Eredivisie (Netherlands)

The Eredivisie (Netherlands) (founded in 1956) is the top professional club football division in the Netherlands. Tournament regulations: 18 clubs compete, typically from August to May in a double round-robin format, with each team playing 34 matches (home and away versus every opponent), awarding 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss. The table is ranked by points, then goal difference, then goals scored, then head-to-head results for the season including away goals; if teams are still level, a deciding play-off match or a series of deciding matches is arranged, with extra time and penalties used if required. At the end of the season, the bottom two clubs are relegated automatically to the second tier, while the 16th-placed club enters promotion-relegation play-offs for one place in the next Eredivisie season.