Qatar Stars League is one of the leading football tournaments in the Middle East and is considered the “playground” of football stars. With the participation of wealthy clubs and many famous players, this tournament has attracted the attention of many fans around the world. In this article, 2019 SEA Games will learn about the history of formation, development process, competition format, schedule and latest rankings of the Stars League Qatar football tournament.
Overview of the Qatar Stars League football tournament
Qatar Stars League (also known as Qatar Stars League) is the leading professional football tournament in Qatar, organized by the Qatar Football Association (QFA). This tournament includes 12 participating clubs and takes place from August to May every year. However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-2021 season has been postponed and will take place from September 2021 to May 2022.
With the rapid development of football in Qatar in recent years, the Stars League Qatar football tournament has also become increasingly popular and attracted the attention of many fans. In particular, with the hosting of the 2022 World Cup, this tournament becomes an even more important playground for players to best prepare for the biggest event in world football.
History of formation and development of the Qatar Stars League football tournament
The Qatar Stars League was established in 1963 under the name “Qatar National Football League”. However, in 2004, this tournament was renamed “Qatar Stars League” and became the first professional tournament in Qatar. During its development, this tournament has undergone many changes in organization and competition format.
Since 2009, the tournament has started applying a cumulative points system to determine the winner. This means clubs will accumulate points throughout the season instead of just scoring each match as before. In addition, from the 2013-2014 season, the tournament was expanded to 14 participating clubs, but then reduced to 12 clubs from the 2017-2018 season.
Competition format of the Stars League Qatar football tournament
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The Qatar Stars League football tournament takes place in a round-robin format, in which each club will face each other in two legs (one match at home and one match away). In each match, the winning team will receive 3 points, a draw will receive 1 point, and a losing team will receive no points. After the end of the season, the team with the highest score will become the champion of the tournament.
In addition, from the 2018-2019 season, Stars League Qatar football tournament also applies a relegation and promotion system. This means that the bottom two clubs in the rankings will be relegated and replaced by the top two clubs in the Qatar First Division.
Competition rules
To ensure fairness and safety for players, the Qatar Stars League soccer tournament applies a number of competition rules as follows:
- Each team can only register a maximum of 4 foreign players and cannot use more than 3 foreign players in each match.
- The official match time is 90 minutes, divided into two halves of 45 minutes each. If the two teams are tied after 90 minutes, the referee will conduct an additional 30 minutes of extra play to find the winner. If still tied after 120 minutes, the match will be decided by a penalty shootout.
- Each team can only replace a maximum of 3 players during the match, including one substitute and two in the first and second halves.
- Players must comply with the rules regarding yellow and red cards. If a player receives two yellow cards in one match, he is sent off and cannot participate in the next match.
Qatar Stars League football tournament schedule for the 2023-2024 season
The 2023-2024 season of the Qatar Stars League football tournament is expected to take place from August 2023 to May 2024. However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this schedule may be changed . Below is the expected schedule of the 2023-2024 season:
In addition, throughout the season, clubs also have to compete in other tournaments such as Qatar Cup and AFC Champions League. This will create a dense schedule for the players and teams, as well as an opportunity for them to test against strong opponents from other tournaments.
Latest rankings of Stars League Qatar football tournament
Currently, the 2020-2021 season is underway and has passed the halfway mark. Below are the latest rankings of the Qatar Stars League soccer tournament:
Currently, the Al-Sadd team is leading the rankings with the rise of stars like Xavi Hernandez and Santi Cazorla. Meanwhile, the Al-Kharaitiyat team is at the bottom of the table and is at risk of being relegated at the end of the season.
Conclude
Qatar Stars League is one of the leading football tournaments in the Middle East and attracts the attention of many fans around the world. With its history and continuous development, this tournament has become a “playground” for football stars and a place for players to best prepare for the 2022 World Cup. We hope Hopefully, the Stars League Qatar football tournament will grow and become one of the leading tournaments in the world.