Football West has rationalised both its Competition Rules and Regulations and its Disciplinary and Grievance Regulations to make the processes more efficient.
This comes after Football West engaged independent expert advisors Sports Advisory Partners Australia (SAPA) to review its rules and regulations, including:
- Competition Management Regulations
- NPLWA Competition Rules
- Community Competition Rules and Annexures 1-13
- Match Scheduling Policy
- Grievance and Disciplinary Regulations
Moving forward, the documents will be easier to read and should avoid repetition and address any inconsistencies. It will also make disciplinary operations more practical while still ensuring procedural fairness.
Once the review was completed, all major changes were shared with the relevant Standing Committees for consultation.
Competition Rules and Regulations
Football West competitions have operated under the NPLWA Competition Rules, followed by the Community Competition Rules and the separate Competition Annexures.
SAPA has consolidated these regulations into one document to remove inconsistencies and duplication of clauses. This enables Football West to identify and resolve gaps and any lack of clarity in the Competition Annexures.
The Competition Rules apply to all Football West senior elite, community and youth competitions, including leagues and cups.
These are structured so that rules which apply across all competitions are addressed once. Competition-specific variations are then listed in Part H of the 2026 Competition Rules.
Clubs can now navigate the new structure via a single document, first by consulting the generally applicable rules, then checking any specific rules relevant to their competition. This has allowed Football West to considerably condense competition-related regulations.
Disciplinary and Grievance Regulations
The Football West Disciplinary and Grievance Regulations have been reviewed to ensure alignment with Football Australia’s National Disciplinary and Grievance Framework and bring them in line with general sports disciplinary and integrity practices.
The Disciplinary and Grievance procedure has become burdensome for clubs, players and Football West. This has impacted Football West’s ability to address individual cases.
The new structure of the Disciplinary and Grievance Regulations will appear different to those familiar with it, with meaningful changes outlined in the Summary of Changes document. However, the substance of the regulations remains the same. Matters covered by the National Disciplinary Regulations and/or National Code of Conduct and Ethics are not repeated, to avoid inconsistencies whenever rules change.
The Disciplinary and Grievance Regulations apply to all players, affiliated clubs and their officials and associates, affiliated associations and their officials, and match officials. They can also apply to spectators, however, clubs are still liable for the behaviour of their spectators.
All updated documents can be found on the Football West website here.
- Summary of Key Rule Changes
- Competition Operating Regulations
- Disciplinary & Grievance Regulations
If you have any questions, please contact us via email at: competitions@footballwest.com.au or integrity@footballwest.com.au