Maltese National Amateur League Explained

Pixels:	200px
Country:	(16 teams)
Teams:	16 (From 2024-25)
Promotion:	Maltese Challenge League
Relegation:	Maltese National Amateur League 2
Levels:	3
Domest Cup:	Maltese FA Trophy
Champions:	Mgarr United
Season:	2023–24
Current:	2024–25 Maltese National Amateur League

The Maltese National Amateur League (referred to as the IZIBet Amateur League for sponsorship reasons^[1]) is the third-highest division in Maltese football, replacing the Maltese Second Division and Maltese Third Division during the 2020–21 season following the premature end of the previous football season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[2]

Format

• 22 clubs: 2020–21
• 19 clubs: 2021–22
• 21 clubs: 2022–23
• 23 clubs: 2023–24
• 16 clubs: 2024–

Following the merger of the Maltese Second and Third Divisions the league is made up of two groups. Over the course of the season, each team plays twice against the others in their group.^[3] Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the table by:

1. Total points gained

In the need of a tie-breaker, a play-off game is played. At the end of the season, the top team from each group is directly promoted to the Challenge League; an additional place is reserved for the winner of the promotion play-offs. The play-offs take place between the clubs that finished second to fourth in each group with the winning team gaining promotion to the Challenge League.^[4]

In March 2021, Luqa St. Andrew's became the first champions of the league^[5] and were promoted from group stage along with Melita and Mġarr United.^[6] They were joined in the 2021-22 Challenge League by the winners of the promotion play-offs Rabat Ajax who had beaten Kirkop United in the final.^[7] With five teams being relegated from the Challenge League in 2021, and four being promoted from the Amateur League, the 2021-22 season saw an overall increase of clubs to 23.

Venues

	Pembroke	Mosta	San Pawl il-Baħar	Ta' Qali
	Luxol Stadium	Charles Abela Stadium	Sirens Stadium	Centenary Stadium
	Capacity: 600	Capacity: 700	Capacity: 800	Capacity: 3,000

External links

• League at the Malta Football Association official website

Notes and References

1. News: Malta FA, BOV agree new three-year sponsorship deal . Times of Malta . Kevin . Azzopardi . 12 July 2015.
2. Web site: BOV Amateur League A . Malta Football Association . 7 February 2021 .
3. Web site: New format for national leagues . Times of Malta . 29 July 2020 . 5 April 2021 .
4. Web site: 2020–21 BOV Premier League set for exciting start . Malta Football Association . 7 February 2021 .
5. https://www.bov.com/News/luqa-st-andrews---bov-amateur-league-champions
6. Web site: MFA Match Centre.
7. Web site: Rabat Ajax beat Kirkop to secure promotion to Challenge League . Times of Malta . 6 March 2021 . 7 March 2021 .