It is no secret that a unified system for conducting amateur competitions at the regional level has never existed in Ukraine. Therefore, the majority of these competitions have been conducted under the "spring-autumn" system.
Photo: D. BalashovMeanwhile, professional football in Ukraine operates under the "autumn-spring" system, as does the Championship of the Children and Youth Football League of Ukraine.
The issue of bringing all football competition systems in the country to unified standards was on the agenda of the Assembly of Regions of UAF.
The rational need to transition to a unified competition structure in Ukrainian football has been long overdue. Discussions about this have taken place for many years, but there have been no results or decisive actions in this direction.
For reference: the overwhelming majority of European countries (almost 80%) play under the "autumn-spring" system, and only 12 football associations that are members of UEFA conduct competitions under the "spring-autumn" scheme. Our regions are distributed in a similar way, but in a mirror reflection: 75% of them play under the "spring-autumn" system, while the rest play "autumn-spring". Currently, competitions are held in 20 regions of Ukraine. Only five of them play under the national professional football system. During the assembly discussions, some associations announced their intention to transition to the new system right now, so this number will increase.
What will our football as a whole gain from the implementation of unified standards for all competitions in Ukraine?
Firstly, we will have unified definitions of the sports season for the entire country—from July 1 to June 30.
Secondly, there will be a single system for all football competitions—"autumn-spring".
Thirdly, single transfer windows and a system for player transfers between teams and leagues will be approved for all participants in the competitions.
Regarding regional amateur competitions, this will allow for unquestionable compliance with the Regulations on the status and transfer of players.
This will also lead to simplified control over the number of transfers and help avoid numerous third registrations of players, which make their participation in competitions impossible until the end of the sports season. Unfortunately, such cases are not rare today.
All of this should contribute to the stability of the line-ups of competition participants. All regions of the country will play under a unified system, with common transfer rules for everyone.
Finally, this will allow the implementation of the principle of continuity of team participation in competitions throughout the sports season, which is mandatory, especially for professional football. Such stability should subsequently lead to an increase in the level of competitions in the regions.
The UAF fully understands the importance of regional amateur football. It is the foundation of national football, its roots. Therefore, changes in the competition system will be implemented gradually through the application of a so-called transitional period, the terms and duration of which will be discussed and approved.
The Assembly of Regions of UAF confirmed by its decision that despite the circumstances in which Ukrainian football operates today, it is still necessary to seek optimal and effective solutions that will make it more competitive and resilient to the impact of severe external factors.
