The Dutch Jupiler League is the second-tier of domestic league football in the Netherlands at the moment. Below the premier league that is known as the Eredivisie and above the third-tier of domestic league football in the country, the Tweede Divisie. It has been called the Dutch Jupiler League for sponsorship reasons in recent times.
The history of the league
Founded in1956, it has gone through a number of changes since then in terms of its format.
From the 1971/1972 season up until the 2007/2008 season, there were no teams relegated from the league. However, after the 2007 season, one team got relegated each season from the league.
As well as the team's quality, there are financial considerations for teams to step up to the Dutch Jupiler League. In recent decades, many clubs have struggled financially and gone bankrupt. This has resulted in them losing their professional licenses and position in the league.
The format of the Dutch Jupiler League
Each season, 20 teams take part, vying for promotion up to the premier division. Every team in the Dutch Jupiler League plays each other on two occasions during the season. As is commonplace, one fixture is at home, while the other fixture is away.
The season is split into two halves, with a break in the games for Christmas and New Year. This allows players to get a rest, spend time with their families and avoid some of the harsher winter weather conditions.
The second half of the Dutch Jupiler League fixtures take place in the early weeks of January. The format of the league sees the winner of the competition gaining automatic promotion up into the premier division.
How to win a promotion spot
In order to determine what clubs gain the other promotion spots, there is an interesting play-off competition that takes place. This play-off series involves eight teams in total. This includes the teams that finish in 16th and 17th position in the premier division in that given season.
The other teams that qualify for the play-off series (called the Nacompetitie) will be as follows:
- The team that had the best record for the first half of the Dutch Jupiler League season.
- The team with the best record during the second half of the Dutch Jupiler League season.
- The clubs with the best records in the third and fourth rounds of the Dutch Jupiler League season.
The last two positions in this play-off competition are given to the next two highest teams at the end of the season. This is based on the points in the cumulative league table and the teams that have not already got a place in the play-off competition.
If a team wins multiple periods of the season, then it will be the next best performing club that will get this spot in the play-off competition. Generally, it is the teams that lie in 2nd down to 9th place at the end of season standings that gain entry into the play-offs.
These teams will then play one another in a knockout format. At this point, two teams gain promotion spots from the Dutch Jupiler League or two teams from the premier division will retain their places.
What happens at the bottom of the league table?
At the bottom end of the league table, there is also an interesting format. The teams in the third-tier have to declare midway during the season if they wish to be promoted to the Jupiler League.
If a team is crowned champion of this third tier and they previously stated they wanted to be promoted, then it will go up to the Dutch Jupiler League. Otherwise, no team from the league will be relegated.
Betting on the Dutch Jupiler League
The second division in the Netherlands is seen as being a great breeding ground for the iconic academies. As a result, there is often a lot of flair and excitement, with goals galore being seen in these league games.
This presents bettors with a lot of interesting betting opportunities, able to cover all different types of markets. Bet now at one of our recommended online bookmakers.
