National Premier Leagues Victoria
The National Premier Leagues Victoria, commonly known as NPL Victoria, is a semi-professional soccer league in Victoria, Australia. The league is a part of the National Premier Leagues, and is the highest level within the Victorian soccer league system, serving jointly as the second tier within the overall Australian pyramid.
| Organising body | Football Victoria |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1908 |
| First season | 1909 (as Victorian Amateur League) 2014 (as NPL Victoria) |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Victoria |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Relegation to | Victoria Premier League 1 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Australia Cup Dockerty Cup FV Community Shield |
| Current champions | Avondale (2023) |
| Current premiers | Avondale (2023) |
| Most championships | South Melbourne (10 titles) |
| Most premierships | Green Gully (4 titles) |
| TV partners | NPL.TV |
| Website | nplvictoria.com.au |
Administered by Football Victoria, NPL Victoria is the latest iteration of first division competitions in the state. Historically known as the Victorian State League and later as the Victorian Premier League, the league was first founded in 1908 as the Victorian Amateur League and would soon become the Victorian First Division. It adopted its current branding in 2014, following Football Federation Australia's 2012 National Competition Review.
NPL Victoria is contested by 14 clubs. Running from February to September each year, the league sees teams play 26 regular season fixtures, once at home and once away against each other club. The first-placed team at the conclusion of the regular season is termed the "premier". The top six-placed clubs then play a knock-out finals series, with the winner becoming the "champion". The bottom-placed teams operate a system of promotion and relegation with the division below, NPL Victoria 2.
The league premier qualifies as Victoria's representative in the national finals series, whilst the champion plays against the Dockerty Cup winner in the FV Community Shield.