The A-League is an association football (soccer) league which is the top division in Australia and New Zealand. It was established in 2004 as a replacement to the National Soccer League and started in August 2005. Unlike professional soccer leagues in most of the rest of the world, the A-League has what is called a "franchise" system—the same teams play in the league each year, unless a team drops out of the league on its own, or the league decides to add one or more new teams. This system is normal for pro sports leagues in Australia, as well as in the United States and Canada.