The under-20s division, which already allows five over-age players per team, will revert to reserve grade after an in-principle agreement between FFA, NNSWF and clubs.

The loss of an open-age reserve grade, and stalwarts it helped foster, had been a bugbear of clubs in recent years as the burden on volunteers has grown.

FFA, though, had insisted on an under-20s division directly underneath NPL first grade until a recent meeting.

A minimum requirement of under 20s players in each reserve grade side may still be imposed but Eland it could also be "totally open slather".

"It's been an issue since the NPL started, and like a lot of issues, Northern NSW was caught in the middle," Eland said. "The FFA management of the day made it very clear that it had to be 20s with five over-age players, but a lot of clubs were unhappy. It's good that through this review process, the FFA have conceded this point.

"It's all about flexibility and this is where club philosophies will become very clear. It will be clear which clubs will want to develop youth, and there will be others that will be more than happy to have over-age players."

A relaxing of accreditation requirements for youth assistant coaches and move away from a set licensing period for clubs are other changes for the 2020 NPL.

Club have until the end of the month to apply for an NPL licence, which if approved will be reviewed on a yearly basis.

The NNSWF board has determined that 12 is the optimum number of clubs for the top NPL division but it has reserved its decision on the return of promotion-relegation until a review decides how many meet the criteria and if there will be two complaint leagues.