TheMaltese Challenge League (referred to as theBOV Challenge League for sponsorship reasons[1]) is the second-highest division inMaltese football, behind theMaltese Premier League. The First Division was the precursor of the present Premier League until the latter was revamped for the1980–81 season with the Maltese Challenge League instituted for the2020–21 season following the premature end of the previous season due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[2]
Since the2022–23 season, the league is made up of eighteen teams. Over the course of the season, each team plays twice against the others in the league, resulting in each team completing thirty-four games in total.Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss. The teams areranked in the table by:[3]
Total points gained
In the need of a tie-breaker, a play-off game is played. At the end of the season, the top two teams are directly promoted to thePremier League; an additional place is reserved for the winner of the relegation play-off between the twelfth-placed Premier League team and the third-placed Maltese Challenge League side. The four lowest-finishing teams are relegated to theNational Amateur League.[4]
Malta
