Kedah United F.C.

The Malaysia A3 Community League ( Malay: Liga A3 Community, previously known as the Malaysia M5 League) is a group of leagues that make up levels 4 to 9 of the Malaysian football league system.

The league was created in 2018 as a part of the Malaysian Football League’s plan to reform the domestic football structure. It consists of various state FA, community and social leagues.

Overview

The state football league systems consists of a pyramid of leagues, bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. A certain number of the most successful clubs in each league can rise to a higher league, whilst those that finish at the bottom of their league can find themselves sinking to lower leagues. In addition to sporting performance, promotion is usually contingent on meeting criteria set by the higher league, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances.

The top four levels contain one division each and are nationwide in scope. Below this, the levels have progressively more parallel leagues, which each cover progressively smaller geographic areas. Many leagues have more than one division. At the lower levels the existence of leagues becomes intermittent. There are also leagues in various parts of the country which are not officially part of the system as they do not have formal agreements with the football associations and are run by independent organizers.

Clubs from state leagues may, if they feel they meet the appropriate standard of play and have suitable facilities, apply to join a league which does form part of the system.

State level competition

A state level competition is contested in 13 different states and three federal territories in Malaysia. While some states have an active league with a multiple divisions, others might be dormant or might only have a short duration cup competition in its place. The reason for the lack of a proper league system in some states and federal territories are due to the lack of proper management, marketing and funding from the football association in charge.

District level competition

A district level competition is contested among clubs in the districts located in each state in Malaysia. It is run by the district football associations. Only certain districts currently have known and active leagues or cup competitions in place.

Establishment and format

* Community-based leagues: Each state, district, or city runs its own A3 Community League under the supervision of the Amateur Football League (AFL).
* These leagues can be branded differently depending on the region — like Melaka A3 Super League, Kelantan Champions League, Putrajaya A3, etc.
* The leagues run independently in their zones, but follow a unified guideline for promotion eligibility to Malaysia A2 Amateur League.

Match format

Group Stage

* Teams are divided into groups (pools) of 4–8 teams.
*Single round-robin or double round-robin:
**Each team plays every other team in its group once (single) or twice (double).
**3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss.

Knockout Stage

* Top teams from each group advance to quarterfinals or semifinals.
* Single elimination matches — if tied, usually settled by:
** Extra time
** Penalty shootout (depending on league rules)

Final

* Winners of semifinals meet in the Grand Final to decide the league champion.
* In some leagues, there’s also a 3rd/4th place match.

League system

Champions

See also

* Malaysia Super League
* Malaysia A1 Semi-Pro League
* Malaysia FA Cup
* Malaysia Cup
* FAM Football Awards
* Football in Malaysia

References

{{AFC fourth leagues

History of football in Malaysia
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