Summary
The NIFL Premiership (NIR1), or Dankse Bank Premiership, is the top division in Northern Ireland's football system. At the end of the 2023-2024 NIR1 season, the NIR1 teams listed below qualify for the following non-league play:
- 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League - 1st Qualifying Round:
- 1st place 2023-2024 NIR1 Championhsip Group team
- 2024-2025 UEFA Europa Conference League - 1st Qualifying Round:
- 2nd place 2023-2024 NIR1 team
- 2023-2024 NIR1 UEFA Europa Conference League Playoffs winner
The winner of the 2023-2024 Irish Football Association Challenge Cup (Irish Cup), typically a NIR1 team, also receives a berth in the 1st Qualifying Round of the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa Conference League.
Leagues Pyramid - Northern Ireland
| Abbrev | League | # of Teams |
|---|---|---|
| NIR1 | Dankse Bank Premiership | 12 |
| NIR2 | NIFL Championship | 12 |
| NIR3 | NIFL Premier Intermediate League | 14 |
Competition Structure
Season | # of Teams | ||
| Regular 4 Aug 2022 - 23 Mar 2024 | Champ/Releg Rounds 1 Apr 2024 - 29 Apr 2024 | UEFAECL Playoffs 2 May 2024 - 15 Jun 2024 | 12: NIR1 (10 minimum), NIR2 (2 maximum) |
Season Format
The 2023-2024 NIR1 season consists of 2 stages. In the first stage, each NIR1 team plays the other 11 NIR1 teams 3 times for a total of 33 league matches. In each 3 match series one team hosts 2 home matches and the other team hosts 1 home match. In the second stage, the top six teams (Championship Group) play each other a 4th time (5 more matches) to determine final rankings for UEFA Champions League and Europa League placements, and the bottom six teams (Relegation Group) play each other a 4th time (5 more matches) to determine the relegation placements. Total points are for all 38 matches. Table ranking ties are broken by (1) goal difference, (2) goals scored, (3) head-to-head points, (4) head-to-head goal difference, then (5) a drawing.
Playoffs
At the end of the 2023-2024 NIR1 season, the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place NIR1 Championship Group teams and the 1st place NIR1 Relegation Group team enter into the UEFAECL playoffs (knockout format). The winner of this playoff receives a berth in the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa Conference League - 1st Qualifying Round.
Relegation
At the end of the 2023-2024 NIR1 season, the 6th place NIR1 Relegation Group team will be relegated to the NIR2, and the 5th place NIR1 Relegation Group team enters into a Home-Away highest aggregate score playoff with the 2nd place NIR2 team. The playoff winner and the 1st place NIR2 team play in the 2024-2025 NIR1, and the playoff loser plays in the 2024-2025 NIR2.
More Info...
UEFAECL Playoffs - Finals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
 | 32 | Coleraine FC | Seaview (Belfast) |
UEFAECL Playoffs - Semifinals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
 | 03 | Coleraine FC | BetMcLean Oval |
| 31 | Carrick Rangers FC | Seaview (Belfast) |
Relegation Playoffs
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | Institute FC | 12 | Ballymena United FC |
| 30.04.24 |  | 10 | Ballymena United FC | The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium |
| 03.05.24 | | 20 | Institute FC | The Showgrounds (Sligo) | ||
| Ballymena United FC remains in NIR1 | ||||||
2nd Stage
| League | Home | Road | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | MP | W - D - L | PTS | CPTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | |
| Championship | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Larne FC | 38 | 27 -9-2 | 90 | - | 85 | 21 | 64 | 20 | 16 -3-1 | 51 | 59 | 13 | 46 | 18 | 11 -6-1 | 39 | 26 | 8 | 18 |
| 2 | Linfield FC | 38 | 26 -7-5 | 85 | - | 82 | 40 | 42 | 19 | 13 -4-2 | 43 | 51 | 20 | 31 | 19 | 13 -3-3 | 42 | 31 | 20 | 11 |
| 3 | Cliftonville | 38 | 23 -6-9 | 75 | - | 80 | 43 | 37 | 18 | 12 -3-3 | 39 | 42 | 14 | 28 | 20 | 11 -3-6 | 36 | 38 | 29 | 9 |
| 4 | Crusaders FC | 38 | 19 -7-12 | 64 | - | 61 | 43 | 18 | 18 | 7 -4-7 | 25 | 26 | 20 | 6 | 20 | 12 -3-5 | 39 | 35 | 23 | 12 |
| 5 | Glentoran FC | 38 | 17 -9-12 | 60 | - | 74 | 43 | 31 | 20 | 10 -5-5 | 35 | 53 | 21 | 32 | 18 | 7 -4-7 | 25 | 21 | 22 | -1 |
| 6 | Coleraine FC | 38 | 12 -10-16 | 46 | - | 47 | 69 | -22 | 20 | 7 -6-7 | 27 | 27 | 29 | -2 | 18 | 5 -4-9 | 19 | 20 | 40 | -20 |
| Relegation | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Carrick Rangers FC | 38 | 15 -5-18 | 50 | - | 54 | 72 | -18 | 18 | 6 -1-11 | 19 | 19 | 28 | -9 | 20 | 9 -4-7 | 31 | 35 | 44 | -9 |
| 2 | Dungannon Swifts FC | 38 | 13 -8-17 | 47 | - | 64 | 69 | -5 | 20 | 8 -3-9 | 27 | 37 | 33 | 4 | 18 | 5 -5-8 | 20 | 27 | 36 | -9 |
| 3 | Loughgall FC | 38 | 13 -6-19 | 45 | - | 60 | 68 | -8 | 19 | 5 -3-11 | 18 | 31 | 36 | -5 | 19 | 8 -3-8 | 27 | 29 | 32 | -3 |
| 4 | Glenavon FC | 38 | 11 -4-23 | 37 | - | 45 | 70 | -25 | 18 | 6 -3-9 | 21 | 20 | 25 | -5 | 20 | 5 -1-14 | 16 | 25 | 45 | -20 |
| 5 | Ballymena United FC | 38 | 8 -4-26 | 28 | - | 29 | 70 | -41 | 19 | 4 -2-13 | 14 | 18 | 30 | -12 | 19 | 4 -2-13 | 14 | 11 | 40 | -29 |
| 6 | Newry City AFC | 38 | 4 -5-29 | 17 | - | 26 | 99 | -73 | 19 | 0 -3-16 | 3 | 9 | 46 | -37 | 19 | 4 -2-13 | 14 | 17 | 53 | -36 |
2024-2025 UEFACL UEFAECL Playoffs 2024-2025 UEFAECL Relegation Playoffs Relegation to NIR2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
1st Stage
| League | Home | Road | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | MP | W - D - L | PTS | CPTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | |
| 1 | Larne FC | 33 | 24 -8-1 | 80 | - | 69 | 17 | 52 | 17 | 14 -3-0 | 45 | 46 | 11 | 35 | 16 | 10 -5-1 | 35 | 23 | 6 | 17 |
| 2 | Linfield FC | 33 | 25 -3-5 | 78 | - | 76 | 35 | 41 | 16 | 13 -1-2 | 40 | 47 | 16 | 31 | 17 | 12 -2-3 | 38 | 29 | 19 | 10 |
| 3 | Cliftonville | 33 | 22 -4-7 | 70 | - | 73 | 30 | 43 | 17 | 11 -3-3 | 36 | 40 | 14 | 26 | 16 | 11 -1-4 | 34 | 33 | 16 | 17 |
| 4 | Glentoran FC | 33 | 16 -8-9 | 56 | - | 68 | 37 | 31 | 17 | 9 -4-4 | 31 | 48 | 19 | 29 | 16 | 7 -4-5 | 25 | 20 | 18 | 2 |
| 5 | Crusaders FC | 33 | 16 -7-10 | 55 | - | 55 | 36 | 19 | 16 | 6 -4-6 | 22 | 23 | 17 | 6 | 17 | 10 -3-4 | 33 | 32 | 19 | 13 |
| 6 | Coleraine FC | 33 | 11 -8-14 | 41 | - | 41 | 57 | -16 | 17 | 6 -5-6 | 23 | 23 | 24 | -1 | 16 | 5 -3-8 | 18 | 18 | 33 | -15 |
| 7 | Loughgall FC | 33 | 11 -6-16 | 39 | - | 50 | 59 | -9 | 17 | 4 -3-10 | 15 | 26 | 32 | -6 | 16 | 7 -3-6 | 24 | 24 | 27 | -3 |
| 8 | Carrick Rangers FC | 33 | 11 -5-17 | 38 | - | 43 | 65 | -22 | 16 | 4 -1-11 | 13 | 15 | 26 | -11 | 17 | 7 -4-6 | 25 | 28 | 39 | -11 |
| 9 | Glenavon FC | 33 | 10 -4-19 | 34 | - | 40 | 60 | -20 | 16 | 5 -3-8 | 18 | 16 | 21 | -5 | 17 | 5 -1-11 | 16 | 24 | 39 | -15 |
| 10 | Dungannon Swifts FC | 33 | 8 -8-17 | 32 | - | 52 | 67 | -15 | 16 | 4 -3-9 | 15 | 27 | 31 | -4 | 17 | 4 -5-8 | 17 | 25 | 36 | -11 |
| 11 | Ballymena United FC | 33 | 5 -4-24 | 19 | - | 20 | 63 | -43 | 17 | 2 -2-13 | 8 | 13 | 30 | -17 | 16 | 3 -2-11 | 11 | 7 | 33 | -26 |
| 12 | Newry City AFC | 33 | 4 -5-24 | 17 | - | 22 | 83 | -61 | 16 | 0 -3-13 | 3 | 7 | 37 | -30 | 17 | 4 -2-11 | 14 | 15 | 46 | -31 |
Championship Group Relegation Group | ||||||||||||||||||||
Results
 | 12 | Carrick Rangers FC | Mourneview Park |
 | 14 | Loughgall FC | The Showgrounds (Sligo) |
 | 30 | Ballymena United FC | Stangmore Park |
 | 11 | Cliftonville | Windsor Park (Belfast) |
 | 50 | Coleraine FC | Inver Park |
| 40 | Crusaders FC | BetMcLean Oval |
| 11 | Larne FC | Windsor Park (Belfast) |
| 20 | Glenavon FC | Stangmore Park |
| 21 | Loughgall FC | Loughview Leisure Arena |
| 40 | Newry City AFC | The Showgrounds (Sligo) |
| 02 | Crusaders FC | The Showgrounds (Sligo) |
| 20 | Glentoran FC | Solitude (Belfast) |
| 13 | Carrick Rangers FC | The Showgrounds (Sligo) |
| 20 | Loughgall FC | Stangmore Park |
| 10 | Glenavon FC | The Showgrounds (Sligo) |
| 22 | Coleraine FC | Windsor Park (Belfast) |
| 12 | Larne FC | BetMcLean Oval |
| 21 | Cliftonville | Seaview (Belfast) |
| 81 | Cliftonville | Inver Park |
| 21 | Ballymena United FC | Loughview Leisure Arena |