View source for NIFL Premiership

{{short description|Association football league in Northern Ireland}}
{{about|the top flight of national association football in Northern Ireland since 2008|the complete history since 1890|Northern Ireland Football League}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2022}}
{{distinguish|League of Ireland Premier Division}}
{{infobox football league
| image                = NIFL Premiership.png
| pixels               = 250
| country              = Northern Ireland
| confed               = [[UEFA]]
| founded              = 1890 (In 2008 as IFA Premiership in current format)
| teams                = [[#Premiership clubs|12]]
| relegation           = [[NIFL Championship]]
| levels               = [[Northern Ireland football league system#The current system|1]]
| domest_cup           = [[Irish Cup]]
| league_cup           = [[Northern Ireland Football League Cup|NI Football League Cup]]
| confed_cup           = [[UEFA Champions League]]<br />[[UEFA Conference League]]
| champions            = [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]
| most successful club = [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]] (9 titles)
| tv                   = [[BBC NI]] (12 live games per season and 50 live games plus highlights via [[BBC iPlayer]])<ref name="ILShow">{{cite web|url=http://www.nifootballleague.com/danske-bank-premiership/news/item/the-irish-league-show-now-on-bbc-iplayer|title=The Irish League Show now on BBC iPlayer|publisher=Northern Ireland Football League|date=11 December 2014|access-date=18 September 2015|archive-date=29 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629004210/https://www.nifootballleague.com/danske-bank-premiership/news/item/the-irish-league-show-now-on-bbc-iplayer|url-status=dead}}</ref><br>[[Eleven Sports]], [[OneFootball]] (Outside the UK)<br>[[Sky Sports]] (5 Premiership games per season and the [[League Cup]] final)
| website              = {{URL|http://nifootballleague.com/}}
| current              = [[2025–26 NIFL Premiership]]
}}

The '''NIFL Premiership''', known as the '''Sports Direct Premiership''' for sponsorship purposes,<ref>{{Cite web |title=NIFL ANNOUNCE SPORTS DIRECT PARTNERSHIP |url=https://www.nifootballleague.com/news/2023/april/nifl-announce-sports-direct-partnership/ |access-date=2023-06-12 |website=NI Football League |language=en |archive-date=15 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415185459/https://www.nifootballleague.com/news/2023/april/nifl-announce-sports-direct-partnership/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and '''Irish Premiership''' colloquially,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/irish-premiership/table | title=Irish Premiership Table - Football | date=6 May 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/irish-league/find-out-your-teams-grade-in-graham-luneys-irish-premiership-end-of-term-report-card/a72414964.html | title=Find out your team's grade in Graham Luney's Irish Premiership end of term report card | date=9 May 2024 }}</ref> is a professional [[association football]] league which operates as the highest division of the [[Northern Ireland Football League]] – the national league in Northern Ireland. The NIFL Premiership was established as the '''IFA Premiership''' in 2008 under the auspices of the [[Irish Football Association]] as the successor to the '''Irish Premier League''', before the Northern Ireland Football League was created for the start of the 2013–14 season. At the end of the season, the champion club is presented with the Gibson Cup.

[[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]] are the current champions, winning their 9th title in the [[2024–25 NIFL Premiership|2024–25 season]].

==Origin==
The current format was introduced for the [[2008–09 IFA Premiership|2008–09 season]] after the league system for Northern Ireland was re-organised. The top flight was reduced in size from 16 to 12 clubs, included on the basis not only of their performance in the [[2007–08 Irish Premier League|2007–08 season]], but in the previous two seasons, and other off-the-field criteria. Each applicant club was assessed by an independent panel and awarded points against the following criteria:

*''Sporting'' (maximum 450 points) – based on league placings, Irish Cup, League Cup and European performances in 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08; with points also awarded for running youth teams, women's teams and community development programmes
*''Finance'' (maximum 200 points) – based on solvency, debt management and cash-flow projection
*''Infrastructure'' (maximum 150 points) – based on stadium capacity, changing provisions, sanitary facilities, field of play, floodlighting, existence and standard of control room, first aid room, drug testing room and media facilities
*''Personnel'' (maximum 100 points) – based on qualification and experience of staff
*''Business planning'' (maximum 50 points)
*''Attendances'' (maximum 50 points)

[[Portadown F.C.|Portadown]] were the highest-profile casualty of the new system, suffering relegation to the newly formed IFA Championship as a result of submitting their application for inclusion in the Premiership 29 minutes past the deadline for consideration.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/7398872.stm | publisher=BBC Sport | title=Portadown out of Premier League | date=13 May 2008 | access-date=26 June 2008 | archive-date=6 September 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906135734/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/7398872.stm | url-status=live }}</ref> The Northern Ireland Football League assumed responsibility for the top three divisions of Irish League national football from the IFA in 2014, putting forward plans to improve the scene of football in Northern Ireland. The plans include improving stadiums, status in European competitions, league structure, commercial image of the competitions, as well as spreading out match kick-off times to be more variable and reintroducing previously abandoned competitions for clubs to compete in, such as the [[NIFL Charity Shield|Charity Shield]], [[Floodlit Cup (Northern Ireland)|Floodlit Cup]], [[Ulster Cup]] and [[Gold Cup (Northern Ireland)|Gold Cup]].

==League format==
===Fixtures===
Each team plays a total of 38 fixtures during the season. Each team initially plays every other team three times (either twice at home and once away, or once at home and twice away) for a total of 33 fixtures per team. The league then splits into ''Section A'' and ''Section B'', the top six teams in Section A playing each other for a fourth and final time to settle championship and European qualification issues, and the bottom six teams in Section B playing each other to settle relegation issues.<ref name="1819rules">{{cite web|url=https://www.nifootballleague.com/images/documents/DanskeBankPremiershipRules1819.pdf|title=NIFL Premiership Rules 2018–19|work=NIFL|access-date=26 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325195646/https://www.nifootballleague.com/images/documents/DanskeBankPremiershipRules1819.pdf|archive-date=25 March 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> The post-split fixtures are usually arranged in such a way as to result in the teams in each half playing each other twice at home and twice away. After the split, teams in the top six cannot finish lower than 6th place, and teams in the bottom six cannot finish higher than 7th place, regardless of the results in the final 5 games. The Irish League campaign begins in August and continues until late April or early May. Most fixtures are played on Saturday afternoons, with occasional fixtures on Friday evenings, and some mid-week games, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings. Traditionally, there are [[Bank Holiday]] afternoon fixtures on [[Boxing Day]], [[New Year's Day]], and [[Easter Tuesday]].

[[Three points for a win|Three points are awarded for a win]], one point for a draw, and none for a loss. Points can be deducted for breaches of rules (e.g. fielding an ineligible player). The teams are first and foremost ranked by number of points, with the winner having the most points. If two or more teams finish level on points, four tiebreakers are used to separate them: highest overall [[goal difference]], most goals scored, most points gained in the head-to-head meetings, and finally, highest goal difference in the head-to-head meetings. In the highly unlikely event that teams are still tied in a key position after these tiebreakers (e.g. determining the league champions, European qualification, relegation, or even second stage group allocation), lots will be drawn by the Management Committee.<ref name="1819rules"/>

===Promotion and relegation===
There is no promotion from the Premiership, as it is the highest division of the Irish League system. At the end of the season, the 12th-placed club is relegated to the [[NIFL Championship]] and the 11th-placed club must take part in an aggregate two-legged play-off against the winners of the pre-play-off match between the runners-up and third-placed Championship teams.<ref name="1819rules"/> The [[away goals rule]] is applied after 90 minutes of the second leg, with extra time and penalties also used to determine the winner in the second leg if necessary. The Premiership club gets home advantage in the second leg, and is relegated to the Championship if it loses the tie. In the event that the Championship winners do not possess the Promotion licence required to be eligible for the top flight, there is no automatic relegation. Instead, the play-off is passed down to the 12th-placed Premiership club and the 11th-placed club is safe from relegation. In the event that there are no Championship clubs eligible for promotion, there is no relegation.<ref name="1819rules"/>

==European qualification==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%; float:right; margin-left:1em"
|+ European play-off finals
|-
! Season !! Winners !! Score !! Runners-up
|- style="border-top:3px solid black"
|-
|colspan="4"|'''UEFA Europa League'''
|-
| [[2015–16 NIFL Premiership|2015–16]] || [[Cliftonville F.C.|Cliftonville]] ''(4th)'' || 3–2 || [[Glentoran F.C.|Glentoran]] ''(6th)''
|-
| [[2016–17 NIFL Premiership|2016–17]] || [[Ballymena United F.C.|Ballymena United]] ''(4th)'' || 2–1 || [[Glenavon F.C.|Glenavon]] ''(6th)''
|-
| [[2017–18 NIFL Premiership|2017–18]] || [[Cliftonville F.C.|Cliftonville]] ''(5th)'' || 3–2 || [[Glentoran F.C.|Glentoran]] ''(7th)''
|-
| [[2018–19 NIFL Premiership|2018–19]] || [[Cliftonville F.C.|Cliftonville]] ''(5th)'' || 2–0 {{aet}}|| [[Glentoran F.C.|Glentoran]] ''(7th)''
|-
|colspan="4"|'''UEFA Europa Conference League'''
|-
| [[2020–21 NIFL Premiership|2020–21]] || [[Larne F.C.|Larne]] ''(4th)'' || 3–1 || [[Cliftonville F.C.|Cliftonville]] ''(5th)''
|-
| [[2021–22 NIFL Premiership|2021–22]] || [[Larne F.C.|Larne]] ''(5th)'' || 4–2 {{aet}}|| [[Glentoran F.C.|Glentoran]] ''(3rd)''
|}
Northern Ireland is currently ranked in 42nd place out of 55 in the 2021 [[UEFA coefficient#Men's_Association_coefficient|UEFA association coefficient rankings]], which will be used to determine qualification places for the 2022–23 UEFA competitions. The Irish League’s relatively low ranking over the years has meant that the clubs have entered in the preliminary round or early qualifying rounds of UEFA competitions. No Premiership club has ever reached the group stage of a UEFA competition in their current respective formats. In fact, none have ventured beyond the second qualifying round of the Champions League. The closest any club has come to reaching the group stage was first during the [[2019–20 UEFA Europa League]], when Linfield became the first club from Northern Ireland to reach the play-off round, narrowly missing out on a place in the group stage after a 4–4 draw on aggregate against [[Qarabağ FK]] from [[Azerbaijan]] resulted in elimination on the [[away goals rule]]. Then, in the [[2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League]] play-off round, Linfield were beaten on penalties by [[FK RFS]] after a 3–3 draw on aggregate.

For the [[2021–22 NIFL Premiership|2021–22 season]], the Irish League will earn four berths in the 2022–23 UEFA competitions - three for the Premiership, with the fourth reserved for the Irish Cup winners. The Irish League champions will enter the qualifying rounds for the following season's [[UEFA Champions League]], with the league runners-up and European play-off winners (along with the [[Irish Cup]] winners) entering the [[UEFA Europa Conference League]]. If, however, the Irish Cup winners have already qualified for Europe as league champions or runners-up, the Irish Cup's Europa Conference League berth is redistributed to the league's third-placed team. In order to compete in UEFA competitions, however, clubs must possess a UEFA licence. In the event that a team qualifies without such a licence, lower-placed teams may take their place. Unlike the [[EFL Cup|English League Cup]], the [[Northern Ireland Football League Cup]] winners are not awarded a European berth.

A play-off system for the final European qualification berth was introduced for the [[2015–16 NIFL Premiership#UEFA Europa League play-offs|2015–16 season]]. If the Irish Cup winners finish seventh or higher in the league, which historically has been the case in the majority of seasons, the four remaining teams from the top seven that have not already qualified for a UEFA competition (the teams in 3rd–7th, excluding either the Irish Cup winners, or the third-placed team if they are awarded the berth as explained above) compete in a series of play-offs for the final European place.<ref name="1819rules"/> If, however, the Irish Cup winners finish outside the top seven in the Premiership or play in a lower division, and if they also possess a UEFA licence, all five teams finishing 3rd–7th qualify for the play-offs. This would require an additional quarter-final match to be played by the sixth and seventh-placed teams, with the winner joining the other three clubs in the semi-finals.<ref name="1819rules"/> The play-offs did not take place during the 2019–20 season, as the league's UEFA ranking fell to 52nd. This meant that it lost the European berth normally awarded to the play-off winners. The play-offs returned in the 2020–21 season, after the league's ranking improved to 48th place - earning the fourth European berth back again.

The play-offs are single knockout matches and are played at the home of the higher-ranked team, with extra time used to determine the winner if the match ends level after 90 minutes, and a [[penalty shootout]] to follow if the two teams are still level after 120 minutes. Seeding is used during all rounds to reward the higher-placed qualifiers, with the sixth-placed team given home advantage against the seventh-placed team in the quarter-final match if it is required. The two higher-ranked semi-finalists are then given home advantage when facing the two lower-ranked semi-finalists, and the higher-ranked finalist is again given home advantage against the lower-ranked finalist.<ref name="1819rules"/>

Since the 2016–17 season, the league champions and the runners-up have been invited to participate in the [[Scottish Challenge Cup]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36483962|title=Scottish Challenge Cup expanded to include teams from Wales & NI|work=[[BBC Sport]]|access-date=26 March 2019|archive-date=16 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116013912/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36483962|url-status=live}}</ref> Starting from 2019, the reigning champions have also faced the [[League of Ireland]] champions in that year's [[Champions Cup (All-Ireland)|Champions Cup]] – the first all-Ireland competition since the [[Setanta Sports Cup]] was discontinued after the 2014 edition.

==Media coverage==
Highlights of individual Premiership matches are available online via the [[BBC Sport]] website.<ref name="BBCSport">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/irish/|title=Irish Football|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=18 September 2015|archive-date=13 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913045217/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/irish/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[BBC NI]] also produces ''The Irish League Show'', a weekly highlights show available to watch via [[BBC iPlayer]].<ref name="ILShow"/> Since September 2007 Sky Sports have been broadcasting NIFL Premiership games live.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fullerton |first=Darren |date=2022-01-17 |title=NIFL chief welcomes new Sky Sports deal for Irish League |url=https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/new-sky-sports-deal-shows-22776425 |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=BelfastLive |language=en |archive-date=9 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609113827/https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/new-sky-sports-deal-shows-22776425 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Statistics==
''These statistics cover the Premiership from 2008 onwards. For more detailed statistics covering the Irish League since 1890, see [[Northern Ireland Football League#Senior 2|Northern Ireland Football League]]''

===Champions===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! No.
! Season
! Champion
|-
| '''1''' || [[2008–09 IFA Premiership|2008–09]] || [[Glentoran F.C.|Glentoran]]
|-
| '''2''' || [[2009–10 IFA Premiership|2009–10]] || [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]
|-
| '''3''' || [[2010–11 IFA Premiership|2010–11]] || [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]
|-
| '''4''' || [[2011–12 IFA Premiership|2011–12]] || [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]
|-
| '''5''' || [[2012–13 IFA Premiership|2012–13]] || [[Cliftonville F.C.|Cliftonville]]
|-
| '''6''' || [[2013–14 NIFL Premiership|2013–14]] || [[Cliftonville F.C.|Cliftonville]]
|-
| '''7''' || [[2014–15 NIFL Premiership|2014–15]] || [[Crusaders F.C.|Crusaders]]
|-
| '''8''' || [[2015–16 NIFL Premiership|2015–16]] || [[Crusaders F.C.|Crusaders]]
|-
| '''9''' || [[2016–17 NIFL Premiership|2016–17]] || [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]
|-
| '''10''' || [[2017–18 NIFL Premiership|2017–18]] || [[Crusaders F.C.|Crusaders]]
|-
| '''11''' || [[2018–19 NIFL Premiership|2018–19]] || [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]
|-
| '''12''' || [[2019–20 NIFL Premiership|2019–20]] || [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]<ref group="n" name="fn_2"/>
|-
| '''13''' || [[2020–21 NIFL Premiership|2020–21]] || [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]
|-
| '''14''' || [[2021–22 NIFL Premiership|2021–22]] || [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]
|-
| '''15''' || [[2022–23 NIFL Premiership|2022–23]] || [[Larne F.C.|Larne]]
|-
| '''16''' || [[2023–24 NIFL Premiership|2023–24]] || [[Larne F.C.|Larne]]
|-
| '''17''' || [[2024–25 NIFL Premiership|2024–25]] || [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]
|}

====Wins by club====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Club
!Wins
!Winning years
|-
|[[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]
|9
|[[2009–10 IFA Premiership|2009–10]], [[2010–11 IFA Premiership|2010–11]], [[2011–12 IFA Premiership|2011–12]], [[2016–17 NIFL Premiership|2016–17]], [[2018–19 NIFL Premiership|2018–19]], [[2019–20 NIFL Premiership|2019–20]], [[2020–21 NIFL Premiership|2020–21]], [[2021–22 NIFL Premiership|2021–22]], [[2024–25 NIFL Premiership|2024–25]]
|-
|[[Crusaders F.C.|Crusaders]]
|3
|[[2014–15 NIFL Premiership|2014–15]], [[2015–16 NIFL Premiership|2015–16]], [[2017–18 NIFL Premiership|2017–18]]
|-
|[[Cliftonville F.C.|Cliftonville]]
|2
|[[2012–13 IFA Premiership|2012–13]], [[2013–14 NIFL Premiership|2013–14]]
|-
|[[Larne F.C.|Larne]]
|2
|[[2022–23 NIFL Premiership|2022–23]], [[2023–24 NIFL Premiership|2023–24]]
|-
|[[Glentoran F.C.|Glentoran]]
|1
|[[2008–09 IFA Premiership|2008–09]]
|}

===Records===
{{col-begin}}
*'''Most titles''': 9, [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]
*'''Most consecutive titles''': 4, [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]  ([[2018–19 NIFL Premiership|2018–19]] to [[2021–22 NIFL Premiership|2021–22]])
*'''Most points in a season''': 91, joint record:
**[[Crusaders F.C.|Crusaders]] (twice; [[2015–16 NIFL Premiership|2015–16]] & [[2017–18 NIFL Premiership|2017–18]])
**[[Cliftonville F.C.|Cliftonville]] ([[2012–13 IFA Premiership|2012–13]])
*'''Fewest points in a season''': 13, [[Portadown F.C.|Portadown]] ([[2016–17 NIFL Premiership|2016–17]])<ref group="n" name="fn_1"/>
*'''Highest non-title-winning points total''': 89, [[Coleraine F.C.|Coleraine]] ([[2017–18 NIFL Premiership|2017–18]])
*'''Lowest title-winning points total''': 74, [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]] ([[2009–10 IFA Premiership|2009–10]])<ref group="n" name="fn_3"/>
*'''Most wins in a season''': 29, [[Cliftonville F.C.|Cliftonville]] ([[2012–13 IFA Premiership|2012–13]])
*'''Fewest wins in a season''': 4, joint record:<ref group="n" name="fn_3"/>
**[[Lisburn Distillery F.C.|Lisburn Distillery]] ([[2012–13 IFA Premiership|2012–13]])
**[[Institute F.C.|Institute]] ([[2014–15 NIFL Premiership|2014–15]])
**[[Dungannon Swifts F.C.|Dungannon Swifts]] ([[2020–21 NIFL Premiership|2020–21]])
*'''Most draws in a season''': 14, joint record:
**[[Cliftonville F.C.|Cliftonville]] ([[2008–09 IFA Premiership|2008–09]])
**[[Crusaders F.C.|Crusaders]] ([[2008–09 IFA Premiership|2008–09]])
**[[Coleraine F.C.|Coleraine]] ([[2012–13 IFA Premiership|2012–13]])
{{col-2}}
*'''Fewest draws in a season''': 2, [[Dungannon Swifts F.C.|Dungannon Swifts]] ([[2021–22 NIFL Premiership|2021–22]])
*'''Most losses in a season''': 29, joint record:
**[[Dungannon Swifts F.C.|Dungannon Swifts]] ([[2020–21 NIFL Premiership|2020–21]])
**[[Warrenpoint Town F.C.|Warrenpoint Town]] ([[2021–22 NIFL Premiership|2021–22]])
*'''Fewest losses in a season''': 1, [[Coleraine F.C.|Coleraine]] ([[2017–18 NIFL Premiership|2017–18]])
*'''Most goals scored in a season''': 106, [[Crusaders F.C.|Crusaders]] ([[2017–18 NIFL Premiership|2017–18]])
*'''Fewest goals scored in a season''': 22, [[Dungannon Swifts F.C.|Dungannon Swifts]] ([[2020–21 NIFL Premiership|2020–21]])
*'''Most goals conceded in a season''': 92, [[Carrick Rangers F.C.|Carrick Rangers]] ([[2020–21 NIFL Premiership|2020–21]])
*'''Fewest goals conceded in a season''': 21, [[Larne F.C.|Larne]] ([[2023–24 NIFL Premiership|2023–24]])
*'''Highest goal difference in a season''': +68, [[Crusaders F.C.|Crusaders]] ([[2017–18 NIFL Premiership|2017–18]])
*'''Lowest goal difference in a season''': –61, joint record:
**[[Lisburn Distillery F.C.|Lisburn Distillery]] ([[2012–13 IFA Premiership|2012–13]])
**[[Dungannon Swifts F.C.|Dungannon Swifts]] ([[2020–21 NIFL Premiership|2020–21]])
*{{nowrap|'''Biggest home winning margin''': 11 goals, [[Portadown F.C.|Portadown]] 11–0 [[Ballinamallard United F.C.|Ballinamallard United]] (7 September 2013)}}
*'''Biggest away winning margin''': 8 goals, [[Ballymena United F.C.|Ballymena United]] 0–8 [[Cliftonville F.C.|Cliftonville]] (17 November 2012)
*'''Most goals scored in a game''': 11 goals, [[Portadown F.C.|Portadown]] 11–0 [[Ballinamallard United F.C.|Ballinamallard United]] (7 September 2013)
*'''Highest scoring draw''': 10 goals, [[Portadown F.C.|Portadown]] 5–5 [[Ballymena United F.C.|Ballymena United]] (17 January 2015)
{{col-end}}

==Premiership clubs==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Club
!Stadium
!Location
!Capacity
!Finishing position in 2024-25
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Ballymena United F.C.|Ballymena United]]||[[Ballymena Showgrounds]]||[[Ballymena]]||3,600||{{sort|09|9th}}
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Bangor F.C.|Bangor]]||[[Clandeboye Park]]||[[Bangor, County Down|Bangor]]||1,895||{{sort|01|1st}} (Promoted from [[NIFL Championship]])
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Carrick Rangers F.C.|Carrick Rangers]]||[[Taylors Avenue|Loughshore Hotel Arena]]||[[Carrickfergus]]||1,500||{{sort|11|11th}}
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Cliftonville F.C.|Cliftonville]]||[[Solitude (football ground)|Solitude]]||[[Belfast]]||3,200||{{sort|07|7th}}
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Coleraine F.C.|Coleraine]]||[[The Showgrounds (Coleraine)|The Showgrounds]]||[[Coleraine]]||2,496||{{sort|06|6th}}
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Crusaders F.C.|Crusaders]]||[[Seaview (football ground)|Seaview]]||[[Belfast]]||3,383||{{sort|05|5th}}
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Dungannon Swifts F.C.|Dungannon Swifts]]||[[Stangmore Park]]||[[Dungannon]]||1,500||{{sort|4|4th}}
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Glenavon F.C.|Glenavon]]||[[Mourneview Park]]||[[Lurgan]]||4,160||{{sort|10|10th}}
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Glentoran F.C.|Glentoran]]||[[The Oval (Belfast)|The Oval]]||[[Belfast]]||6,050||{{sort|04|3rd}}
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Larne F.C.|Larne]]||[[Inver Park]]||[[Larne]]||3,250||{{sort|02|2nd}} 
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]||[[Windsor Park]]||[[Belfast]]||18,614||{{sort|01|1st}} (League winners)
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Portadown F.C.|Portadown]]||[[Shamrock Park]]||[[Portadown]]||2,770||{{sort|08|8th}}
|-
|}

==See also==
*[[Northern Ireland Football League]]
*[[Northern Irish football clubs in European competitions]]
*[[Northern Ireland football league system]]
*[[Irish League XI]]
*[[List of association football competitions]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group="n"|refs=
<ref group="n" name="fn_1">[[Portadown F.C.|Portadown]] earned 25 points, but were deducted 12 points for a player registration breach.</ref>
<ref group="n" name="fn_2">Linfield declared champions on average points per game, after the season was curtailed as a result of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].</ref>
<ref group="n" name="fn_3">Record was beaten during the 2019–20 season. However, as the season was curtailed after 31 games due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland]] this has been excluded for consistency, as the records are based over 38 games.</ref>
}}

==External links==
* [http://nifootballleague.com/ Northern Ireland Football League website]
* [http://www.irishfa.com/ Irish FA Website]
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/irish/ Irish Football] BBC Sport
* [https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nilchamp.html Northern Ireland – Champions] RSSSF.com

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Football in Northern Ireland}}
{{NIFL league}}
{{NIFL Premiership seasons}}
{{Football in the United Kingdom}}
{{UEFA leagues}}

[[Category:NIFL Premiership| ]]
[[Category:Association football leagues in Northern Ireland|1]]
[[Category:Top-level football leagues in Europe]]
[[Category:Sports leagues established in 2008]]

[[it:Campionato nordirlandese di calcio]]