How does the league split work in Scotland?

Celtic and Rangers are Scotland's two most successful clubs (Image credit: Getty Images)

Football in Scotland is wildly unique in its own special way.

Often battled out at the top by powerhouses Celtic and Rangers, newly invested Hearts have enjoyed a brilliant campaign to this point, with all three teams now battling to become champions.

How does the league split work in Scotland?

Claudio Braga's goals for Hearts have helped the Edinburgh-based side climb to the top of the table (Image credit: Getty Images)

To make it simple when explaining, the Scottish Premiership 'splits' after 33 games played, with two breakout divisions therefore forming.

This has happened ever since 2000, when the division expanded from 10 teams to 12, in which prior, each team played either four times and ended after a 36-game season.

Celtic players celebrate winning their eighth Scottish Premiership title in a row in May 2019. — Celtic celebrate their title win back in 2019, an eighth in a row (Image credit: Getty Images)

Following the expansion, an issue occurred, with each team therefore required to play 44 league games in a single season.

In order to work around the issue, the current split system was introduced at the time of the expansion and allows each team to play each other 3 times, then after 33 games, the table is split into two groups.

Two individual groups are made, one named the Championship Group and the other the Relegation Group, each with six teams. Each team within a section will then play the other teams in their section once, for a total of 5 additional games.

This, therefore, brings the total number of games in a season to 38.

It is also important to note that once the split occurs after 33 games, a team from the bottom six cannot finish ahead of a team in the top six, even if they have more points at the end of the season. So strange, we know.

Rangers Head Coach Danny Rohl speaks to Rangers fans at full time during a UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between SK Brann and Rangers at Brann Stadion, on October 23, 2025, in Bergen, Norway. — Danny Rohl is attempting to win the title at Rangers in his first season in charge (Image credit: Craig Foy/SNS Group via Getty Images)

Why did they introduce the split?

All in the name of further competition, apparently.

With the table being split, the top teams will have to continue to perform well against the best teams in the league if they wish to win the league, and so on at the other end.

It gives bottom table teams more of a chance of avoiding relegation and makes the relegation battle more exciting, but the Scottish league is like no other when it comes to this peculiar format.

The tunnel at Hearts' Tynecastle stadium — Hearts could win the league (Image credit: Alamy)

Of course, there have been plenty of critics who voiced their opinions against the fixture disparity, which leads to fewer home games, and the fact that teams in the lower half of the table can finish with more points than teams in the top half.

This season, it looks as though a three-way title race is set to play out, with Hearts, Celtic and Rangers all separated at present by only six points.

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Matthew Holt writes freelance for FourFourTwo, amongst others, and boasts previous experience at GOAL and SPORTBible. He now works with us alongside his time at Manchester United and Reach PLC, aiding with online content for the website. Career highs include working at the FA Cup final, as well as scoring at Old Trafford in front of the Stretford End. A long-term sufferer of his beloved Scunthorpe United, he is often seen on the padel court, as well as occasionally as a six-a-side call-up.

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