The top twenty teams within the English football league system contest this competition. The contest uses a system of promotion and relegation within the league over a season. Each complete season runs from August of one year to May of the next year, and each team within the league plays 38 games during the season to determine their standing and position within the league.



The Premier League was formed in 1992 as a break away from ?The football league? which was founded in 1888. It was formed in part so that advantage could be taken of a television deal which would be lucrative for the sport. Since it's formation in 1992, it has become the worlds most lucrative football league with combined club revenues of around ?1.8 billion for the 2007-2007 season. It has also been ranked first in the UEFA rankings of leagues based on the performances in European competitions over the last 5 years.

In total, since it's conception a total of 40 clubs have competed in the Premier League, but only 4 have won the title. The 4 winning teams are Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea and Manchester United ? This last named are the current champions of the league, and have held the title ten times out of the sixteen that it's been in existence for.

The Premier League is actually operated as a corporation which is owned by the 20 member clubs. Each club is a shareholder and as such each shareholder (club) gets one vote each on various issues such as contracts or rule changes. Between them each year, the clubs elect a chairman, and board of directors who oversee the daily running of the league. The Football Association isn't involved in the general running of the league, but has veto power as a ?special shareholder? during the election of the officials and when new rules are being voted on.

Throughout a Premier League season, each of the 20 clubs in the league play each other club twice. Once at their own home stadium, and once at the other team's stadium. This means that they play a total of 38 games through the season. Points are awarded to the teams based on a win/lose/draw basis with three points being awarded for a win, one point being given for a draw, and no points for a game lost. Teams are then ranked based primarily on their score, but within this when teams have the same number of points then the goal difference and then goals scored are taken into account to assist in the ranking. At the end of the season the team with the most points is crowned as the champion. The lowest three teams each season are relegated into the Football League Championship with the top two teams from the Football League Championship being promoted into the Premier League in their place, along with the winner of the Championships play-off.