| Season: | 1948–49 |
| Competition: | Iraq Central FA Premier League |
| Winners: | Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya (1st title) |
| Relegated: | Al-Malaki Al-Shorta Select XI Kuliyat Al-Huqooq |
| Nextseason: | 1949–50 |
The 1948–49 Iraq FA Baghdad First Division was the first season of the Iraq Central FA Premier League (the top division of football in Baghdad and its neighbouring cities from 1948 to 1973). The competition started on 5 November 1948,[1] [2] after the fixture list had been drawn up at a meeting between club representatives held at the Al-Malaki club.[3]
The Iraq Central Football Association (IFA) intended to hold the league in a double round-robin format, but this was changed to a single round-robin after several games had to be postponed due to rainy weather.[4] The IFA also set a rule that players who had already played for one club in a league game could not play for another team without prior permission from the League Committee, however Al-Shorta Select XI and Wizarat Al-Maarif were found to have broken this rule.[5]
The title-deciding match between Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya and Al-Haras Al-Malaki was played on 16 April 1949 at Al-Kashafa Stadium.[6] Al-Haras Al-Malaki needed to win outright in order to overtake their opponents and win the title, but the game ended 3–3 and therefore Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya were crowned inaugural league champions.[7]
The following is the most recent league table published by The Iraq Times newspaper as at 12 December 1948, not the final league table.[8] Only a few results from after this date are known.
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya won the league, with Al-Haras Al-Malaki finishing as runners-up.[7] Al-Malaki, Al-Shorta Select XI and Kuliyat Al-Huqooq were relegated, while Al-Ahli, Wizarat Al-Maarif and Casuals (as the only British team) remained in the top-flight for the 1949–50 season.[9] Ittihad Muntada Al-Karkh decided not to field a team for the following season.[10]