FIFA AND NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALL

FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) is the international governing body for football and has delegated its sporting powers in New Zealand to New Zealand Football (NZF).

NZF is one of 209 associations currently affiliated to FIFA. FIFA supports the associations financially and logistically through various programmes and grants them a number of attractive rights and privileges.

This also brings obligations and as a representative of FIFA, NZF must respect the statutes, aims and ideals of football’s governing body and promote and manage the sport accordingly.

FOOTBALL IN NEW ZEALAND

Football is one of New Zealand’s most popular sports, played in many forms through all seasons by males and females of all ages.

While also popular as a participation sport for adults, it has become New Zealand’s most popular participation sports for children aged 16 and under due to its high popularity among both boys and girls.

Football is traditionally a winter sport and local club football (and national cup competitions) continues to be played between late March and September, although New Zealand’s National Leagues for men, women and youth (men) are played in summer. Futsal, the FIFA-endorsed format of indoor football, is played all year round.

New Zealand Football, a member of both FIFA and OFC , is responsible for leading and governing the game at a national level but at a grass roots level football is delivered, in accordance with NZF’s vision for the game, by seven member federations with five covering the North Island and two covering the South Island.

There are approximately 500 football clubs in New Zealand, affiliated to New Zealand Football via one of its member federations, competing in local and in some cases cross-federation competitions.

The Premiership and the related Youth League are contested by franchises, and the National Woman’s League features federation representative sides.