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1. GOVERNANCE
Football Australia Constitution (current as of 24 March 2025)
Football Australia Board Charter
2. REGISTRATION, PLAYER STATUS AND TRANSFERS
3. GRIEVANCE AND DISCIPLINARY
4. ARBITRATION AND TRIBUNALS
| Judicial Bodies By-Law | Judicial Bodies By-Law Application Form |
| National Arbitration Tribunal Regulations | National Arbitration Tribunal Application Form |
| National Dispute Resolution Chamber Regulations |
5. INTEGRITY
6. WHISTLEBLOWER
7. FOOTBALL AGENTS
Information for Football Agents
8. EVENTS AND MATCHES
9. OTHER POLICIES AND DOCUMENTS
10. NATIONAL REGISTRATION FEE
Each year, the Football Australia Board reviews the National Registration Fees (NRF) to ensure they continue to support the effective delivery of our national programs and services. The NRF has increased only once over the past 5 years.
The changes for 2026 reflect a modest increase to ensure Football Australia can deliver essential national programs, services, and resources that benefit all participants and clubs across the country.
These include:
- Access to national player and match official pathways, creating opportunities for talent identification and progression.
- Delivery of national teams and championships, including the Emerging Matildas, Emerging Socceroos, and Futsal Nationals.
- Implementation of the Member Protection Framework (MPF), safeguarding the safety, dignity, and inclusion of all participants.
- Accreditation and education programs for coaches and referees.
- The Club Changer program helps clubs strengthen governance, inclusion, and sustainability.
- Development and maintenance of national digital systems – Play Football (registration) and GameDay (competition management).
- Long-term reinvestment into grassroots football and facilities.
- Access to Football Australia partner offers and incentives for registered participants and clubs.
How the registration fee works:
- The |NRF is a small component of your registration fee. The modes increase in the 2026 NRF is designed to ensure the minimal impact on junior participation and senior participation.
- Most of your fee stays at your club — supporting the coaches and facilities you see every week.
- The national fee is not profit — it funds shared services that no single club could deliver alone.
- Board-approved NRF changes for the 2026 season our outlined below.
Changes to the NFR since 2020
| Prices Including GST | | | ||||||
| Outdoor Category | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | | $ Increase from base fee |
| MINIROOS/YOUTH | $14.00 | $14.00 | $14.00 | $14.00 | $14.50 | $15.00 | | $1.00 |
| SENIOR | $33.00 | $33.00 | $33.00 | $33.00 | $34.00 | $35.00 | | $2.00 |
| PROFESSIONAL | $67.50 | $67.50 | $67.50 | $67.75 | $67.75 | $70.00 | | $2.50 |
| REFEREES | | | $4.00 | $4.00 | $4.00 | $4.40 | | $0.40 |
| FUTSAL YOUTH | | $3.15 | $3.15 | $3.15 | $3.15 | $5.00 | | $1.85 |
| FUTSAL SENIOR | | $5.25 | $5.25 | $5.25 | $5.25 | $10.00 | | $4.75 |
Key registration dates
- 5pm (AEDT) October 7th, 2025 – Women’s Professional Player Registrations Open
- December 1st, 2025 – NPL Registrations Open
- January 1st, 2026 – Community Registrations Open
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Player Registration Fees and the National Registration Fee (NRF) for Football Australia
Football Australia (FA) acknowledges the vital financial contribution of players and referees to the game through their payment of the National Registration Fee (NRF). The aim of the following information is to increase transparency and better inform our valued stakeholders about the NRF and registration fees more broadly.
1. Who determines the Player Registration Fee?
Player Registration Fees are usually comprised of four components; however, this varies depending on the State or Territory in which the player participates:
- National Registration Fee (NRF) charged by Football Australia (FA)
- Member Federation Levy charged by Member Federations (MF)
- Association or Zone Levy charged by the administrators of local competitions and MiniRoos
- Club Fee imposed by the player’s club
The various football bodies largely have the autonomy to determine their component of the total Player Registration Fee.
2. Why do club fees vary?
Clubs determine the fees imposed on their players. Clubs are run independently and incur variable costs which must be covered. Examples of variable costs incurred by clubs include uniforms, apparel, equipment, facility hire and maintenance, coaches’ costs and additional insurances not included within the Member Federation program. The National Registration Status and Transfer Regulations (NRSTR’s) allow clubs to charge a reasonable fee provided it discloses all fees, levies and charges in the National Online Registration System (PlayFootball) and reflects actual expenses related to a player’s participation in a competition. FA relies on MFs to ensure club fees are reasonable. Please contact your club if you have any questions about how the club fee is determined and the inclusions.
3. What is Football Australia’s role?
Football Australia is the national federation and peak governing body for Football in Australia and the Australian member of FIFA and AFC. FA is subsequently responsible for the regulation, organisation, promotion and administration of football throughout Australia. FA is also recognised by the Australian Sports Commission as the National Sporting Organisation (NSO) of Football. FA employs professionals who lead the growth, development and promotion of the game nationally and internationally.
4. What is the National Registration Fee (NRF)?
The NRF is a mandatory fee collected by Football Australia as part of a player’s annual registration for sanctioned football in Australia. First introduced in 1989 at $1.00 per player, it was created to provide reliable funding for Australia’s national teams and grassroots programs, which could not rely solely on commercial revenue (match-day, sponsorship, broadcasting). The NRF is essential for sustaining national teams, programs and grassroots development. FA continually seeks ways to infrastructure and to directly benefit members, support grassroots and community facilities and infrastructure, and help grow football nationwide. For these reasons, the NRF is critical.
5. What is the approved National Registration Fees for 2026
| Category | 2025 NRF (incl. GST) | 2026 NRF (incl. GST) |
| Club Football – Player (Youth) | $15.00 | $18.00 |
| Club Football – Player (19+) | $35.00 | $42.00 |
| Club Football – Referee | $4.40 | $5.00 |
| Club Football – Pro Player (Youth) | $70.00 | $73.00 |
| Club Football – Pro Player (19+) | $70.00 | $77.00 |
| Futsal – Player (Youth) | $5.00 | $5.00 |
| Futsal – Player (19+) | $10.00 | $10.00 |
6. What participants must register and pay the NRF?
All participants involved in organised football under Football Australia’s jurisdiction must register on National Online Registration System (PlayFootball) including players, coaches, referees, team managers, and volunteers. All participants outlined in the above table must pay the NRF at the point of registration as determined by Football Australia annually. Please refer to the National Registration Status and Transfer Regulations (NRSTR’s) for further information.
7. What does the NRF contribute to? The NRF supports FA’s national responsibilities, including:
- Junior National teams and Futsal for males and females.
- Club Changer, Football Australia’s National Club Development Program.
- Delivery costs of National championships, including Emerging Matildas, Emerging Socceroos and Futsal.
- Entry level Coaching and Referee accreditation and development.
- Development, maintenance and provision of the National Online Registration System (Play Football) and Competition Management System (Game Day)
- Development, maintenance and enforcement of Football Australia’s Member Protection Framework (MPF) comprising a comprehensive system of policies designed to safeguard the safety, dignity, and inclusion of all participants in the sport.
The NRF does not supplement any other administration costs, salaries and wages, and any costs related to Senior National Teams, Semi-Professional and Professional football.
8. How often is the NRF increased?
The NRF is reviewed on an annual basis by the Football Australia Board of Directors. Importantly, the NRF helps cover most costs in the areas it supports (youth teams, development, coaching and referees), but not all. FA continues to seek commercial revenue and government funding to fill the remaining gaps.
9. Do state and territory Member Federations also charge a registration fee?
Each of the nine (9) state/territory Member Federations sets and collects an annual Member Federation Fee. Please refer to the relevant Member Federation website below to learn more about their services and fees:
- Capital Football
- Northern NSW Football
- Football Northern Territory
- Football NSW
- Football Queensland
- Football South Australia
- Football Tasmania
- Football Victoria
- Football West
These usually cover items including, but not limited to:
- Local competition management
- Management and staff
- Development programs
- Insurance programs covering clubs, players, coaches, officials and volunteers
10. What value do participants and clubs get from paying the NRF?
By paying the NRF, participants and club’s gain:
- Access to national player and match official pathways
- Educational resources (coaching/refereeing)
- Club Changer program
- Long-term reinvestment into grassroots football and facilities.
- Development, maintenance and provision of the National Registration System (Play Football) and Competition Management System (Game Day)
- Development, maintenance and enforcement of Football Australia’s Member Protection Framework (MPF) comprising a comprehensive system of policies designed to safeguard the safety, dignity, and inclusion of all participants in the sport.
- Ability to receive Football Australia commercial partner offers and incentives.
11. When is the NRF collected?
At the time of registration, from 2025 it has been automatically collected via Football Australia’s National Online Registration System (PlayFootball)
12. Does the NRF include insurance?
No. Insurance is covered separately by the relevant Member Federation fee.
13. Can the NRF be refunded?
Yes, please refer to the Football Australia Refund Policy to learn more.
If you have any questions in regard to the NRF, please contact reception@footballaustralia.com.au