–1 Adelaide United Bruce Stadium 5,072
Previous Former NSL clubs Two Canberra clubs have competed in the now defunct National Soccer League (NSL). Canberra City (then known as Canberra Arrows) competed in the NSL between 1977 and 1986 and Canberra Cosmos between 1995 and 2001. The Queanbeyan based Capital Football affiliated club, Inter Monaro (now known as Monaro Panthers) also competed in the NSL between 1985 and 1986. All three clubs shared limited success in the NSL but the Arrows did attract Australian national team legend Johnny Warren as manager of the club during this period as well as giving then future Socceroo and national team manager Frank Farina his first senior soccer debut. The Cosmos attracted the Australian national team captain at the time, Paul Wade, when they joined the NSL as well as nurturing a number of future Socceroos including Jason Polak, Robbie Hooker, John Markovski, Nik Mrdja, Lindsay Wilson and Vince Grella. The Cosmos were also led by Sport Australia Hall of Famer and former national team manager, Rale Rasic for two seasons.
Former Women's NSL clubs The Canberra Eclipse competed in the Women's National Soccer League from formation in 1996 till folding in 2004. The team played home matches out of West Belconnen Leagues Club and the AIS in Belconnen. Similar to the other five teams in the national competition, the Eclipse had an alternative name, the ACT Academy of Sports. The Canberra Eclipse won the league in 2001–02, beating NSW Sapphires 1–0 in the grand final. Canberra also finished runner-up in 1998–99 when the Eclipse lost 0–2 to SASI Pirates. Australian internationals, Lisa Casagrande and Caitlin Munoz both won league Golden Boots in 98–99 and 01-02 respectively in Eclipse jerseys. Other Australian internationals to represent the Eclipse include Ellie Brush and Amy Taylor.
Failed A-League4Canberra bid In July 2008 TransACT CEO, Ivan Slavich, formally established the A-League4Canberra bid organisation along with other key local business identities. The organisations goal was to obtain an A-league licence for the Canberra region. The A-League4Canberra bid officially launched 11 December 2008 at Jerrabomberra Primary School, headed by Ivan Slavich alongside Canberra United player Ellie Brush and Member for Eden-Monaro, Mike Kelly. A-League4Canberra quickly secured ACT Government support for their bid in 2009 with the ACT Labor Government committing $2.5 million towards the bid. Former Canberra-born Australian internationals, Ned Zelic and Carl Valeri signed on to become founding members and spokespeople of the organisation. The bid signed 2000 members, raising $5 million as it gathered capital to meet FFA bid criteria. In 2009 and 2011 Canberra's bid was overlooked by FFA in its initial rounds of league expansion in favour of now defunct North Queensland Fury, Gold Coast United and Sydney Rovers. When the Sydney Rovers bid collapsed the A-League4Canberra organisation again submitted a bid for inclusion in the league, however the FFA again overlooked the bid in favour of establishing its own team in Western Sydney that would become Western Sydney Wanderers. On 10 May 2012, after its failed attempts and FFA's announcement that expansion beyond ten teams was on hold for the foreseeable future, the A-League4Canberra bid organisation's CEO, Heather Reid, announced the organisation would cease efforts to gain an A-league licence for the Canberra region, would wind-up operations and refund founding members monies.
Local competition Capital Football operates and administers all local competitions in the ACT for senior men and women and junior girls and boys.
Junior The ACT breaks its junior structure and league system up into Miniroo (formally Rooball) for early development and junior league soccer for teenagers. The junior elite pathway comes under the banner of the NPL. Miniroo is for Under 5/6 to Under 12s age groups, the soccer is non-competitive and focused on player development Boys Junior Leagues is for boys between the ages of 13 and 17 years, with division 1–3 in most age groups Girls Junior Leagues is for girls between the ages of 13 and 17 years, with divisions 1–2 in most age groups NPL elite pathways for both boys and girls in age groups u13, u14, u16 and u18
Senior History The first senior soccer match played in the ACT was played in 1910 between Ginninderra and Yarralumla. The match was played at the Ginninderra showgrounds and came about because Ginninderra locals wanted to play a different sport from the already established Rugby Union. The visiting Yarralumla team won the match 1–0.
League system The ACT senior men's competitions are generally run between April and September each calendar year. The league system is amateur in nature with a few semi-professional exceptions. The system consists of a pyramid of leagues, headed by three single divisions that do not encompass promotion and relegation, instead league licences to compete are granted by Capital Football. However, divisions 1–6 are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. The most successful club in each league rises to a higher league, whilst the club that finishes at the bottom of their league finds itself sinking down a level. Division 7–10 are open leagues for casual/social players. All leagues contest a regular season and conclude with a finals series.
The ACT senior women's competitions are generally run parallel to the men's with the competition running between April and September each calendar year. The league system is amateur in nature. The system consists of a pyramid of six leagues that do not encompass promotion and relegation, instead league licences to compete are granted by Capital Football. All leagues contest a regular season and conclude with a finals series.
Leagues structure The ACT men's league structure is broken into thirteen league levels, at the top is the single division of National Premier Leagues Capital Football (Level 1, which is often referred to as the “top flight”), containing ten teams, of which, as of 2017, seven are based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, with the final three based in the New South Wales towns of Queanbeyan, Cooma and Griffith. One of the teams, FFA Centre of Excellence, is an age restricted youth academy, which is ineligible for the finals series. Below The NPL is the Capital Football State League structure of twelve leagues (Levels 2 to 13). The Capital League (Level 2) and The Capital League Reserves (Level 3) both contain eight teams each. State League Division 1–6 (Level 4–9) are competitive divisions that are restricted to ten teams but may sometimes contain less than ten teams. Divisions 7–10 (Level 10–13) have no limits on competing teams and are open for inclusion submissions.
ACT Men's League StructureLevelLeague(s)/Division(s)1NPL Capital Football 1 8 clubs ↓ 1 relegations2Capital Premier League 8 clubs ↑ 1 promotions3Division 1 10 clubs ↓ 1 relegations4Division 2 10 clubs ↑ 1 promotions ↓ 1 relegations5Division 3 10 clubs ↑ 1 promotions ↓ 1 relegations6Division 4 10 clubs ↑ 1 promotions ↓ 1 relegations7Division 5 10 clubs ↑ 1 promotions ↓ 1 relegations8Division 6 10 clubs ↑ 1 promotions9Division 7 14 clubs Open10Division 8 12 clubs Open11Division 9 12 clubs Open12Division 10 12 clubs Open
The ACT women's league structure is broken into six league levels, at the top is the single division of Women's National Premier League Capital Football (Level 1, which is often referred to as the “top flight”), containing eight teams, of which, as of 2017, seven are based in Canberra, ACT and one based in Queanbeyan, NSW. Below the NPL is The ACT State League women's structure. This structure is broken into five leagues, at the top of the system is Division 1 (Level 2, sometimes referred to as Women's Capital League), containing 9 clubs, of which, as of 2016, eight are based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory and one is based in Goulburn, NSW. Divisions 2 to 5 (Level 3–6) contain between 8 and 10 teams each with thirty-four clubs coming from Canberra and two coming from NSW, Queanbeyan and Yass.
ACT Women's League StructureLevelLeague(s)/Division(s)1Women's NPL Capital Football 8 clubs1Division 1 (Women's Capital League) 9 clubs2Division 2 10 clubs3Division 3 9 clubs4Division 4 9 clubs5Division 5 8 clubs
Cup competition