Pakistan Premier League

The Pakistan Premier League (PPL; Urdu: پاکستان پریمیئر لیگ‎) is a Pakistani professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Pakistan football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Football Federation League.

This article is about the football league. For cricket league, see Pakistan Super League.

Pakistan Premier League
Founded1948 (Official)
2004 (Current format)
Country Pakistan
ConfederationAFC
Number of teams16 (2018–19)
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toFootball Federation League
Domestic cup(s)Challenge Cup
International cup(s)AFC Cup
SAFF Club Championship
Current championsKhan Research Laboratories (5th title)
(2018–19)
Most championshipsKhan Research Laboratories (5 titles)
TV partnersPTV Sports & Geo Super (live matches)
PTV Sports & Geo Super (highlights)
Websitepff.com.pk
2018–19 Pakistan Premier League

The Pakistan Premier League is a corporation in which the 16 member clubs act as shareholders. Seasons run from September to January (as of 2018–19 season, with teams playing 26 matches each (playing each team in the league twice, home and away) totaling 182 matches in the season. Most games are played in the afternoons of Saturdays and Sundays, the other games during weekday evenings.

Since its inception of the Pakistan Premier League in 2004, four have won the title: Khan Research Laboratories (5) WAPDA (4), Pakistan Army (2) and K-Electric (1).[1] The current champions are Khan Research Laboratories, who won the title in 2018–19.

History

Pakistan’s first professional football league began on 28 May 1948 as the "National Football Championship". The league was a knock-out competition, which remained as the top football league in the country until 2004 with the introduction of the Pakistan Premier League. National Football Champion featured teams representing cities or provinces, unlike current format where departmental teams play, with exception of Balochistan clubs (including Afghan Chaman, Baloch Nushki, Baloch Quetta and Musli which represents the city of Chaman, Nushki and Quetta respectively, National Football League featured teams from Dhaka (Dacca FC) and Chittagong (Chittagong FC) from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Dacca FC won two back-to-back leagues, and Chittagong FC won league only once.

National League

In August 2003, major restructuring was undertaken by the Pakistan Football Federation with support of FIFA's Goal Programme. Several new training facilities were built across the country and a new Pakistan Football Federation Head Office was built in Lahore. Under new management, the Pakistan Football Federation restructured the National Football Championship and in 2004 introduced the National League Division A Football League (which contained 12 clubs across Pakistan) and the National League Division B Football League (containing 5 clubs).

Premier League

In 2006–07 season, the National League Division A Football League was renamed to the Pakistan Premier League while the National League Division B Football League was renamed to the Football Federation League. In the following 2007–08 season, the league was expanded to 14 clubs. For the 2010–11 season the league was expanded to 16 clubs. The two bottom teams at the end of each Pakistan Premier League season would to be relegated to the PFF League, while the top 2 teams in the Football Federation League would be promoted to the Pakistan Premier League.[2]

"Punjab Three" Dominance
Results of the 'Punjab Three' during the 2000s
SeasonKRLPFCWFC
2004-05321
2005-06312
2006–07312
2007–08321
2008–09321
2009–10123
2010–11271
2011–12134
2012–131411
2013–14153
2014–15625
2018–19145
Top three1188
out of 11
     League champions
     Pakistan National Football Challenge Cup winnerss
     Pakistan National Football Challenge Cup runners-up

Since the beginning of Pakistan Premier League, Punjab clubs has been dominating with Khan Research Laboratories, Pakistan Army (from Rawalpindi) and WAPDA (from Lahore) winning league for combined ten times in the span of eleven years, with Khan Research Laboratories and WAPDA winning four times each and Pakistan Army winning two time The "Punjab Three" also dominated the domestic cup, where Khan Research Laboratories won the cup six times (with four consecutive cup wins in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 editions) and were runners-up in 2008 edition, while other two clubs did not dominate the cup, as only WAPDA being runners-up in 2005 and 2018 edition. Arif Mehmood of WAPDA is currently the top scorer of Pakistan Premier League with 102 goals, winning top scorer awards five times.

Clubs

As of the 2018–19 season.

TeamLocationStadium[3]Capacity
Afghan ChamanChamanJamal Nasir Stadiium12,000
Ashraf Sugar MillsBahawalpurRailway Stadium5,000
Baloch NushkiNushkiNushki Stadium10,000
Civil Aviation AuthorityKarachiKorangi Baloch Stadium5,000
K-ElectricKarachiPeople's Football Stadium40,000
Karachi Port TrustKarachiKarachi Port Trust Stadium6,000
Khan Research LaboratoriesRawalpindiKRL Ground8,000
MuslimQuettaSadiq Shaheed Stadium5,000
National BankKarachiKarachi Port Trust Stadium6,000
Pakistan AirforceIslamabadPAF Complex2,000
Pakistan ArmyRawalpindiArmy Stadium7,000
Pakistan NavyIslamabadPNS Karsaz Stadium5,000
Pakistan AirlinesKarachiKorangi Baloch Stadium5,000
Sui Southern GasKarachiBenazir Sports Complex20,000
Sui Northern GasLahoreRailway Stadium5,000
WAPDALahorePunjab Stadium10,000

Champions

By season
Season Champions Runners-up Third place
2004-05 WAPDA Pakistan Army Khan Research Laboratories
2005-06 Pakistan Army WAPDA Khan Research Laboratories
2006–07 Pakistan Army WAPDA Khan Research Laboratories
2007–08 WAPDA Pakistan Army Khan Research Laboratories
2008–09 WAPDA Pakistan Army Khan Research Laboratories
2009–10 Khan Research Laboratories Pakistan Army WAPDA
2010–11 WAPDA Khan Research Laboratories Pakistan Airlines
2011–12 Khan Research Laboratories Afghan Chaman Pakistan Army
2012–13 Khan Research Laboratories Karachi Electric Supply Corporation Muslim
2013–14 Khan Research Laboratories Karachi Electric Supply Corporation WAPDA
2014–15 K-Electric Pakistan Army Pakistan Airforce
2018–19 Khan Research Laboratories Pakistan Airforce Sui Southern Gas

Most successful clubs
Team Winners Runners-up Third Place
Khan Research Laboratories 5 (2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2018–19) 1 (2010–11) 5 (2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09)
WAPDA 3 (2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09) 2 (2005–06, 2006–07) 2 (2009–10, 2013–14)
Pakistan Army 2 (2005–06, 2006–07) 5 (2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2014–15) 1 (2011–12)
K-Electric 1 (2014–15) 2 (2012–13, 2013–14) —
Pakistan Airforce — 1 (2018–19) 1 (2014–15)
Afghan Chaman — 1 (2011–12) —
Pakistan Airlines — — 1 (2010–11)
Muslim — — 1 (2012–13)
Sui Southern Gas — — 1 (2018–19)

Ranking
Main article: AFC Club Competitions Ranking

As of 10 June 2019[4]

Ranking Member Association Total Points FIFA Points Club Points 2018 2017 2016 2015
20182017MvmtPoints(10%)Points(90%)
41 39 -2 Chinese Taipei011340.0000.0000.000 0 000
42 40 -2 Timor-Leste09000.0000.0000.000 0 000
43 41 -2 Pakistan08880.0000.0000.000 0 000
44 42 -2 Brunei09030.0000.0000.000 0 000
45 44 -1 Guam09070.0000.0000.000 0 000
46 45 -1 Yemen011060.0000.0000.000 0 000

Structure

The Pakistan Premier League is directly under control of the Pakistan Football Federation or PFF. The PFF oversees all aspects of the league and makes unilateral decisions over any changes to the format, funding and sponsorship.

Professionalization

The Pakistan Football Federation have announced they will try and professionalize the league by introducing city based teams and getting rid of "departmental" teams, which although are financially stable, do not have much of a fan following.[5] This has led to more professional football structure in Pakistan.

Competition format

Competition

There are currently 16 clubs in the PPL, although the competition started in 2004–05 with 14 teams. The season lasts during the winter months stretching from November to February, with each club playing the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents for a total of 30 games for each club, with a total of 240 games in each season. Each teams receives three points for a win and one point for a draw. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned as PPL Champion. At the end of the season, the two worst teams are relegated directly to the PFF League, while the top two teams in the PFF League are promoted to the PPL.

Qualification for Asian competitions

The top team in the PPL automatically qualifies for the AFC President's Cup, the weakest continental club competition in Asia till 2014, and the AFC Cup in 2016. Technically, the PFF can nominate any team to represent them in Asia; however, only the team that finished top of their highest league are sent.

Sponsorship
Period Sponsor Notes Ref.
2009–10 KASB Bank Pakistan Football Federation signed a five-year partnership deal with KASB Bank, from 2009 to 2013. However the deal was cancelled after just one season. [6][7]

Players

Pakistan Premier League clubs have almost complete freedom to sign whatever number and category of players they wish. There is no team or individual salary cap, no squad size limit, no age restrictions other than those applied by general employment law. However teams are restricted to not more than 2 foreign players in the squad for the season. Players move on free transfers as contracts only last for a year, but some contracts can be as long as three years, and the transfer fees are small. Due to the nature of the league, players tend to work for the company they play for during the off season and top players can command respectable football salaries. Players that earn a nominal salary need second jobs to support themselves.

Media

PTV Sports is the official Media Partner of Pakistan Premier League. In 2008, the final match of the league was also broadcast on Star Sports India.

Awards

Top Scorer
YearPlayer/sClubGoalsRef.
2004-05 Arif MehmoodWAPDA 20 [8]
2005-06 Imran HussainPakistan Army 21 [9]
2006-07 Arif MehmoodWAPDA 18 [10]
2007-08 Arif MehmoodWAPDA 21 [11]
2008-09 Muhammad RasoolKhan Research Laboratories 22 [12]
2009-10 Arif MehmoodWAPDA 20 [13]
2010-11 Arif MehmoodWAPDA 21 [14]
2011-12 Jadeed KhanAfghan Chaman 22 [15]
2012-13 Kaleemullah KhanKhan Research Laboratories 35 [16]
2013-14 MuhammadKarachi Port Trust 27 [17]
2014-15 Muhammad RasoolK-Electric 22 [18]
2018-19 Ansar AbbasPakistan Army 15 [19]

Most Valuable Player
YearPlayer/sClubRef.
2004-05 Khuda BakhshWAPDA [8]
2005-06 Adeel AhmedPakistan Telecommunication [9]
2006-07 Adeel AhmedPakistan Telecommunication [10]
2007-08 Muhammad ImranPakistan Army [11]
2008-09 Samar IshaqKhan Research Laboratories [12]
2009-10 Nasrullah KhanPakistan Airlines [13]
2010-11 Muhammad HajiPakistan Airlines [14]
2011-12 Samar IshaqKhan Research Laboratories [15]
2012-13 Saeed AhmedMuslim [16]
2013-14 Kaleemullah KhanKhan Research Laboratories [17]
2014-15 Mansoor KhanPakistan Airforce [18]
Muhammad MujahidPakistan Airforce [18]
2018-19 Muhammad NaeemCivil Aviation Authority [19]

Goalkeeper of the year
YearPlayer/sClubRef.
2004-05 Jaffar KhanPakistan Army [8]
2005-06 Jaffar KhanPakistan Army [9]
2006-07 Jaffar KhanPakistan Army [10]
2007-08 Jaffar KhanPakistan Army [11]
2008-09 Abdul AzizWAPDA [12]
2009-10 Ghulam NabiKhan Research Laboratories [13]
2010-11 Muhammad OmerKarachi Electric Supply Corporation [14]
2011-12 Jaffar KhanPakistan Army [15]
2012-13 Jaffar KhanPakistan Army [16]
2013-14 Muzammil HussainWAPDA [17]
2014-15 Muzammil HussainWAPDA [18]
2018-19 Tanvir MumtazKhan Research Laboratories [19]

Fair Play Trophy
YearClubRef.
2004-05 Pakistan Telecommunication [8]
2005-06 Pakistan Telecommunication [9]
2006-07 Afghan Chaman [10]
2007-08 Pakistan Television [11]
2008-09 Afghan Chaman [12]
2009-10 Pakistan Airlines [13]
2010-11 Afghan Chaman [14]
2011-12 Pakistan Airlines [15]
2012-13 Zarai Taraqiati [16]
2013-14 Khan Research Laboratories [17]
2014-15 Muslim [18]
2018-19 Not Awarded [19]

Criticism

The Pakistan Football Federation has been severely criticized for its non-serious attempts to increase the quality of football in the country. The PFF cites claims of lack of funds from the government, however these claims are largely rejected by players and owners alike who all agree that the PFF is severely mismanaged and corrupt. The league has an "amateurish" setup according to critics, which they claim don't allow players to develop to the level they are capable of. Pakistani clubs are considered lightweight in comparison to other Asian clubs and defeats by the opposition in the AFC President's Cup suggest that this may have some foundation. Another main criticism leveled at the PPL is the number of games played over a short period of time. One team can be forced to play 3 games in a week due to the congested fixture list. The PFF’s attempts to cut costs have led to players becoming exhausted.

Departmental Teams

The lack of independent clubs is also a major issue many football fans in Pakistan are annoyed with. Since the PFF has not made serious attempts to lure large businesses to invest in and/or sponsor teams, the league has a dominance of departmental teams run by the sports division government agencies and private businesses. This has resulted in a serious lack of public interest since nobody is willing to pay money to see departments play. However, critics suggest that if actual city-based teams are promoted with departments acting as sponsors, a fan following may develop. This is clearly evident with Afghan Chaman which has a large fan following and can see up-to 12,000 people attending matches.

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See also

References
  1. "FIFA, AFC committed to promoting soccer in Pakistan: PFF president". Nation.com.pk. 25 February 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  2. "PFF approves two more teams in Premier League". Nation.com.pk. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  3. https://www.footballgroundmap.com/grounds/pakistan/
  4. "AFC Club Competitions Ranking". Asian Football Confederation.
  5. "PFF approves two more teams in Premier League". Nation.com.pk. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  6. "KASB to sponsor Premier Football League [The News]". footballpakistan.com. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  7. "Riaz Ahmed: Sponsor-less PFF League concludes without representation from Sindh and Khyber Pakhtoon-Khuwa". footballpakistan.com. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  8. "Pakistan 2004 (National League and Regional Championships)". rsssf.com.
  9. "Pakistan 2005 (National Tournaments)". rsssf.com.
  10. "Pakistan 2006/07 (National Tournaments)". rsssf.com.
  11. "Pakistan 2007/08 (National Tournaments)". rsssf.com.
  12. "Pakistan 2008/09 (National Tournaments)". rsssf.com.
  13. "Pakistan 2009/10 (National Tournaments)". rsssf.com.
  14. "KESC secure fourth position as PPL 2010 comes to an end". footballpakistan.com.
  15. "KRL has lifted the title of 8th Pakistan Premier Football League". footballpakistan.com.
  16. "PIA hold champions KRL to draw as league ends". footballpakistan.com.
  17. "Pakistan Premier League: KRL hold KESC and lift title". footballpakistan.com.
  18. "After four long years, K-Electric lift PPFL trophy [Express Tribune]". footballpakistan.com.
  19. "Contentious PPFL season ends with controversially-promoted team denied title [Dawn]". footballpakistan.com.
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