UEFA member associations (hereinafter associations) may enter a certain number of clubs for the competition through their top domestic championships, in accordance with the association coefficient rankings drawn up in line with Annex D. These rankings determine the associations' positions in the access list (Annex A), which in turn determines the stage at which each club enters the competition. Only one single team per club may be entered.
Associations are represented on the following basis (see Annex A):
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one representative: winner of the top domestic women’s championship;
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two representatives: winner and runner-up of the top domestic women’s championship;
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three representatives: winner, runner-up and third-placed club in the top domestic women’s championship.
Additionally, the UEFA Women's Champions League titleholder is guaranteed a place in the league phase and the UEFA Women's Europa Cup titleholder is guaranteed a place in the third qualifying round of the champions path even if they do not qualify for the competition through their domestic championships.
If the UEFA Women’s Champions League titleholder qualifies for the league phase of the competition through its domestic championship, the vacancy created in the league phase is filled by the UEFA Women's Europa Cup titleholder. In the absence of a UEFA Women's Europa Cup titleholder, the vacancy in the league phase is filled by the domestic champion with the highest individual club coefficient of all the clubs that qualify for the second qualifying round of the champions path and the vacancy left by the UEFA Women's Europa Cup titleholder in the third qualifying round of the champions path is filled by the domestic champion with the next highest individual club coefficient of all the clubs that qualify for the second qualifying round of the champions path. The champions path is adapted accordingly, with each subsequent vacancy in the second qualifying round filled by the club(s) with the highest individual club coefficient(s) of all clubs in the first qualifying round of the champions path.
If the UEFA Women's Europa Cup titleholder qualifies for the league phase of the competition through its domestic championship, the vacancy in the third qualifying round of the champions path is filled by the domestic champion with the highest individual club coefficient of all the clubs that qualify for the second qualifying round of the champions path. If the UEFA Women's Champions League titleholder also qualifies for the league phase through its domestic championship, the vacancy in the league phase is filled first before the vacancy in the third qualifying round. The champions path is adapted accordingly, with each subsequent vacancy in the second qualifying round filled by the club(s) with the highest individual club coefficient(s) of all the clubs in the first qualifying round of the champions path.
If the UEFA Women's Champions League and/or UEFA Women's Europa Cup titleholder qualifies for the second qualifying round of the champions path through its domestic championship, the vacancy is filled by the club with the highest individual club coefficient of all the clubs in the first qualifying round of the champions path.
If the UEFA Women's Champions League and/or UEFA Women's Europa Cup titleholder qualifies for the first qualifying round of the champions path through its domestic championship, or if rebalancing the champions path as outlined in this Article 3 leaves a vacancy in the first qualifying round, the vacancy will not be filled and the round will be adapted as outlined in Paragraph 15.01.
If the UEFA Women's Champions League and/or UEFA Women's Europa Cup titleholder qualifies for the third qualifying round of the league path through its domestic championship, the vacancy is filled by the club with the highest individual club coefficient of all the clubs in the second qualifying round of the league path, provided that this club is also the highest ranked domestically of all the clubs from that same association in the second qualifying round of the league path. If the club with the highest individual club coefficient is not also the highest ranked domestically, then the position moves to the club with the next highest individual club coefficient that meets the condition of also being the highest ranked domestically.
If the UEFA Women's Champions League and/or UEFA Women's Europa Cup titleholder qualifies for the second qualifying round of the league path through its domestic championship, or if rebalancing the league path as outlined in this Article 3 leaves a vacancy in the second qualifying round, the vacancy will not be filled and the round will be adapted as outlined in Paragraph 15.01.
If rebalancing for vacancies as outlined in this Article 3 and/or a reduced number of entries results in 20 clubs or fewer starting in the first qualifying round of the champions path, the club(s) with the highest individual club coefficient(s) of all the clubs in that first qualifying round is(are) upgraded to the second qualifying round of the champions path and the number of clubs qualifying from the first qualifying round to the second is reduced accordingly, always ensuring that 28 clubs ultimately participate in the second qualifying round.
In the event of any other vacancies in the UEFA Women's Champions League, priority is given to the best ranked club(s) of the association(s) ranked highest in the access list for the previous round of the corresponding path.
UEFA issues a circular at the beginning of the season confirming the final adapted and rebalanced access list on the basis of the final results in the UEFA women's club competitions and the domestic championships and addressing any scenario not covered by these regulations in accordance with the above rules and principles.