The Ukrainian Amateur Football Championship () is an annual association football open competition in Ukraine among amateur teams. The competition is administered by the Ukrainian Association of Amateur Football (AAFU). The tournament is an open competition allowing any amateur team to participate. Although not the ultimate, it is one of the feeders of the Ukrainian football league system.

The championship replaced the Soviet competitions among collectives of physical culture (KFK). Since its introduction in 1964, the tier has been organized as a multi-group competition with regional grouping. During the Soviet period, the number of participants fluctuated between 18 in 1967 and 94 in 1990 and 1991 seasons. Following the independence, the number of participants also fluctuated between 14 in 2010 and 91 in 1994-95.

Competition organization

Qualification There are no requirements or restrictions on the number of representatives from each region, and participation is voluntary and/or by invitation. There is no relegation. The pool of teams, competition organization, and season regulations are reviewed on an annual basis.

The majority of teams participating in the Ukrainian Amateur football championship also compete in their respective regional (oblast) football championships. The number of groups was reduced, and their size was increased, yet to the point where the participating teams were still able to compete in their respective regional competitions.

Current format As part of the effort to reintegrate the competition into the national league system, the competitions changed back again to a fall-spring calendar in 2016, synchronizing the competition's calendar with professional-level championships. Since the recent reorganization in 2016, the competition format has still preserved its 2 phases: The first being several multi-group stages divided by geographic principle, The second is a play-off among the group leaders to identify the season champion.

The group stage is formed of a pool of teams that play one another in a standard double-round-robin tournament, which spans from fall to spring. The playoffs, usually played in June, consist of two match legs, except for the final.

Promotion to the Druha Liha (PFL League 2) All participating teams may apply to be admitted to Druha Liha (third tier), regardless of their placement in a given season of the amateur championship. The Druha Liha is the lowest tier of the professional three-tier league pyramid structure.

Previous format Before 2016, the format also consisted of multiple stages: the early stages being a multi-group stage with smaller groups, and the final stage was a two-group tournament of four teams in each group. The first group stage was played in a double round-robin tournament, while the second group stage was played in a single round-robin tournament on the stadiums of one of the second stage participants. The top two winners of each group played one another in the final. The tournament was played from spring to fall.

Historical overview Competitions in Soviet Ukraine (competitions among KFK teams) In 1964, two different championships were established: one among teams of masters (Soviet analog for professional teams) and another among collectives of physical culture (Soviet acronym KFK as representatives of "mass sports", fizkulturniks). The very first championship among KFK included 26 participants and originally consisted of 5 to 6 groups based on geographic principle. Each group consisted of 8 to 10 teams and later grew to around 16. All teams within their own groups played each other home and away games as per the round robin principle. Each group's winners advanced to the finals, which were conducted at a predesignated location with a single round robin tournament.

The original (first) members represented each region in Ukraine (oblast):

Enerhiya Nova Kakhovka Strila Zaporizhzhia Kolhospnyk Ukrayina Torpedo Mykolaiv Shakhtar Krasnyi Luch Suputnyk Poltava Start Chuhuyiv Elektron Romny Avanhard Ordzhonikidze

Mashynobudivnyk Druzhkivka Shakhtar Vatutine Dnipro KremHES (Svitlovodsk) Burevisnyk Vinnytsia Podillia Kamianets-Podilskyi Torpedo Odesa Kolhospnyk Kitsman Avanhard Pryluky

Prohres Berdychiv Spartak Bila Tserkva Voskhod Kyiv Tekstylnyk Rivne LVVPU SA I VMF Budivelnyk Khust Khimik Kalush Druzhba Chortkiv Lokomotyv Kovel

Since 1970 the number of participants in each group was about 4–5 teams. Since then it grew to a full-pledged league-like pool of participants.

Competitions in independent Ukraine The Soviet format stayed until 1997, when there was created the Association of Amateur Football of Ukraine (AAFU).

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, amateur competitions were shifted to the fall/spring calendar. The group winners, however instead of continuing to the final pool as before, were actually promoted to intermediate level, so called "Transitional League" which existed for just several years as a semi-professional tournament.

In 1996 and 1997 there took place a reorganization of all competitions under auspices of the Football Federation of Ukraine. Clubs that were competing at professional level, in 1996 organized the Professional Football League of Ukraine. The national amateur competitions were reorganized as AAFU. In 1997 the competition format also changed and there was reintroduced the final pool to identified the national winner of the amateur competition. The new format basically consisted of two stages with a final tournament chosen in the preselected city as previously in the Soviet competition. The size of groups was reduced as the number of teams decreased. In 1999, the competition calendar changed back to spring-fall competition so called all-summer event from the "european" fall/spring calendar.

In 2000 the league competitions changed again introducing extra stage (third) to avoid sudden withdrawals and eliminate financially suffering teams. In 2005 it was decided to eliminate the final game while still continue with the final tournament. In 2008 another change followed, which reduced the format back to two stages, however that did not solve the problem to increase the number of teams in the competition.

In 2010 there was an idea to incorporate the Amateur Association into the PFL as the Third League, eliminating the national amateur competition. The 2010 season also saw a record low number of participants in the competition, a pattern that might eliminate the association naturally in any case, due to poor management.

In 2016 it was decided to change back to fall-spring calendar with intention to reincorporate the amateur tier back to the Ukrainian football league structure. The competition in 2016 was shortened and later that year there started new season 2016–17. Number of groups has been reduced and number of teams in each group was increased, thus turning competitions into a true league competitions. Also the PFL announced that all clubs will be required to participate in the amateur tier before being admitted to professional level. Yet the declaration was left to be as empty and some teams were allowed to skip the amateur tier on various dubious excuses. Another declaration of the PFL stating that the league will expunge the last placed teams has been consistent, yet more than often teams relegated from professional level were simply liquidated by owners.

Notable clubs There are former amateur and KFK teams that eventually made it to the Ukrainian Premier League.

FC Mariupol (former Lokomotyv Zhdanov), Stal Kamianske (former Metalurh Dniprodzerzhynsk), Nyva Ternopil (former Nyva Berezhany), Torpedo Zaporizhzhia, Naftovyk Okhtyrka, Vorskla Poltava, Kremin Kremenchuk, Stal Alchevsk (former Stal Komunarsk), Kolos Kovalivka, FC Mynai, Inhulets–Pyatykhatska Petrove, Rukh Lviv–Vynnyky

There are several clubs that competed at competitions for physical culture teams and later the AAFU amateur league for over 15 seasons.

Shakhtar Sverdlovsk (23 seasons), Lokomotyv Znamyanka (22), Metalurh Kupyansk (22), Avanhard Lozova (18), ODEK Orzhiv (18), Shakhtar Oleksandriya (18), Bilshovyk Kyiv (17), Khimik Kalush (17), Naftovyk Dolyna (16), Sokil Lviv (16), Tytan Armyansk (16), Refryzherator Fastiv (15), Sokil Berezhany/Pidhaitsi (15).

The season's final match stadiums Starting from 2001, the season of the AAFU league competition ends with the season's final. Sometime after the 2015 season Bannikov Stadium became more traditional stadium of choice for the match. The first stadium where the first final match was played in 2001 is Avanhard Stadium in Luhansk. Bannikov Stadium, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Umanfermash Sports Complex (Illichivets Stadium), 2009, 2016 Avanhard Stadium (Luhansk), 2001 Olimpiyskiy Stadium (Kakhovka), 2002 Enerhetyk Stadium (Severodonetsk), 2003 Khimik Stadium (Slovyansk), 2004 Ivan Stadium, 2005 Lubny Tsentralnyi Stadion, 2006 Mizhshkilnyi Stadium, 2007 Kitsman Miskyi Stadion, 2008 Zatys Stadium, 2010 Yunist Stadium (Kolomyia), 2012 Dinaz Stadium, 2013 Vinnytsia Tsentralnyi Stadion, 2014 Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex, 2017

Winners

In bold are identified clubs that were granted professional status and were promoted to the Ukrainian Second League. ‡ – winners of the Ukrainian Amateur Cup

Association of Amateur Football of Ukraine (AAFU) SeasonChampionRunner-up2025–26Ahrotekh TyshkivkaKormil Yavoriv192024–25Dnister ZalishchykyAtlet Kyiv202023–24Ahrotekh TyshkivkaProbiy Horodenka202022–23Druzhba Myrivka ‡Shturm Ivankiv15 SeasonZone1st place2nd place2021–221Ahron Velyki Hayi10292Nyva Buzova103Motor Zaporizhzhia9 SeasonChampionRunner-up2020–21LNZ Cherkasy ‡Viktoriya Mykolaivka322019–20Viktoriya MykolaivkaEpitsentr Dunaivtsi332018–19VPK-Ahro ShevchenkivkaViktoriya Mykolaivka352017–18Viktoriya MykolaivkaTavriya-Skif Rozdol262016–17Ahrobiznes VolochyskMetalist 1925 Kharkiv242016Balkany ZoriaAhrobiznes Volochysk242015Balkany ZoriaRukh Vynnyky162014Rukh VynnykyAF Pyatykhatska ‡212013ODEK OrzhivRukh Vynnyky232012Karpaty KolomyiaLokomotyv Kupiansk182011Nove ZhyttyaPutrivka242010Myr Novotroitsk RaionZvyahel-750 Novohrad-Volynskyi142009Yednist-2Torpedo Mykolaiv182008FC LuzhanyTorpedo Mykolaiv252007Bastion IllichivskYednist-2 Plysky ‡242006Shakhtar SverdlovskHran Buzova202005Ivan OdesaFeniks-Illychivets Kalynine162004KZEZO Kakhovka ‡Slovkhlib Slovyansk252003Molniya SieverodonetskKZEZO Kakhovka312002KZEZO KakhovkaFakel-HPZ Varva282001Shakhtar LuhanskMonolit Kostiantynivka352000HPZ VarvaNizhyn341999Dnister OvidiopolTekhno-Centre Rohatyn241998–99Dynamo LvivKrystal Parkhomivka ‡351997–98Enerhetyk BurshtynDalis Kamyshevakha30

FFU Amateur Football League Decrease in number of participants trifold in 1995 and introduction of final tournament instead of simple single final group in 1996. SeasonZoneChampionRunner-up1996–97Elektron RomnyCementnyk-Khorda Mykolaiv331995–961Pokuttia Kolomyia4262Zoria Khorostkiv53Paperovyk Malyn44Fakel Varva45Avanhard Kramatorsk46Portovyk Kerch51994–951Khimik Kalush13912Haray Zhovkva133Obolon-Zmina Kyiv164Sportinvest Kryvyi Rih165Dynamo Slovyansk166Portovyk Illichivsk171993–941LAZ Lviv14872Advis Khmelnytskyi123Transimpeks Vyshneve154Avanhard Rovenky155Metalurh Novomoskovsk146Tavriya Novotroitsk17

KFK competitions of Ukraine Competitions shifted to fall–spring system instead of spring-fall (summer) system and missed half of the season. There was no final group of six group winners as in previous season and all group winners were announced as champions. SeasonZoneChampion1992–931Beskyd Nadvirna13822Khutrovyk Tysmenytsia133Hart Borodianka144Sirius Zhovti Vody145Oskil Kupiansk146Surozh Sudak14

KFK competition of Ukrainian SSR In bold identified teams that were admitted to professional level (became teams of masters) the following season. ‡ – winners of the Ukrainian football cup among KFK