WA Women's Football League EqualisationFriday, February 7, 2014 - 10:11 AM

The West Australian Women’s Football League has implemented a player points system and set stricter zoning rules to create a more level playing field for the competition.

The new measures were developed and endorsed by the WAWFL Board after diagnostics and planning forums identified that an uneven competition was a major issue facing the league.

WAWFL President Carolyn Hills said the new system is a major milestone for the League and a first for women’s competitions in Australia.

“With the system ready for the 2014 season, we are confident this initiative will yield positive outcomes for the League in years to come,” Hills said.

Equalisation will also better prepare the WAWFL for the proposed national women’s competition in 2020 and create more sustainable WAWFL clubs.

AFL Female Football Manager Jan Cooper congratulated the WAWFL on implementing the strategy.

“Building strong and sustainable clubs will produce a State League that's competitive and provide challenging games for all participants,” she said.

“Having a strong District model to work within will also ensure League players will begin connecting more strongly with their local club.”

West Australian Football Commission General Manager Game Development Warren Nel said the WAFC was also fully supportive of the equalisation strategies being implemented by the WAWFL.

“The WAFC sees this as an important step forward for the WAWFL in growing female football in the state and ensuring the league is well placed to achieve equitable competitions now and in the future,” Mr Nel said.

The key aims of the equalization strategy are to:

• Equalise the competition by ensuring an equal distribution of talent identified players
• Steady the number of talent identified players receiving transfers and playing outside their zone to ensure talent identified players are spread throughout the competition
• Reward clubs who have successfully instigated and developed junior competitions and player pathways
• Reward quality clubs that have developed strong cultures and have been able to retain players
• Reward clubs that develop players from within their District boundary
• Ensure that the welfare of players is paramount through regulating the number of games a talent identified player can play on one weekend
• Discourage clubs playing talent identified players in both League and Reserves.

There is an allocation of twenty four (24pts) for the Club and twenty two (22pts) for the League team list for each round of competition. Points are based on preceding two years.

For a club that has reached, or is over, their total points allocation, they are permitted to play their 2013 registered players given they do not receive any player transfers of talent identified players for the 2014 season.

Player point values may also be reduced for individual players that have shown loyalty with five or more years of service to the same club.

Click the following link to view the full WAWFL Equalisation document - 2014 WAWFL Equalisation System