Arucian Football Association
| Most recent season or competition: 2022 Arucian Football Association Season | |
 | |
| Formerly | National Football Association (1940-1944) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Arucian football |
| Founded | May 11, 1940 |
| President | Henri Richard |
| No. of teams | 32 |
| Countries | Ardesia Aucuria Bonaventure Carucere Eldmark Île d'Émeraude Imagua and the Assimas Sainte-Chloé Satucin |
| Most recent champion(s) | AFF Vaxholmen (2021) |
| Most titles | FC Sainte-Chloé (7 Finals) |
The Association Arucien de Football (Arucian Football Association), commonly abbreviated as the AAF, is the preeminent international professional men's competition of Arucian football. Through the AAF Commission, the AAF also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the game. Founded in 1940 as the National Football Association, after five Arucian football clubs from Sainte-Chloé and Carucere jointly founded the organization in order to codify the rules of the game and organize professional competitions. The association's inaugural season began the following year. Under the United Provinces, in 1945 the association adopted its current name and added two teams from Bonaventure and Imagua and the Assimas the following season. Teams from Aucuria's, Eldmark, Satucin's Arucian islands joined during the 1980s. Other teams from the countries of Île d'Émeraude, Ardesia, and TBD would be added after 1978.
The Association currently consists of 32 teams spread over nine countries, with matches taking place in all participating countries. During each AAF season, each team plays 12 regular series games, popularly known as the Coconut League, which runs during the dry season (January to June). The team with the best record after the regular series is awarded the "minor premiership". The top twelve teams then play off in a four-round series known as the Coupe Arucian, culminating in the Arucian Final; the Final winner is awarded the Champions Trophy. Since the league's founding in 1940, there has been a total of 81 seasons and 40 Coupe Arucians and Finals. Of these games, FC Sainte-Chloé has won a record seven Finals. The most recent champion is the AFF Vaxholmen, who defeated the Canicule Suns in the 2021 Final.
The Arucian Football Association is one of the two main sport leagues in the Arucian, the other being the Arucian Baseball League. Although the league, along with the sport, is confined to the Arucian and the surrounding countries, it is widely popular across the region. The sport and the association is strongly associated with the Arucian and the AAF is considered to be one of the region's defining cultural institutions. It is the most popular sport in Carucere and Île d'Émeraude and has a significant presence in Sainte-Chloé, Ardesia, Bonaventure, and Imagua and the Assimas. In addition the league also has a presence in the Arucian islands of Aucuria, Satucin, and Eldmark. The Association is governed by the AAF Commission, which is responsible for the administration of AAF competitions and for controlling the rules of Arucian football. The Association is officially a publicly held nonprofit corporation whose shares are held by over a million people across the Arucian and it is governed by its member clubs' fans.
Organisation
Governance
The Arucian Football Association is collectively owned by the members of all clubs in the AAF who each own a share of the organization. A share of AAF stock does not include an equity interest, does not pay dividends, cannot be traded, and has no protection under securities law. However they are given voting rights, an invitation to the corporation's annual congress, season-ticket purchasing privileges, and an opportunity to purchase exclusive merchandise. Shareholders elect delegates, based upon club affiliation, to the AAF Congress, the supreme legislative body of the organization. Originally the Congress solely consisted of indirectly elected members appointed by its member clubs, but reforms in the 1990s expanded the franchise to all shareholders. The Congress has the authority to elect the members of the AAF Commission and its President as well as remove them from office as it sees fit.
The AAF Commission is the main decision-making body of the organization between the sessions of the AAF Congress. The Commission simultaneously functions as a board of directors by supervising the the activities of the Association, as the governing body of the game by regulating the competitions it oversees, and as the governing body that oversees the rules of the sport. In addition to its regular members appointed by the Congress, the Commission also includes representatives from several affiliated associations such as the AAF Players Association, AAF Coaches Association, and the AAF Owners Association. The Commission is lead by the President who is also the official head of the organization. The Commission consists of various departments that oversees all aspects of the organization.
Teams
The AAF is comprised of 32 teams: 9 from Sainte-Chloé, 6 from Bonaventure, 5 from Île d'Émeraude, 4 from Ardesia, 2 from Carucere, Eldmark, Satucin, and Imagua and the Assimas, and 1 from Aucuria. The league has no system of promotion and relegation. The teams are divided into four divisions of seven teams each, and matches are played in a round robin system, where all teams play against all twice in a season. The divisions are the National, Western, Central, and East. After 12 rounds of regular season games every week, the best 4 standing teams in each division will qualify to the AAF Championship, a knock-out stage that goes from round-of-16 to the Final; a third-place match is also played prior to the final.
*