League system 2

[Guest Wikipedia]

Divisions

The Premier Division currently contains 10 clubs. The 10 clubs play each other four times which gives a total of 36 matches each. The bottom placed club will be relegated to the League of Ireland First Division and the team who finishes in 9th position will enter a promotion/relegation playoff with a First Division qualifier. The League of Ireland First Division was introduced in 1985. Currently, there are 10 teams in the First Division, and they play each other four times. The A Championship was introduced in the 2008 season as a new third tier, below the League of Ireland. The division was split into 2 separate groups competing independently of each other. The A Championship was replaced by the 2011–12 FAI U19 League in 2012.

UEFA ranking
As of August 2016, the League of Ireland is 42nd out of 55 in the UEFA country coefficient. The League of Ireland's UEFA coefficient accumulates to a total value of 5.700 as of 2016. From 1998 to 2010, the league's place on the coefficient table rose 15 places, the highest of any league in Europe. However, since then, the League's ranking has fallen from its highest ever ranking of 29th in June 2010 to 42nd in 2016. Its position of 43rd in 2013/14 was also its lowest position since 1998.

Provincial leagues
Three provinces in the country (Ulster, Munster, Leinster) run a league. These leagues are amateur leagues, though, and clubs cannot be promoted to the League of Ireland. Some of the top clubs in these leagues do compete in the FAI Cup, however. These leagues do not gain much media coverage certainly on a national level.

Local amateur football
Many counties in the country run a local league. These leagues do not provide promotion to provincial leagues but are still run. An example of one such league is the North Tipperary District Soccer League which is run in north County Tipperary. This particular league contains four divisions and also a youth division.