The domestic season 2022/23 will kick-off on August 20 with the BOV Premier League. This was revealed during the meeting of the Malta FA Executive Board which was held on Tuesday at the Centenary Hall.
For this coming season, the BOV Premier League will revert to a total of 14 participating teams, the BOV Challenge League will comprise 18 teams and the National Amateur League will be contested by 21 teams.
The target start dates of the 2022-23 championships are as follows:
- BOV Premier League – 20 August, 2022
- BOV Challenge League and National Amateur League – 27 August, 2022
- Women’s League – 13-14 September, 2022
- National Youth League – 29 August, 2022
- Women’s Under-21 League – 17 September, 2022
For season 2022/23, there will be:
(i) fourteen clubs in the Premier League;
(ii) eighteen clubs in the Challenge League;
(iii) twenty one clubs in the National Amateur League
The Premier League 2022/23
The League shall be played on a double round basis.
At the end of the league:
(a) the club in first place shall be declared the Champion of the Premier Division;
(b) the clubs in 13th and 14th place shall be relegated to the Challenge League;
(c) the 12th placed club shall participate in a Premier League Play-Out with the winner of the deciding match between the second-placed clubs of each group of the Challenge League for a place in the following season’s Premier League.
The Challenge League 2022/23
The Challenge League will be made up of two groups of nine teams, each playing a league on a triple round-robin basis.
At the end of the league,
(a) the clubs placed first in each group shall be promoted to the Premier League and shall play a deciding match and the winner shall be declared the Champion of the Challenge League;
(b) the clubs placed second in each group shall play a deciding match and the winner shall participate in the Premier League Play-Out;
(c) the clubs placed in the seventh, eighth and ninth position of each group shall be relegated to the National Amateur League.
The National Amateur League 2022/23
The National Amateur League will be made up of two groups, each playing a league on a double round-robin basis.
At the end of the league the following shall apply:
(a) The clubs placed first in each group shall be promoted to the Challenge League and shall also play a deciding match with the winner being declared the Champion of the National Amateur League.
(b) The clubs placed second in each group shall play a deciding match and the winner shall be promoted to the Challenge League. The loser shall play in the final of the National Amateur League Play-Offs.
(c) The National Amateur League Play-Offs shall be played as follows:
i. The National Amateur League Play-Offs First Round shall be played between the clubs placed fourth and fifth in each Group in a way that the fourth-placed club in Group A plays against the fifth-placed in Group B (Match 1) and the fourth-placed club in Group B plays against the fifth-placed in Group A (Match 2).
ii. The National Amateur League Play-Offs Second Round shall be played between the winners of the First Round and the clubs placed third in each Group. The third-placed club in Group A shall play against the winner of Match 2 while the third-placed club in Group B shall play against the winner of Match 1.
iii. The National Amateur League Play-Offs Third Round shall be played between the winners of the Play-Offs Second Round.
iv. The National Amateur League Play-Offs Final shall be played between the winners of the Play-Offs Third Round and the losing team of the promotion play-off. The winner of the National Amateur League Play-Offs Final shall participate in the following season’s Challenge League.
In short:
PREMIER LEAGUE (14 teams)
Two rounds
Relegation: Teams placing 13th and 14th
Premier League Play-Out: Team placing 12th vs Winner of Challenge League Decider for Premier League Play-Out (2nd in Group A vs 2nd in Group B)CHALLENGE LEAGUE (18 teams)
Two groups of 9 teams each playing on three rounds
Championship Decider: 1st in Group A vs 1st in Group B
Promoted (2): 1st in Group A; 1st in Group B
Decider for Premier League Play-Out: 2nd in Group A vs 2nd in Group B
Premier League Play-Out: Winner of Challenge League Decider for Premier League Play-Out (2nd in Group A vs 2nd in Group B) vs 12th in Premier League
Relegated (6): 7th, 8th and 9th in Group A; 7th, 8th and 9th in Group BNATIONAL AMATEUR LEAGUE (21 teams)
Two groups – one of 11 teams and one of 10 teams each playing on two rounds
Championship Decider: 1st in Group A vs 1st in Group B
Promotion (4): 1st in Group A, 1st in Group B, winner of Promotion Decider and winner of Promotion Play-Offs
[Promotion Decider: 2nd in Group A vs 2nd in Group B]
[Promotion Play-Offs:
First Round – Match 1: 4th in Group A vs 5th in Group B and Match 2: 4th in Group B vs 5th in Group A
Second Round – Match 3: 3rd in Group A vs Winner Match 2 and Match 4: 3rd in Group B vs Winner Match 1
Third Round – Winner Match 3 vs Winner Match 4
Final – Winner Third Round vs Loser Promotion Decider]
