New league format approved: 14 teams in Premier League but Euro play-offs proposal is turned down

The new Premier League format with fourteen teams playing on a two-round league basis and a play-off between the team finishing third from bottom against the team finishing third in the lower division in all leagues will be introduced as from season 2017/18 as amendments to the Rules Governing the National League were approved during an Extraordinary General Meeting which was held on Tuesday. However proposals by the MFA Executive Committee for the introduction of the Euro Play-Offs and the Relegation Play-Outs were turned down.

Fourteen teams would be playing in the First Division with two teams promoted automatically and two relegated automatically, thirteen teams in the Second Division also with two teams promoted automatically and two relegated automatically and the remaining twelve teams playing in the Third Division with two teams promoted automatically. A play-off between the team finishing third from bottom against the team finishing third in the lower division will now be held in all divisions.

This season (2016/17), the Premier League will be played on a three-round basis, with no division of points at the end of the second round. One team will be relegated from the Premier League while the team finishing eleventh would play a decider against the fourth team in Division 1 following a proposal by the Premier League Standing Committee.

In Division 1, three teams will be promoted to the Premier League automatically next season with the fourth team taking part in the play-off against the eleventh team in the Premier League and only two would be relegated to Division 2. Four teams would be promoted from Division 2 to Division 1 with two relegated to Division 3. On the other hand, three teams would be promoted from Division 3 to Division 2.

The new format (as from 2017/18):

A proposal by the Executive Committee to introduce the Euro Play-Offs and the Relegation Play-Outs in the Premier League was turned down as a counter-proposal by the Premier League Standing Committee to retain the current system where the team placing third from bottom in the Premier League would take part in a play-off against the team placing third in the First Division and to extend this for the other divisions where the team ending third from bottom against the team placing third from the lower division was approved.

The Euro Play-Offs were meant to be played by the teams finishing 3rd to 6th in order to determine which teams would play in UEFA competitions along with the Champions and runners-up who qualify automatically. On the other hand, the Relegation Play-Outs were meant to be played between the teams ending 9th to 11th to determine a third team to be relegated along the bottom two teams.

PREMIER LEAGUE (14 teams)

The Premier League shall take the form of a league which shall be played by all the fourteen clubs in the Division on a double round-robin basis. At the end of the Regular Season, the team ending first shall be declared the Champion of the Premier League and the team placed second shall be declared as the Runner-Up. The teams placing thirteenth and fourteenth would be relegated to the First Division while the team placing twelfth would be playing against the team placing third in the First Division.

FIRST DIVISION (14 teams)

The First Division shall take the form of a league which shall be played by all the fourteen clubs in the Division on a double round-robin basis.

At the end of the league, the following shall apply:

the team placing first shall be declared the Champion of the First Division and shall be promoted to the Premier League;
the team placing second shall be declared the Runner-Up of the First Division, and shall be promoted to the Premier League;
the team placing third shall be facing the team finishing twelfth in the Premier League in a play-off.
On the other hand, the teams placing thirteenth and fourteenth shall be relegated to the Second Division while the team finishing twelfth will take part in a play-off against the team finishing third in the Second Division.

SECOND DIVISION (13 teams)

The Second Division shall take the form of a league which shall be played by all the thirteen clubs in the Division on a double round-robin basis.

At the end of the league, the following shall apply:

the team placing first shall be declared the Champion of the Second Division and shall be promoted to the First Division;
the team placing second shall be declared the Runner-Up of the Second Division and shall be promoted to the First Division;
the team placing third shall be facing the team finishing twelfth in the First Division.
On the other hand, the teams placing twelfth and thirteenth shall be relegated to the Third Division while the team finishing eleventh will take part in a play-off against the team finishing third in the Third Division.

THIRD DIVISION

The Third Division shall take the form of a league which shall be played by all the clubs in the Third Division on a double round-robin basis.

At the end of the league, the following shall apply:

the team placing first shall be declared the Champion of the Third Division and shall be promoted to the Second Division;
the team placing second shall be declared the Runner-Up of the Third Division and shall be promoted to the Second Division;
the team placing third shall be facing the team finishing eleventh in the Second Division.
The clubs in the bottom two places shall drop out of the National League and need to apply for reinstatement.

2016/17
Premier League: 12 teams – three rounds – no division of points – one team relegated – 11th placed to take part in play-off against 4th placed in Division 1
First Division: 14 teams – two rounds – top three promoted – 4th placed to take part in play-off against 11th placed in Premier League – bottom two relegated
Second Division: 14 teams – two rounds – top four teams promoted – bottom two teams relegated
Third Division: 13 teams – two rounds – top three teams promoted

2017/18
Premier League: 14 teams – two rounds – bottom two teams relegated – 12th placed to face 3rd placed in First Division in play-out against relegation
First Division: 14 teams – two rounds – top two teams promoted – 3rd placed to face 12th in Premier League in play-off for promotion – 12th placed to face 3rd placed in Second Division in play-out against relegation – bottom two teams relegated
Second Division: 13 teams – two rounds – top two teams promoted – 3rd placed to face 12th in First Division in play-off for promotion – 11th placed to face 3rd placed in Third Division in play-out against relegation – bottom two relegated
Third Division: 12 teams – two rounds – top two teams promoted – 3rd placed to face 11th in Second Division in play-off for promotion