The 2016 Ukrainian Football Amateur League season was the 20th since it replaced the competition of physical culture clubs. It started on 16 April 2016.Start of the Amateur championship of Ukraine is planned on April 16. AAFU website. 9 April 2016
There were 24 teams competing during the season which consisted of two phases, the first phase was a group stage with six groups of four teams and the second phase was a final playoff stage. All group winners and two best second placed teams advanced to playoffs which started from quarterfinals.
The last season winner Balkany Zorya were the defending champions.
Teams Newly admitted former professional clubs: Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih (1957 as Dzerzhynsky Mine Administration), Metalurh Zaporizhia (1952) These clubs last played at an amateur level when the Football Championship of the Ukrainian SSR was held among manufacturing teams before 1959. In 2017, MFC Zhytomyr adopted the heritage of Polissya Zhytomyr, which also last played at an amateur level in 1958 as Avanhard.
Returning/reformed clubs Nyva Ternopil (returning, last played season in 1982 as Nyva Berezhany) Teplovyk Ivano-Frankivsk (returning, last played season in 2003) Nyva-V Vinnytsia (returning, last played season in 2006 as Nyva-Svitanok) Kolos Khlibodarivka (returning, last played season in 2013) Podillya Khmelnytskyi (returning, last played season in 2014)
Debut List of teams that are debuting this season in the league.
Ahrobiznes Volochysk FC Lutsk FC Vradiyivka
Chaika Petropavlivska-Borshchahivka FC Malynsk MFC Zhytomyr
Hirnyk Sosnivka Sudnobudivnyk Mykolaiv
Inhulets-2 Petrove FC Voloka
Withdrawn List of clubs that took part in last year competition, but chose not to participate in 2016 season.
Kolos Zachepylivka VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka
Mal Korosten
Opir Lviv
Rukh Vynnyky
Locations
First stage
Group 1
Top goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals(Pen.)1 Roman HusakMFC Zhytomyr42 Vitaliy BryksaFC Malynsk3 Mykola BuiHirnyk Sosnivka3
Group 2
Notes: Game ODEK-Voloka failed to take place, ODEK was awarded technical victory (3:0).
Top goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals(Pen.)1 Viktor HazytskyiODEK Orzhiv4 Vitaliy HrushaODEK Orzhiv43 Yan MorhovskyiPodillya Khmelnytskyi3
Group 3
Top goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals(Pen.)1 Andriy DonetsAhrobiznes Volochysk52 Bohdan OrynchakTeplovyk Ivano-Frankivsk3
Group 4
Top goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals(Pen.)1 Oleksandr PetrukYednist Plysky62 Ruslan PalamarZhemchuzhyna Odesa4
Group 5
Notes: Game Avanhard-Inhulets-2 failed to take place, Avanhard was awarded technical victory (3:0).
Top goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals(Pen.)1 Oleh KramarenkoFC Vradiyivka3 Ihor DudnykTavria-Skif Rozdol3
Group 6
Top goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals(Pen.)1 Serhiy PlatunovBalkany Zorya4 Mykola ZlatovBalkany Zorya43 Kyrylo KyrykKolos Khlibodarivka3
Playoffs Teams qualified Balkany Zorya (21 May), Yednist Plysky (28 May), Tavria-Skif Rozdol (28 May), FC Malynsk (29 May), ODEK Orzhiv (29 May), Ahrobiznes Volochysk (29 May), Zhemchuzhyna Odesa (29 May), FC Vradiyivka (29 May)
Bracket
Quarterfinals The stage draw took place on 6 June 2016 in the FFU House of Football. Games were played on 11/12 and 15/18 June 2016.Quarterfinal draw of the Ukrainian championship of amateurs. UA-Football. 6 June 2016
Notes
Semifinals Games were played on 25/26 June and 2/3 July 2016.Demyanchuk, O. Amateur championship. Semifinalists are determined (Аматорский чемпионат. Определились полуфиналисты). UA-Football. 18 June 2016 The draw took place on 20 June 2016 in the House of Football.There took place a draw of semifinals games of the 2016 Ukrainian championship playoff among amateur teams (Відбулося жеребкування матчів 1/2 фіналу плей-офф чемпіонату України серед аматорських команд 2016 року). AAFU website. 20 June 2016
Championship final
Top goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals(Pen.)1 Mykola TemnyukFC Ahrobiznes Volochysk42 V.KyrylovFC Balkany Zorya2
Promotion On 2 June 2016, FFU issued professional licenses to most of clubs of the Professional Football League of Ukraine, while some clubs were given additional time to apply. Among the clubs that received licenses were five former amateur clubs. Following amateur teams were awarded professional licenses for the 2016–17 Ukrainian Second League: FC Balkany Zorya, FC Nyva-V Vinnytsia, FC Podillya Khmelnytskyi, FC Rukh Vynnyky, and FC Zhemchuzhyna Odesa.Mykolaiv, Sumy, Poltava, Inhulets, Bukovyna, and Krystal yet to receive licenses. UA-Football. 2 June 2016 On 17 June 2016, the Professional Football League of Ukraine (PFL) announced that FC Metalurh Zaporizhia also was allowed to compete at the Second League. After the PFL Conference on 24 June 2016, the Second League might be also able to accept FC Illichivets-2 Mariupol and FC Inhulets-2 Petrove. On 15 June 2016, three more clubs were given extension by the FFU Executive Committee to apply for professional licenses, among which are FC Sudnobudivnyk Mykolaiv, FC Teplovyk Ivano-Frankivsk, and FC Lutsk.There are determined newbie and candidates for the Second League. Professional Football League of Ukraine. 17 June 2016
Number of teams by region Number Region Team(s)2Avanhard Kakhovka, Kolos KhlibodarivkaAhrobiznes Volochysk, Podillia KhmelnytskyiSudnobudivnyk Mykolaiv, FC VradiivkaBalkany Zorya, Zhemchuzhyna OdesaFC Malynsk, ODEK OrzhivNyva-V Vinnytsia, FC VinnytsiaMetalurh Zaporizhia, Tavria-Skif Rozdol1Yednist PlyskyFC VolokaKryvbas Kryvyi RihTeplovyk Ivano-FrankivskInhulets-2 PetroveChaika Petropavlivska BorshchahivkaHirnyk SosnivkaNyva TernopilFC LutskMFC Zhytomyr
References
External links AAFU Calendar of competitions. AAFU website. 17 April 2016 2016 season regulations. AAFU website. 17 April 2016 AAFU discussed possibility of transitioning to a new format. Football Federation of Ukraine. 25 February 2016. Order of conducting the All-Ukrainian competitions among amateur teams soon might change. AAFU website. 24 February 2016