The Bahraini Premier League is the main football competition in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Currently known as the Nasser bin Hamad Premier League, the first season was held in 1957. The winners of the domestic championship qualify for the AFC Cup. The championship is currently contested by 12 clubs.
Structure
Current structure
12 clubs currently play a two round robin set of fixtures totaling 22 games in order to determine the league champions. Although games are played on a home and away basis, almost all games are played at the National Stadium.
The eleventh and twelfth-placed clubs are relegated with the ninth and tenth enter the relegation play-offs.
Previous structures
In earlier seasons, the league has been radically overhauled to feature all the professional clubs of Bahrain. Instances being the 2008–09 and 2002 league seasons. The leagues featuring up to 19 teams would play each other on one occasion with the top 10 teams staying in the Premier League top flight and the bottom sides (from 11 to 19) forming the next seasons 2nd division.
Between the seasons of 2002 and 2009, the top four sides of the league would also play in the Crown Prince Cup.
Clubs (2023–24) Al-Ahli Al-Hala Al-Hidd Al-Khaldiya Al-Muharraq Al-Riffa Al-Shabab Busaiteen Al-Najma East Riffa Manama Sitra
2022–23 Clubs' stadiums
Team re-structuring
In 2002, a host of clubs were amalgamated:
Bahrain is an amalgamation of Bahrain and Al-Khaleej. Riffa is an amalgamation of West Riffa and Zallaq. Al-Najma is an amalgamation of Al-Hilal, Al-Qadisiya and Ras Al-Rumman. Al-Sahel is an amalgamation of Qalali and Hadd. Al-Tadamun is an amalgamation of Boori, Karazkan, Hamla, Reef Union and Damastan. Al-Shabab is an amalgamation of Deyya, Sanabis, Jadd Hafs, Naeem, Karrana, Sahla and Karbabad. Al-Ittifaq is an amalgamation of Al-Arabi, Maqaba and Bani Jumra.
List of champions
Champions are:
1956–57 : Al-Muharraq
1957–58 : Al-Muharraq
1958–59 : Al-Nasr
1959–60 : Al-Muharraq
1960–61 : Al-Muharraq
1961–62 : Al-Muharraq
1962–63 : Al-Muharraq
1963–64 : Al-Muharraq
1964–65 : Al-Muharraq
1965–66 : Al-Muharraq
1966–67 : Al-Muharraq
1967–68 : Bahrain (Muharraq) 1968–69 : Al-Ahli (Manama) 1969–70 : Al-Muharraq 1970–71 : Al-Muharraq 1971–72 : Al-Ahli (Manama) 1972–73 : Al-Muharraq 1973–74 : Al-Muharraq 1974–75 : Al-Arabi (Al-Najma now) 1975–76 : Al-Muharraq 1976–77 : Al-Ahli (Manama) 1977–78 : Bahrain (Muharraq) 1978–79 : Al Hala 1979–80 : Al-Muharraq 1980–81 : Bahrain (Muharraq) 1981–82 : West Riffa 1982–83 : Al-Muharraq 1983–84 : Al-Muharraq 1984–85 : Bahrain (Muharraq) 1985–86 : Al-Muharraq 1986–87 : West Riffa 1987–88 : Al-Muharraq 1988–89 : Bahrain (Muharraq) 1989–90 : West Riffa 1990–91 : Al-Muharraq 1991–92 : Al-Muharraq 1992–93 : West Riffa 1993–94 : East Riffa 1994–95 : Al-Muharraq 1995–96 : Al-Ahli (Manama) 1996–97 : West Riffa 1997–98 : West Riffa 1998–99 : Al-Muharraq 1999–00 : West Riffa 2000–01 : Al-Muharraq 2002 : Al-Muharraq 2002–03 : Al-Riffa 2003–04 : Al-Muharraq 2004–05 : Al-Riffa 2005–06 : Al-Muharraq 2006–07 : Al-Muharraq 2007–08 : Al-Muharraq 2008–09 : Al-Muharraq 2009–10 : Al-Ahli (Manama) 2010–11 : Al-Muharraq 2011–12 : Al-Riffa 2012–13 : Busaiteen 2013–14 : Al-Riffa 2014–15 : Al-Muharraq 2015–16 : Al-Hidd 2016–17 : Malkiya 2017–18 : Al-Muharraq 2018–19 : Al-Riffa 2019–20 : Al-Hidd 2020–21 : Al-Riffa 2021–22 : Al-Riffa 2022–23 : Al-Khaldiya
Total championships
The number of national championships that clubs in Bahrain have attained.