Lebanese Premier League new rules: Everything you need to know for the 2020/21 season

On June 25, the Lebanese Football Association decided to reorganize the structure of the league with the introduction of the « split ».

The 2020-2021 Lebanese football league will be divided into two phases.

During the first phase, the 12 teams will play each other one time.

Then comes the second phases, in which the teams will be divided in two groups :

• A top 6 teams group, in which the teams will play each other 1 time. The winner will be qualified to the 2022 AFC Cup,
• A bottom 6 teams group, in which the teams will play each other 1 time. The two bottom teams will be relegated to the second division.

What happens if two teams have the same amount of points ?
The position is first determined by :

• Direction confrontation (head-to-head),
• Goal difference,
• Higher number of goals scored,
• Decisive match. In case of a draw, penalty session will be held

What happens if more than two teams have the same amount of points ?
The position is first determined by :

• Points taken during direct confrontation between the concerned clubs,
• Goal difference in the direct confrontation games,
• Goal difference in the league,
• Higher number of goals scored,
• In case it’s involved two teams : a decisive match will be held. In case it’s involved more than two teams : a mini-league will be played during the concernerd teams, in which they will play each other one time.

Some rules have been introduced based on the detoriated economic and financial situation in Lebanon and on the strategy of the Federation which aims to improve the level of youth players :

• No more foreign players,
• Maximum of 3 Lebanese players can join a club during the second phase in case they didn’t play during the first phase. Lebanese player coming from abroad can also join any club during the second phase,
• Clubs cannot include more than 8 players born in 1990 and can field only 5 players born in 1990.
• The participation of U-22 players is mandatory : either 1 player for 600 minutes, or 2 players for 800 minutes, or 3 players for 1200 minutes.

Following China, Lebanon had the oldest squad in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. The federation’s aim is to include more youth players to the senior national team, and to have a more competitive U-23 national team.