The China Super League, officially known as the Chinese Football Association Super League, is the top tier of professional football in China. The league format has undergone several changes since its establishment in 2004.
Currently, the China Super League follows a double round-robin format where each of the 16 teams plays against every other team twice - once at home and once away. The season typically runs from March to November, with a total of 30 matches per team.
The league uses a promotion and relegation system with China League One. The bottom two teams are automatically relegated to China League One, while the top two teams from China League One are promoted to replace them. The team finishing third from bottom in the Super League plays a two-legged playoff against the third-placed team from China League One for the final spot.
In terms of continental qualification, the top three teams qualify for the AFC Champions League group stage, while the fourth-placed team enters the AFC Champions League qualifying playoffs. |
