Following today’s fixture release, we can also share further information about the upcoming Ninja A-League season courtesy of the Australian Professional Leagues (APL).
Your Mariners will kick-off their title defence on November 2nd, hosting Adelaide United in the first of five Double Headers at Our Paradise, with many more tasty-looking fixtures to add to your calendar.
Key Dates:
The Ninja A-League will kick off on Friday 31 October, with a 22-round regular season.
The Finals Series will begin on the weekend of 24-26 April, culminating in the Ninja A-League Grand Final 2026 to be held on the weekend of 15-17 May.
Commenting on the season ahead, Stephen Conroy, APL Executive Chairman said: “The Ninja A-League has established itself as the top ranked league in Asia and the proven pathway for our next generation of national team heroes.ˮ
“Last season, 22 Ninja A-League Women players were called up to CommBank Matildas squads from nine clubs, and this season again provides another fantastic opportunity for players to break through and stake their claim as stars of the future.ˮ
“Weʼre lucky to have an incredible group of footballers and role models across our league who continue to inspire the next generation of fans, players and coaches in our sport, and we look forward to another memorable season.ˮ
Competition overview
The Ninja A-League 2025/26 season will be played across 22 rounds, with each club playing 20 home and away fixtures, plus two bye rounds, following Western United FC being placed into conditional hibernation.
The 2026 Finals Series will follow last seasonʼs format with the top six sides qualifying. Week one of the Finals will see third face sixth, and fourth take on fifth in two Elimination Finals. The two winners will advance to a two-legged Semi Final against the top two sides, with the winners qualifying for the Ninja A-League Grand Final 2026.
AFC Womenʼs Asian Cup 2026
The Ninja A-League 2025/26 season will also see a two-week pause from late February to mid March for the AFC Womenʼs Asian Cup. The domestic competition will return on 13 March during the knock-out stages of the continental tournament to maximise continuity for the majority of players and to avoid fixture congestion.
Working closely with Football Australia and the local organising committee for the AFC Womenʼs Asian Cup, the APL has ensured that all Ninja A-League Women matches played during the knock-out stages will be played at a different time, in a different market, to avoid any clash with Asian Cup fixtures and maximise cross-promotional opportunities.
The Ninja A-League Women season will also observe the October, February and April FIFA international windows, with the Ninja A-League women again playing up to five matches through the November window.
Family-friendly fixtures:
The 2025/26 fixture has also taken into account club, partner and fan feedback to ensure more games can be played at more family-friendly times, and where possible, avoid simultaneous kick-offs and clashes with grassroots football.
The seasonʼs fixture has also seen a reduction in double-headers. This has been a concerted effort from Clubs and the league to tie these to select, marquee matches only, and to increase the number of standalone fixtures to develop uniquely A-League Womenʼs match day experiences and bring fans closer to their heroes in smaller venues.
There has also been a continued effort to minimise the number of simultaneous kick-offs across each round allowing fans to enjoy as many matches as possible every weekend.
Engaging more fans across Australia and New Zealand
Paramount Australia remains the exclusive home of Australian football for the 2025/26 season with football fans across Australia able to enjoy access to a mountain of football with every single A-Leagues match available to stream live on Paramount+.
Building on the success of last season, Network 10 and naming rights partner Shark Ninja, have teamed up again to continue to elevate the womenʼs game with select Ninja A-League games to be shown on free-to-air across 10 Drama (formerly 10 Bold) in season 2025/26.
The APL, Network Ten and Shark Ninja are working through the free-to-air opportunities to maximise cross-promotional opportunities and will confirm the specifics fixtures shortly. Last season, the Ninja A-League reached over 900k Australians on 10 and Paramount+, and on 10 streaming (formerly 10 Play) and Paramount+ the league had over 1 million stream starts across the 2024/25 season.
For New Zealand fans, Sky remains the exclusive home of the Ninja A-League Women. For season 2025/26, matches will broadcast live on Sky Sport, Sky Sport Now and Sky Go, and selected A-Leagues games will be available to watch free-to-air on Sky Open.
Ninja A-League season broadcast notes, include:
- Every Ninja ALeague match will be made available live on 10 streaming and Paramount+.
- This season, select Ninja ALeague matches will be broadcast live and free on 10 Drama.
- Minis, highlights and replays available to stream exclusively on Paramount+.
- In New Zealand, matches will be broadcast live on Sky Sport, Sky Sport Now and Sky Go, with select games available to watch free-to-air on Sky Open. Substitution Changes: Following a successful trial in the 2025 Final Series, this Ninja ALeague season Clubs will be able to select six substitutes per match; one nominated goalkeeper and up to five outfield Players. Within this provision of six Players, the FIFA Laws of the Game permit that, a maximum of five Players can be replaced at one of three permitted substitution opportunities. Regulations factored into fixturing: The ‘Summer Periodʼ, which was extended by a month in 2024/25, will remain in place from early December – Round 6 – through to mid-March – Round 21 – to avoid teams playing through the hottest part of the day in the cities prone to extreme heat across these months.
During the ‘Summer Periodʼ there will be no 3pm kick off times, with all matches kicking off from 5pm local time – with the exception of a few matches due to time zones and broadcast commitments.
Following an off-season analysis on weather patterns across Australia and New Zealand, the ‘Summer Periodʼ will be slightly shorter in Newcastle and Victoria running from Round 7 to 18, where temperatures historically do not exhibit extreme temperatures for as long. Given the cooler climate in Wellington, there is no ‘Summer Periodʼ factored into the New Zealand schedule.
The A-Leagues Heat Policy, recognised as a conservative policy by international standards, remains part of each matchʼs operational assessment and will be implemented for any match in or outside the ‘Summer Periodʼ where extreme weather conditions may present a risk for players and the comfort of fans.
To find out more about A-Leagues, visit: www.aleagues.com.au
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