| The Scottish Premier League is also known as the | | | | League, and they play in a 'split league format' through |
| Clydesdale Bank Premier League because it is the | | | | the season. What this means is that each team plays |
| Clydesdale Bank who sponsor the league. It is also | | | | every other team 3 times - either two home games |
| sometimes known as just 'The Premier League' or | | | | and one away game, or one home game and two |
| SPL. It is a professional competition league for football | | | | away games bringing it to a total of thirty three games |
| clubs at the top level in Scotland. It is above the | | | | per team. Then the division is split with the top six |
| Scottish Football League. The Scottish Premier League | | | | teams and the bottom six teams going on to play a |
| is currently the tenth ranked in the UEFA rankings of | | | | further five matches against other teams in their half |
| European leagues - this is based on the performances | | | | of the league, taking the total games played by each |
| of member clubs in European competitions. | | | | team to 38 matches. What this means is that because |
| Since it's conception in 1998 a total of seventeen | | | | the top teams matches are often harder to win, the |
| football clubs have competed in the Scottish Premier | | | | seventh team in the league (the team at the top of the |
| League, but only two of them have won the | | | | second half of the league), often has more points than |
| championship title, these are Celtic - six times, and | | | | the teams who place fifth and sixth because of their |
| Rangers - four times. | | | | final five games being easier. |
| The Scottish League system is devised of four | | | | Points are scored through the season on a win/draw |
| leagues, The Scottish Premier League, First Division, | | | | lose basis with three points being awarded for a win, |
| Second Division and Third Division. The inception of the | | | | one point for a draw, and no points for a lost game. It |
| Scottish Premier League came about following an | | | | is these points which determine the position in the |
| earlier example in England where they had created a | | | | league for the first part of the season, and then within |
| similar Premier League, the decision to follow suit was | | | | each half for the second part of the season. The |
| fuelled by a desire among the top level clubs to retain | | | | team at the top of the league table at the end of the |
| more of the revenue generated by the game. Before | | | | season win the championship. The team at the bottom |
| the creation of the Scottish Premier League, | | | | of the table are relegated to the Scottish First Division, |
| sponsorship money was divided proportionally | | | | and the top team from the Scottish First Division are |
| between clubs in all the divisions of league football, | | | | promoted into the Premier League in their place. |
| once the Premier League was formed this was no | | | | Occasionally the team at the top of the Scottish First |
| longer the case and they now receive a larger | | | | Division don't meet the criteria regarding their stadium, in |
| proportion of revenue due in part to better television | | | | which case, no relegation or promotion occurs that |
| broadcast deals. | | | | year. |
| There are twelve teams in the Scottish Premier | | | | |