Soccer Betting - French League
History - Players Records - Winners - Teams - Standings
Ligue 1 or Première Division or Division 1 has been a professional league since 1932 and it is the top division of French football. The French first division has switched several times between a 18 and a 20 team format, the latter being in force today and having the preference of clubs in spite of a busier schedule for the players.
The French Ligue 1, 20 professional teams play each other twice during the season for a 38-match schedule, and then at the end of the season the last 3 teams are relegated to Ligue 2. This format has been in place since 1995. In the past, the traditional format relegated the bottom two teams and a play-off between the third-latest first-division team and the winner of the second-division play-offs.
Currently, the top three teams in the French Ligue 1 qualify for the Champions title with the top two proceeding directly to the group phase. The third-placed team enters in the final qualifying round; the fourth placed team qualifies for the UEFA Cup. The fifth and sixth placed teams can also qualify depending on results in the two domestic cup competitions.
During the years of 1973 to 1976, a "bonus" rule rewarded teams scoring three or more goals in a game with one extra point, regardless of outcome with the purpose of encouraging offensive play. But, the experience was ultimately inconclusive.
The French Ligue 1 teams standing on equal points are ranked by goal difference and if still even then as a second option by the number of goals scored. Until 1966, the French league used goal average instead of goal difference to break point ties. This system actually favored the defensive over the offensive, as shown by the outcome of the 1961-62 season when Stade de Reims played against Racing Club de Paris for the title.
The French Ligue 1 is a outstanding competitive league with good planning, complete and consistently enforced rules, timely resolution of issues and adequate escalation procedures of judicial disputes to national or international institutions. Throughout its history, the league faced significant corruption cases such as: the Olympique d'Antibes in 1933, the Red Star in the 1950s, and the Olympique de Marseille in 1993, but it has preserved its reputation through severe punishment of the guilty parties.
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