Veikkausliiga is the premier division in Finnish football. It has its name from the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, the main sponsor. Seasons run from April to October in a league of twelve teams. These play two fixtures against each other in the regular season. After that the league table splits in two. The top teams play a championship round and the bottom half play a relegation round.
Ykkönen (meaning “Number one” in English) is the second highest level of football in Finland. It is played from April/May until October and has ten teams. They all play three matches against each other, resulting in 27 fixtures. The top team of the final league table is promoted while number two plays a promotion playoff. The bottom two clubs are relegated.
Kakkonen is the third highest level of football in Finland. It is divided into three groups based on geographical areas, each with twelve teams. Each club plays the others in the group twice for a total of 22 fixtures to create a final league table. The two top teams in each division then enter a promotion playoff.
