About A. Le Coq Premium Liiga
The Premium Liiga employs a quadruple round-robin format, where each team plays 36 matches over the season (facing each opponent four times—twice at home and twice away). Teams are awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. The team with the most points at the end of the season is crowned the league champion. In case of a tie in points between teams, the league uses the following tie-breakers:
- Head-to-head results between the tied teams
- Goal difference in head-to-head matches
- Overall goal difference
- Goals scored
At the end of the season, the league’s champion qualifies for the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, while the second and third-placed teams secure spots in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers. The team finishing last is relegated to the Esiliiga, the second division, and the second-last team may face a relegation playoff against a top Esiliiga side.
| # | Club | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | FCI Levadia | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 25 |
| 2 | Paide | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 21 |
| 3 | FC Flora | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 20 |
| 4 | Nõmme Kalju | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 19 |
| 5 | Narva Trans | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 16 |
| 6 | Pärnu Vaprus | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 11 |
| 7 | Harju JK | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | -10 | 10 |
| 8 | FC Kuressaare | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | -10 | 9 |
| 9 | Tammeka Tartu | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | -14 | 7 |
| 10 | Tallinna Kalev | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | -23 | 7 |
Kalev get an surprising win over Paide in Bärengrub’s first game in charge
Second coaching change in Estonia – Kalev part ways with Teemu Tainio
Paide comes back from a goal down giving Levadia their first loss of the season
Flora score four against Harju to get a comfortable win
Patrikejevs scores an overhead kick as Kalju spoil 17-year-old’s debut in goal
Vetkal: “At the moment, nothing is working”
Foreign Player Regulations
In the Premium Liiga, clubs are allowed to register foreign players, but they must follow a specific regulation limiting how many can be on the pitch at the same time. No more than five foreign players are permitted on the field during matches, with up to six players being allowed in the matchday squad.
Historical Context and Notable Teams
The Estonian Premium Liiga was established in 1992 after the country’s independence from the Soviet Union. Before the formation of the Premium Liiga, Estonian clubs competed in Soviet leagues. Following independence, the league was structured similarly to other European leagues, with a clear promotion and relegation system. The Premium Liiga currently features 10 teams, and the season runs from March to November.
Since it’s establishment, the Premium Liiga has been dominated by FC Flora Tallinn. Flora has won the most league titles and is known for its strong development of domestic talent. Another powerhouse is FC Levadia Tallinn, a fierce rival of Flora, with both clubs regularly competing for top honors. Other notable teams include Nõmme Kalju and Paide Linnameeskond, which have also enjoyed competitive success in recent seasons
Disciplinary and Fair Play Rules
The Premium Liiga follows FIFA’s disciplinary regulations, including suspensions for accumulating yellow cards. A player who collects four, eight, ten, twelve, etc. yellow cards over the course of the season receives an automatic one-match suspension. Red cards result in more severe penalties, with the number of matches suspended depending on the severity of the foul.
Media coverage and development
Media coverage of the Premium Liiga has expanded in recent years, with local outlets like ERR and online platforms providing live streams and match highlights.
All league games are available on YouTube via the Soccernet.ee and Premium Liiga accounts, with one game per gameweek being televised by ERR (Estonian Public Broadcasting) (with the exception of GW36, if the game set to be televised at the start of the season does not include the title winning team).