Bahraini Premier League


The Bahraini Premier League is the main football competition in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Currently known as the Nasser bin Hamad Premier League, the first season was held in 1957. The winners of the domestic championship qualify for the AFC Cup. The championship is currently contested by 10 clubs.

Structure

Current structure

10 clubs currently play a two round robin set of fixtures totaling 18 games in order to determine the league champions. Although games are played on a home and away basis, almost all games are played at the National Stadium.
The bottom placed club is relegated with the team finishing second bottom entering a relegation/promotion play-off match.

Previous structures

In earlier seasons, the league has been radically overhauled to feature all the professional clubs of Bahrain. Instances being the 2008–09 and 2002 league seasons. The leagues featuring up to 19 teams would play each other on one occasion with the top 10 teams staying in the Premier League top flight and the bottom sides forming the next seasons 2nd division.
Between the seasons of 2002 and 2009, the top four sides of the league would also play in the Crown Prince Cup.

Clubs (2018-19)

In 2002, a host of clubs were amalgamated together:
Bahrain are an amalgamation of Bahrain and Al-Khaleej

Riffa are an amalgamation of West Riffa and Zallaq

Al-Najma are an amalgamation of Al-Hilal, Al-Qadisiya and Ras Al-Rumman

Al-Sahel are an amalgamation of Qalali and Hadd

Al-Tadamun are an amalgamation of Boori, Karazkan, Hamla, Reef Union and Damastan

Al-Shabab are an amalgamation of Deyya, Sanabis, Jadd Hafs, Naeem, Karrana, Sahla and Karbabad

Al-Ittifaq are an amalgamation of Al-Arabi, Maqaba and Bani Jumra

List of champions

Champions are:
The number of national championships that clubs in Bahrain have attained.
Club
Number of Championships
Al-Muharraq SC34
Al-Riffa 12
Bahrain SC 6
Al-Ahli SC5
Al-Arabi 1
Al Hala1
East Riffa SCC1
Busaiteen1
Hidd SCC1
Malkiya SCC1

Top scorers