First League (Montenegro)

First League (Montenegro) (Prva fudbalska liga Crne Gore, 1. CFL) - the top-tier professional league competition in Montenegro organised under the Football Association of Montenegro. Regulations: 10 clubs compete in a four-round league system, with each team playing every opponent home and away twice (36 matchdays), and points awarded 3 for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss. If teams finish level on points, ranking is decided via a head-to-head auxiliary table: first head-to-head points, then head-to-head goal difference, then for two teams head-to-head away goals, while for three or more teams the higher number of goals scored, after which overall goal difference across all matches is applied if still tied; if equality persists, additional tie-breaking matches are played on neutral ground (for two teams - a single match with penalties if level), and by agreement a draw of lots may be used. At the end of the season the bottom club (10th) is relegated to the Second League, the Second League champion is promoted, and 8th and 9th place enter two-legged play-offs against the 3rd and 2nd teams from the Second League, with the winner decided by points and goal difference and, if fully level, by a penalty shoot-out. European qualification is governed by the UEFA access list and club licensing, typically the league champion enters UEFA Champions League qualifying, while the domestic cup winner and the league runner-up enter UEFA Conference League qualifying, with reallocations applied if places overlap or licensing criteria are not met.