National Premier Leagues Northern NSW

The National Premier Leagues Northern NSW is a regional Australian Professional association football league comprising teams from Northern New South Wales. As a subdivision of the National Premier Leagues, the league sits at Level 1 on the Northern New South Wales league system (Level 2 of the overall Australian league system). The competition is administered by Northern NSW Football, the governing body of the sport in the northern region of the state (the southern region is mostly governed by Football NSW). Prior to 2014, the league was formerly known as the Northern NSW State Football League.

History
The league originally started with 12 teams, all with a first grade, reserve grade and youth grade team. The league was then downsized to 10 teams still with all three grades. For the 2009 season it was decided by Northern New South Wales Football (the governing body) to downsize the league once again to 8 teams in order to improve the quality and give local players a chance to enter the A-league through the competition. The teams competing in the 2009 season were decided on the second of September 2008, with Highfields Azzurri FC and Lake Macquarie City Roosters FC being relegated to the Northern NSW State League Division 1.

Teams were judged on criteria which included facilities/ground (30%), financial status (25%), management (20%), playing strength/coaching staff (15%) and development program (10%). An independent body, chaired by former NSW gaming minister Richard Face, was assigned to make the decision.

From the 2017 season onward the competition once again expanded to 11 teams with Lake Macquarie being promoted from the Northern NSW State League Division 1.

From the 2020 season onward the competition contracted back to 10 teams after Newcastle Jets Youth transferred into the NPL New South Wales structure, now playing in the NPL NSW 4 competition. The reason was because the Newcastle Jets and Northern NSW Football believed that transferring the Youth Jets to the Sydney-centred competition would help develop their youth players.

From the 2022 season onward the competition once again expanded to 11 teams with the inclusion of Cooks Hill United being promoted from the HIT Northern League One.

From the 2023 season onward the competition once again expanded to 12 teams with the inclusion of New Lambton being promoted from the HIT Northern League One.

Format
The competition consists of 12 teams from around the Newcastle, Hunter and Lake Macquarie area who each have a First Grade, and a reserves competing in the competition. All clubs also have a suite of youth teams (under 13, 14, 15, 16 and 18) competing in the Premier Youth League as part of the NPL NNSWF participation. A season takes place over 22 rounds, with each team playing each other at home and away. The team that finishes 1st at the end of 22 rounds is declared the minor premier. The top 5 teams at the end of 22 rounds contest in a finals series conducted under the following format, with the winner of the grand final being crowned as the NPL NNSW Champions:

Promotion & Relegation
From the 2024 season, there has been an re-introduction of promotion and relegation within NPL NNSWF and HIT Northern League One.


 * The team finishing bottom (12th) of NPL NNSW will be automatically relegated to HIT Northern League One.
 * The team finishing 11th will enter the promotion and relegation playoffs which will follow the following format:
 * Playoff Semi-final 1 (played over 2 home and away legs): NPL NNSWF 11th v 4th Northern League One
 * Playoff Semi-final 2 (played over 2 home and away legs): Northern League One 2nd v 3rd Northern League One
 * Playoff Final (played as one off match): Winner of Playoff Semi-Final 1 v Winner of Playoff Semi-Final 2
 * The winner of the Playoff Final will be included in the NPL NNSW for the following season, with the losing team competing in HIT Northern League One the following season.

Clubs
The following 12 clubs will compete in the National Premier Leagues Northern NSW for the 2024 season.