Egyptian Premier League rules set out continental qualification plan if season is cancelled

The Egyptian Premier League’s regulations have established how clubs would be selected for continental competitions if the domestic season is cancelled or cannot resume.

The league is scheduled to begin on 21 August 2026, with the opening phase due to finish on 20 February. The second phase is set to start on 8 March, while the season is expected to conclude on 28 May, provided there is no alteration to the May calendar because of the finals of continental competitions, as outlined by Competition Committee chairman Taha Ezzat.

The regulations, issued by the Egyptian Clubs Association, explain how Egypt’s representatives in domestic, continental and international competitions would be determined in several possible scenarios.

Under Article Five, if the Egyptian Premier League is cancelled for any reason, the standings from the previous season will be used to decide which clubs represent the country in the relevant competitions.

A similar approach would apply if the Confederation of African Football (CAF) requested the names of participating clubs before the end of the first phase. In that situation, the previous season’s final standings would be used.

If CAF asked for the participating clubs before the end of the final phase, the candidates would be selected according to the standings in that phase up to the last round played before CAF’s deadline for submitting nominated clubs.

That provision would apply when the points gap between the clubs competing for qualification is greater than the number of points available from unplayed matches, and when those outstanding fixtures could not change the order of the teams in the final standings.

If the final positions could not be settled under those conditions, the clubs would instead be nominated according to the standings at the end of the first phase.

The regulations also state that participation in external competitions will ultimately be confirmed by a decision of the Egyptian Football Association board, based on recommendations from the Egyptian Clubs Association board. Any such decision must comply with CAF and international football regulations.

Two-phase league format

The Egyptian Premier League will be contested in two phases. The first will feature all 20 teams playing a single round of matches, producing a total of 19 rounds.

At the end of that phase, the six highest-ranked clubs will move into the championship group to compete for the title. The teams finishing from seventh to 20th will form the relegation group.

Each club will carry its full points total from the first phase into the final phase. However, the standings in the second phase will be calculated separately within each group, with both groups playing a single round of matches.

If two or more clubs finish level on points, their positions will be decided according to Article 15 of the competition regulations.

The four clubs at the bottom of the relegation group will be relegated to the division below, the Professional League.

The provisions clarify the process for determining Egypt’s continental representatives in the event that the league does not reach its scheduled conclusion, while also setting out the sporting structure for the 2026-27 campaign.