Football Queensland have announced comprehensive reformat junior level for 2020 as they will commence with the de-coupling of the Football Queensland Premier League (FQPL) and the National Premier Leagues (NPL) Queensland junior and senior age groups.
A statement from the Football Queensland can be found here:
Forming part of a comprehensive and ongoing review into the structures and delivery of football competitions across Queensland, Football Queensland (FQ) can confirm the implementation of initial components of the reform will commence with the de-coupling of the Football Queensland Premier League (FQPL) and the National Premier Leagues (NPL) Queensland junior and senior age groups.
From the season commencing 2020, the de-coupled 13 -16 years age groups will be allocated separately to senior age groups (U18, U20, First Grade) at each club.
After consultation with clubs earlier this month, the decision has been made in the best interests of junior player development with the promotion and relegation of junior teams no longer decided by the finishing position of the senior team.
The changes will align the Queensland NPL competitions with those of other member federations including the NSW and Victorian NPL. Importantly, this reform strongly considers the stated football objectives of the new FFA Technical Director Rob Sherman.
A Technical Working Group will be established to make recommendations regarding the junior age groups as well as the final competition structure over the coming months. The Technical Working Group will be chaired by an FQ board member and consist of up to four NPL Queensland and four FQPL Technical Directors.
Consultation and input from club administrators will also be sought during the consultation process to support the implementation of the adopted recommendations with the objective to introduce any changes to the competition structure for the 2020 season.
Technical Directors interested in joining the Technical Working Group can express their interest via connore@footballqueensland.com.au by Wednesday, 4 September.