The Scottish Women’s Premier League is a fairly new women’s football competition. In 2022 the clubs playing in the top two leagues decided it was time for a change. Ownership and operations of the elite competitions was moved into a new structure: SWPL and the SWPL 2.
The Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) is a new company under the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). It has a Board of Directors and includes a 12-team SWPL and an eight-team SWPL 2. The SWPL also runs one domestic cup competition, the Sky Sports Cup.
The Scottish Women’s Premier League Message
We exist to inspire and entertain, through the delivery of elite women’s football leagues and competitions in Scotland. We aim to showcase the very best of women’s football in Scotland, inspiring the next generation and providing more opportunities for girls’ and women across the game.
Teams in the SWPL and SWPL 2
In the top league of Scotland are currently twelve teams participating. The club that wins the league and the team that come in second go the Women’s Champions League in the next season. Whoever finished 10th, 11th or 12th will relegate to the SWPL 2.
In the SWPL 2 there are currently eight teams. The winner of the league promotes to the top level. The club in eight place will relegate directly to the SWF Championship. The club in 7th place gets another chance in the play-off against the SWF Championship number 2.
These rules are in place to make sure that next season, 2025/2026, there are ten teams in the SWPL 1 and ten teams in the SWPL 2. The key objectives of the changes are:
- More competititve and more meaningfull games.
- Reduce the number of games as the SWPL has more than any other league in Europe.
- Increase the development of talented players.
- Improve variety.
- Ensure that the SWPL can adapt to the changes tp the FIFA’s international calender.
What is the SWPL 2025/2026 format?
The changes we named will leed to a slightly different league format:
- Both the SWPL and SWPL 2 will have 10 teams participating;
- Clubs in each respective league will play each other twice (once home and once away) to complete an initial 18 matches;
- The leagues will then split into a top 6 and bottom 4;
- The top 6 teams will play a further 10 games by playing each team in the top 6 twice (once at home and once away) resulting in a total of 28 league games for teams featuring in the top 6;
- The bottom 4 teams will play a further 6 games, by playing each team in the bottom 4 twice (once at home and once away) resulting in a total of 24 league games for teams featuring in the bottom 4;
- The Champion team, finishing first in SWPL 2, will be automatically promoted and the team finishing bottom (10th) in the SWPL will be automatically relegated;
- An extended play-off system will be introduced to include positions 2 to 4 in SWPL 2 and position 9 in SWPL 1;
- The play-off matches will be single-leg ties as noted below:
- Play Off Match 1: Team 3 in SWPL 2 v Team 4 in SWPL 2
- Play Off Match 2: Team 2 in SWPL 2 v Winner of Play Off Match 1
- Play Off Final: Team 9 in SWPL v Winner of Play Off Match 2
- Play Off matches 1 and 2 will be played at the home venue of the first named team, with the final being played at a neutral venue;
- The play-off match and automatic promotion/relegation between SWPL 2 and SWF’s Championship remains unchanged.
