BFNL operations manager Shane Anwyl said the league's board of directors had determined anything less than having each team play each other once would not be deemed as a premiership season.

He said this structure would also most likely incorporate a two-week finals series.

The BFNL is working through options for a modified season to ensure it is ready to kick off if community football and netball competitions get the green light to begin.

All competitions under the umbrella of the AFL Victoria are on hold until at least May 31 on safety grounds owing the COVID-19 outbreak.

The BFNL would need to start no later than July 4 to get a 13-week season completed by the end of September - the traditional cut-off time for when football has access to grounds.

Anwyl said the league was open to playing into October if necessary though and would look to have talks with Ballarat City Council and Ballarat Cricket Association with regard to the availability of grounds if there was a need to push further into the year.

Although there might be a clash of fixtures, three of the BFNL's Ballarat senior venues - the City Oval, Marty Busch Reserve and Mars Stadium - do not cater for cricket, which would assist in stretching football into a period traditionally filled by summer sports.

He said the board of directors was also considering a short-form competition if time did not allow a "premiership season".

Anwyl, who has been appointed to a part-time role with the BFNL after the AFL Goldfields administrative hub closed its doors earlier this week, said they were keen to get some form of football up and running this year in order have the sport's community up and running again.

He said at this stage the board was focusing it efforts on senior competitions, with juniors on hold for the moment. Senior football includes seniors, reserves and under-19 grades, and netball covers A, B, C, D and E grades, and 19/under.