NIFL Premiership
FIFA Region
UEFA
Season
2020-2021
Location
Northern Ireland
Abbreviation
NIR1

Summary

The NIFL Premiership (NIR1), or Dankse Bank Premiership, is the top division in Northern Ireland's football system. At the end of the 2020-2021 NIR1 season, the NIR1 teams listed below qualify for the following non-league play:

  • 2021-2022 UEFA Champions League - 1st Qualifying Round:
    • 1st place 2020-2021 NIR1 team
  • 2021-2022 UEFA Europa Conference League - 1st Qualifying Round:
    • 2nd place 2020-2021 NIR1 team
    • 2020-2021 NIR1 UEFA Europa Conference League Playoffs winner

The winner of the 2020-2021 Irish Football Association Challenge Cup (Irish Cup), typically a NIR1 team, also receives a berth in the 1st Qualifying Round of the 2021-2022 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 12

Competition Structure

Season

# of Teams

Regular
17 Oct 2020 - 24 Apr 2021
Champ/Releg Rounds
29 Apr 2021 - 29 May 2021
UEFAECL Playoffs
1 Jun 2021 - 22 Jun 2021
12: NIR1 (10 minimum), NIR2 (2 maximum)

Season Format

The 2020-2021 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 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 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

Not applicable.

Relegation

At the end of the 2020-2021 NIR1 season, the 12th place NIR1 team is relegated to the NIR2, and the 11th place NIR1 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 2021-2022 NIR1, and the playoff loser plays in the 2021-2022 NIR2.


More Info...


2nd Stage

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
Championship
1Linfield FC 3824 -6-878-8338451915 -2-247531241199 -4-63130264
2Coleraine FC 3821 -10-773-5735221911 -5-3382714131910 -5-43530219
3Glentoran FC 3820 -11-771-6532332012 -6-242381424188 -5-52927189
4Larne FC 3818 -10-1064-644123199 -5-532311714199 -5-53233249
5Cliftonville 3817 -9-1260-5942172012 -3-539392217185 -6-72120200
6Crusaders FC 3816 -6-1654-625012189 -2-729342212207 -4-92528280
Relegation
1Glenavon FC 3817 -11-1062-72657198 -8-33237298199 -3-7303536-1
2Ballymena United FC 3818 -7-1361-674423209 -4-73134259189 -3-630331914
3Portadown FC 3810 -6-2236-5078-28206 -3-11212631-5184 -3-11152447-23
4Warrenpoint Town FC 389 -9-2036-3874-36173 -6-8152230-8216 -3-12211644-28
5Carrick Rangers FC 385 -8-2523-3592-57182 -5-11112343-20203 -3-14121249-37
6Dungannon Swifts FC 384 -5-2917-2283-61193 -0-1691239-27191 -5-1381044-34
2021-2022 UEFACL
UEFAECL Playoffs
2021-2022 UEFAECL
Relegation Playoffs
Relegation

1st Stage

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
1Linfield FC 3322 -4-770-7634421714 -2-14449940168 -2-62627252
2Glentoran FC 3318 -9-663-6129321611 -4-137351124177 -5-52626188
3Coleraine FC 3318 -8-762-5032181710 -4-334241311168 -4-42826197
4Cliftonville 3316 -8-956-5535201712 -2-338371720164 -6-61818180
5Larne FC 3315 -10-855-563521179 -5-332301416166 -5-52326215
6Crusaders FC 3316 -5-1253-594019169 -2-529331815177 -3-72426224
7Glenavon FC 3314 -10-952-5657-1166 -7-32528271178 -3-6272830-2
8Ballymena United FC 3313 -7-1346-504010176 -4-72224222167 -3-62426188
9Portadown FC 338 -6-1930-4065-25174 -3-10151926-7164 -3-9152139-18
10Warrenpoint Town FC 336 -9-1827-3265-33162 -6-8121929-10174 -3-10151336-23
11Carrick Rangers FC 334 -8-2120-2877-49162 -5-9112033-13172 -3-129844-36
12Dungannon Swifts FC 334 -4-2516-1872-54163 -0-1391133-22171 -4-127739-32
Championship Group
Relegation Group

Results

Sat - 29 May 2021
 Larne FC 12 Coleraine FCInver Park
 Cliftonville 02 Linfield FCSolitude (Belfast)
 Warrenpoint Town FC 31 Carrick Rangers FCMilltown Playing Fields
 Ballymena United FC 42 Portadown FCThe Showgrounds (Ballymena)
Tue - 25 May 2021
 Cliftonville 11 Crusaders FCSolitude (Belfast)
 Larne FC 01 Glentoran FCInver Park
 Carrick Rangers FC 36 Glenavon FCBelfast Loughshore Hotel Arena
 Ballymena United FC 30 Warrenpoint Town FCThe Showgrounds (Ballymena)
 Coleraine FC 11 Linfield FCThe Showgrounds (Coleraine)
Sat - 15 May 2021
 Linfield FC 12 Larne FCWindsor Park (Belfast)
 Crusaders FC 01 Coleraine FCSeaview (Belfast)
Fri - 14 May 2021
Tue - 4 May 2021
 Linfield FC 31 Crusaders FCWindsor Park (Belfast)