VAFA Update: Relegation & Promotion

The VAFA Board met last night to consider promotion and relegation following the end of the 2021 season. Please see the following updates:

• The VAFA will award minor premiership cups to the club that occupied first position at the conclusion of the 2021 home and away season in all men’s and women’s competitions.
• The VAFA will not apply VAFA Rule 13, VAFA Rule 13A or VAFA Schedule E (regarding promotion and relegation for Men’s competitions and Women’s Premier competitions) when determining final section structures for season 2022.

With only 11 rounds played out of a total 18 possible rounds (61%) in the Men’s Premier, Divisional and Under 19 competitions, and 10 rounds played out of a total 14 possible rounds (71%) in the Women’s competitions, the final ladder positions for season 2021 do not truly reflect a fair and equitable fixture for all clubs to warrant promotion and relegation occurring.

In lieu of this, the VAFA will adopt a promotion and relegation club application process to determine final section structures for season 2022 for all Men’s competitions and Women’s Premier competitions where a promotion and relegation system usually applies (as per VAFA Rule 13, VAFA Rule 13A or VAFA Schedule E). This process is set out on page 2 of this document below. Clubs who occupy one of the two lowest positions or one of the four highest positions in each provisional section structure for 2022 (as set out in page 3 of this document) will receive an online application form today which will close on Friday 1^st October at 5:00pm.

• A decision on provisional 2022 section structures for Division 3 Men’s, Division 4 Men’s and Under 19 Men’s will be delayed. Communication to clubs will be ongoing.
• The Women’s William Buck Premier section will increase from 8 teams to 9 teams and 14 matches to 16 matches (18 rounds in total) for season 2022. This is the first step in the soon to-be-released three-year VAFA Women’s Football Competition Game Plan. The game plan, which aims to maximise participation and development opportunities for female footballers in the VAFA across a three-year period, will be formally released to clubs this off-season along with final 2022 section structures for all remaining sections of the women’s competition.
• The VAFA will announce the final 2022 section structures for William Buck Premier Men’s – Division 2 Men’s and William Buck Premier Women’s by no later than Friday 8 October.

Promotion and Relegation Club Application Process

Based on provisional section structures (as set out in page 3 of this document below), the VAFA will determine final section structures for season 2022 using the below process for all Men’s competitions and Women’s Premier competitions where a promotion and relegation system usually applies (as per VAFA Rule 13, VAFA Rule 13A or VAFA Schedule E):

• The two teams occupying the lowest two positions in each provisional section structure for 2022 may request in writing to the VAFA to be relegated to the next lowest section
• The four teams occupying the highest four positions in each provisional section structure for 2022 may request in writing to the VAFA to be promoted to the next highest section

Clubs will only be relegated if:

• • They occupy one of the two lowest positions in a provisional section structure for 2022
  • They have requested in writing to the VAFA to be relegated to the next lowest section
  • At least one of the four teams occupying the four highest positions in the next lowest provisional section structure for 2022 have requested in writing to the VAFA to be promoted to the next highest section

Clubs will only be promoted if:

• • They occupy one of the four highest positions in a provisional section structure for 2022
  • They have requested in writing to the VAFA to be promoted to the next highest section
  • One or both of the two teams occupying the two lowest positions in the next highest provisional section structure for 2022 have requested in writing to the VAFA to be relegated to the next lowest section, noting that the club occupying the highest position in the next lowest provisional section structure will be given first opportunity to be promoted, and then the second opportunity will be granted to the club occupying the second highest position in the next lowest provisional section structure and so forth and so forth down to the club who finished in the fourth highest position on the ladder

• No more than two teams relegated out of each section
• No more than two teams promoted out of each section
• The VAFA Board reserves the right at its discretion to make case by case changes to section structures for club and VAFA sustainability purposes

Download the full VAFA statement