Football Federation Australia and A-League clubs are considering scrapping the National Youth League and replacing it with a reserves competition in an attempt to improve player pathways in club football.

A proposal has been put forward to the clubs and organisations in recent weeks that will see the eight-game NYL scrapped in favour of an Under-23s reserves competition that will operate alongside the A-League between October and May.

The league consists of a maximum of 10 matches for teams who reach the grand final and critics - the competition is regarded as a waste of money by several clubs - point to a lack of game time provided to the most talented youngsters in Australia.

In its place, an under-23 reserve league, which could consist of as many as 20 games before finals, could be introduced to bridge the gap between youth academies and the A-League. While still at the blueprint stage, the proposed competition would also allow for three over-age players to be included for each team to assist senior players struggling for match fitness. Initially it will only be open to A-League clubs, but future plans would allow for expansion hopefuls and aspirational state league teams to enter the competition.

The rationale hinges on having as many young players as possible exposed to the demands of professional training workloads. Under the current system, youngsters take part in the eight-game NYL before breaking, then resuming training for their participation in the state-based National Premier League systems.

There are concerns the standard of football for many A-League youth teams isn't conducive to development. Victoria and NSW are the nation's two strongest state competitions and only Sydney FC's youth team competes in the top division of its respective NPL. Perth Glory, Newcastle Jets, Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United all have youth teams in their respective top state divisions.

Newcastle Jets' youth team could be playing in a reserve league next season. Ryan Osland

Australia is at risk of falling behind regional rivals in player development, largely due to the lack of match opportunities for players between the ages of 18 to 23. The 11-team A-League has only 26 games, some 12 fewer than in countries such as Korea and no professional second division for players to progress through.

While discussions for a national second division are in place, the establishment of a second tier remains a longway off. National team sources suggest there are genuine concerns for the future of player development in Australia as many of the most promising youngsters struggle to progress beyond the age of 17, when they must start knocking on the door for regular club football.

The hundreds in academies that fail to land senior A-League deals are often forced to take-up semi professional football in the NPL where their development frequently stalls. The few who do land A-League contracts often struggle to break into the first team and spend the majority of the season on the bench.

The flagged reserve league is viewed as one possible way to provide those youngsters regular game time while attempting to break into the A-League.

The FFA was sought for comment.