Premier Division (Ireland)

Premier Division (Ireland) (League of Ireland Premier Division) - the top professional club football division of the Republic of Ireland under the Football Association of Ireland. Regulations: 10 clubs take part, the season is typically played on a February-to-November calendar, each team plays every opponent four times (two home and two away) for 36 matches; three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss, teams are ranked by points, then goal difference, then goals scored, and then by head-to-head criteria (with head-to-head points prioritised and then away goals in those head-to-head matches). The bottom club (10th) is relegated to the First Division, the First Division champions are promoted automatically, and the 9th-placed Premier Division club plays a promotion-relegation play-off against the First Division play-off winner (the play-off format and neutral venue are set by the league). UEFA qualification is determined by final league positions and the national cup outcome under the current UEFA allocation: the champions take a UEFA Champions League qualifying place, the FAI Cup winners take a UEFA Europa League qualifying place, and the next best-placed league teams take UEFA Conference League qualifying places, with redistribution down the table if the cup winner has already qualified via the league and with a shift in allocations if the league champions also win the cup.