Current format

Since the recent reorganization in 2016, the competition format still preserved its 2 phases:

• the first being several multi-groups stage divided by geographic principle,
• the second is a play-off among the groups leaders to identify the season champion.

The group stage is formed of a pool of teams that play one another in standard double round-robin tournament which spans from fall to spring. The playoffs played usually in June consist of two match legs, except for the final.

As the effort to reintegrate the competition into the national league system, the competitions changed back again to fall-spring calendar in 2016 synchronizing the competition's calendar with professional-level championship. All participating teams may apply to be admitted to Druha Liha (third tier) irrelevant to their placement in a given season of the amateur championship. The Druha Liha is the lowest tier of the professional three-tier league pyramid structure.

Before 2016, the format also consisted of multiple stages: the early stages being multi group stage with smaller groups, the final stage is a two-group tournament of four teams in each group. The first group stage was played in double round-robin tournament, while the second group stage was played in a single round-robin tournament on stadiums of one of the second stage participants. The top two winners of each group played one another in the final. The tournament was played from spring to fall.

Competitions in Soviet Ukraine (competitions among KFK teams)

Since in 1964, there were established two different championships one among teams of masters (Soviet analog for professional teams) and another among collectives of physical culture (Soviet acronym KFK as representatives of "mass sports", fizkulturniks). The very first championship among KFK originally consisted of 5 to 6 groups based on geographic principle. Each group consisted of about 8-10 teams and later grew to around 16. All teams within own groups played each other home and away games as per round robin principle. Each group winners were advancing to finals which were conducted at predesignated location with a single game round robin tournament.

The original (first) members were:

Since 1973 the winner of that final tournament was granted an opportunity to advance to the Soviet Second League.

Competitions in independent Ukraine

The Soviet format stayed until 1997, when there was created the Association of Amateur Football of Ukraine (AAFU).

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, amateur competitions were shifted to the fall/spring calendar. The group winners, however instead of continuing to the final pool as before, were actually promoted to intermediate level, so called "Transitional League" which existed for just several years as a semi-professional tournament.

In 1996 and 1997 there took place a reorganization of all competitions under auspices of the Football Federation of Ukraine. Clubs that were competing at professional level, in 1996 organized the Professional Football League of Ukraine. The national amateur competitions were reorganized as AAFU. In 1997 the competition format also changed and there was reintroduced the final pool to identified the national winner of the amateur competition. The new format basically consisted of two stages with a final tournament chosen in the preselected city as previously in the Soviet competition. The size of groups was reduced as the number of teams decreased. In 1999, the competition calendar changed back to spring-fall competition so called all-summer event from the "european" fall/spring calendar.

In 2000 the league competitions changed again introducing extra stage (third) to avoid sudden withdrawals and eliminate financially suffering teams. In 2005 it was decided to eliminate the final game while still continue with the final tournament. In 2008 another change followed, which reduced the format back to two stages, however that did not solve the problem to increase the number of teams in the competition.

In 2010 there was an idea to incorporate the Amateur Association into the PFL as the Third League, eliminating the national amateur competition. The 2010 season also saw a record low number of participants in the competition, a pattern that might eliminate the association naturally in any case, due to poor management.

In 2016 it was decided to change back to fall-spring calendar with intention to reincorporate the amateur tier back to the Ukrainian football league structure. The competition in 2016 was shortened and later that year there started new season 2016–17. Number of groups has been reduced and number of teams in each group was increased, thus turning competitions into a true league competitions. Also the PFL announced that all clubs will be required to participate in the amateur tier before being admitted to professional level. Yet the declaration was left to be as empty and some teams were allowed to skip the amateur tier on various dubious excuses. Another declaration of the PFL stating that the league will expunge the last placed teams has been consistent, yet more than often teams relegated from professional level were simply liquidated by owners.

Notable clubs

There are former amateur and KFK teams that eventually made it to the Ukrainian Premier League.

FC Mariupol (former Lokomotyv Zhdanov), Stal Kamianske (former Metalurh Dniprodzerzhynsk), Nyva Ternopil (former Nyva Berezhany), Torpedo Zaporizhzhia, Naftovyk Okhtyrka, Vorskla Poltava, Kremin Kremenchuk, Stal Alchevsk (former Stal Komunarsk), Kolos Kovalivka, FC Mynai, Inhulets–Pyatykhatska Petrove, Rukh Lviv–Vynnyky

There are several clubs that competed at competitions for physical culture teams and later the AAFU amateur league for over 15 seasons.

Shakhtar Sverdlovsk (23 seasons), Lokomotyv Znamyanka (22), Metalurh Kupyansk (22), Avanhard Lozova (18), ODEK Orzhiv (18), Shakhtar Oleksandriya (18), Bilshovyk Kyiv (17), Khimik Kalush (17), Naftovyk Dolyna (16), Sokil Lviv (16), Tytan Armyansk (16), Refryzherator Fastiv (15), Sokil Berezhany/Pidhaitsi (15).

Stadiums

(Finals)

• Bannikov Stadium, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• Umanfermash Sports Complex (Illichivets Stadium), 2009, 2016
• Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex, 2017
• Vinnytsia Tsentralnyi Stadion, 2014
• Dinaz Stadium, 2013
• Yunist Stadium (Kolomyia), 2012
• Zatys Stadium, 2010
• Kitsman Miskyi Stadion, 2008
• Mizhshkilnyi Stadium, 2007
• Lubny Tsentralnyi Stadion, 2006
• Ivan Stadium, 2005
• Khimik Stadium (Slovyansk), 2004
• Enerhetyk Stadium (Severodonetsk), 2003
• Olimpiyskiy Stadium (Kakhovka), 2002
• Avanhard Stadium (Luhansk), 2001

Association of Amateur Football of Ukraine (AAFU)

FFU Amateur Football League

Decrease in number of participants trifold in 1995 and introduction of final tournament instead of simple single final group in 1996.

KFK competitions of Ukraine

Competitions shifted to fall–spring system instead of spring-fall (summer) system and missed half of the season. There was no final group of six group winners as in previous season and all group winners were announced as champions.

KFK competition of Ukrainian SSR

In bold identified teams that were admitted to professional level (became teams of masters) the following season.
‡ – winners of the Ukrainian football cup among KFK

Top scorers

Winners by club

• Statistic as of 2023

Note

• KZEZO stands for Kakhovkan Plant of Electro-Welding Equipment (Kakhovsky Zavod Elektro-Zvariuvalnoho Obladnannia).
• The first team of Yednist-2 also participated in the competition and once placed the third. That team currently competes on the professional level. On the club level at this level of competition Yednist have titles of a winner, a runner, and two of the third place.

Winners by region

• Statistic as of 2023

More information Region, CoA ...

Region	CoA	Winners	Runners-up	Third place	Winning clubs
Luhansk Oblast		7	5	1	Avanhard Rovenky (twice), Shakhtar Sverdlovsk, Shakhtar Stakhanov, Molniya Sieverodonetsk, Shakhtar Luhansk, Shakhtar Kirovsk
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast		7	1	0	Kolos Nikopol, Sportinvest Kryvyi Rih, Metalurh Novomoskovsk, Sirius Zhovti Vody, Kolos Pavlohrad, Metalurh Dniprodzerzhynsk, VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka
Kherson Oblast		6	4	1	Enerhiya Nova Kakhovka (twice), KZEZO Kakhovka (twice), Tavriya Novotroitsk, Myr Hornostayivka
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast		6	1	2	Khimik Kalush, Pokuttia Kolomyia, Karpaty Kolomyia, Enerhetyk Burshtyn, Beskyd Nadvirna, Khutrovyk Tysmenytsia
Odesa Oblast		6	0	0	Balkany Zoria (twice), Bastion Illichivsk, Ivan Odesa, Dniester Ovidiopol, Portovyk Illichivsk
Lviv Oblast		5	3	3	Rukh Vynnyky, Sokil Lviv, Dynamo Lviv, Haray Zhovkva, LAZ Lviv
Sumy Oblast		5	3	0	Viktoriya Mykolaivka (twice), Elektron Romny, Avtomobilist Sumy, Naftovyk Okhtyrka
Donetsk Oblast		5	0	0	Novator Mariupol (twice), Avanhard Kramatorsk, Dynamo Sloviansk, Shakhtar Makiivka
Chernihiv Oblast		4	2	5	HPZ Varva (twice), Yednist-2 Plysky, Khimik Chernihiv
Kyiv Oblast		4	1	1	Transimpeks Vyshneve, Hart Borodianka, Dynamo Irpin, (Nyva Buzova), Druzhba Myrivka
Ternopil Oblast		3	4	0	Nyva Berezhany, Druzhba Buchach, Zoria Khorostkiv, (Ahron Velyki Hayi)
Poltava Oblast		3	1	1	Kremin Kremenchuk, Vorskla Poltava, Nove Zhyttia Andriyivka
Cherkasy Oblast		3	0	1	Dnipro Heronymivka (twice), LNZ Cherkasy
Kharkiv Oblast		2	2	2	Mayak Kharkiv, Oskil Kupiansk
Khmelnytskyi Oblast		2	1	0	Advis Khmelnytskyi, Ahrobiznes Volochysk
AR Crimea		2	0	1	Okean Kerch, Surozh Sudak
Kyiv		2	0	1	Obolon-Zmina Kyiv, SKA Kyiv
Sevastopol		2	0	0	Metalist Sevastopol (twice)
Zaporizhzhia Oblast		1	1	2	Torpedo Zaporizhzhia, (Motor Zaporizhzhia)
Zakarpattia Oblast		1	1	0	Karpaty Mukacheve
Rivne Oblast		1	0	6	ODEK Orzhiv
Chernivtsi Oblast		1	0	1	Luzhany
Zhytomyr Oblast		1	0	0	Paperovyk Malyn

Close

Championship winners that never turned professional

• FC Ivan Odesa
• FC Karpaty Kolomyia
• FC Luzhany
• FC Nove Zhyttia Andriivka
• FC ODEK Orzhiv
• FC Zoria Khorostkiv (group winner)

Teams with the biggest number of seasons ("Most loyal teams")

In parentheses seasons in the Football Federation of the Ukrainian SSR before 1959 and year the first appearance

• 23 – Shakhtar Sverdlovsk (1957, 3)
• 22 – Metalurh Kupiansk, Lokomotyv Znamianka (1948, 2)
• 18 – Shakhtar Oleksandria (1948, 6), ODEK Orzhiv, Avanhard Lozova
• 17 – Khimik Kalush (1956, 3), Bilshovyk Kyiv (1952, 1)
• 16 – Tytan Armyansk, Naftovyk Dolyna, Sokil Lviv
• 15 – Refryzherator Fastiv, Sokil Berezhany
• 14 – Vostok Kyiv, Radyst Kirovohrad
• 13 – Lokomotyv Smila, Kirovets Makiivka, Avanhard Rovenky, Frehat Pervomaisk, Silmash Kovel, Prohres Berdychiv
• 12 – Pivdenstal Yenakiieve, Pokuttia Kolomyia (including Silmash), Lokomotyv Kupiansk (1949, 1), Naftovyk Okhtyrka (including Naftovyk-2)
• 11 – Yednist Plysky (including Yednist-2 Plysky), Avanhard Kramatorsk (including Bliuminh in 1936, 16), Shakhtar Dzerzhynsk, SC Kakhovka, Torpedo Mykolaiv (1958, 1)

1992–2020

2020–present