The Scottish Premiership has been one of Europe's most intriguing leagues this season, and it's about to get a twist - for the 25th time, it's going to split in two.
Published March 24, 2026 • Source: bbc.com
By Andy Campbell BBC Scotland
The Scottish Premiership has been one of Europe's most intriguing leagues this season, and it's about to get a twist - for the 25th time, it's going to split in two.
Hearts, Celtic, Rangers, Motherwell, Hibernian and Falkirk look set to make up the top, although the Bairns are yet to absolutely make sure of their place.
Dundee United, in seventh, need a six-point and an eight-goal swing over two games to usurp the Bairns.
This is how the split - which first took place in season 2000-01 - will work.
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What is the Scottish Premiership split?
The split takes place after 33 rounds of fixtures - with the final round of first-phase games on the weekend of 11 and 12 April - by which time all 12 teams will have played each other three times.
For rounds 34 to 38, the top-six sides play each other once more and the bottom six teams do likewise.
It means five games per team against those closest to them in the table, as titles, European places and relegation are decided.
Sound straightforward? Well, it sometimes isn't...
Will Scottish Premiership split affect title race?
Clearly, the SPFL does not know which sides will be in which half of the table at the start of the season when deciding who will have 16 home games and 17 away games prior to the split.
If you've had 17 home games, you would nominally expect to play two away after the split and vice versa. If you've had 16 at home, you'd expect three after the split.
Hearts, Rangers, Motherwell and Falkirk will have played 17 at home up to round 33. Celtic and Hibs will have played 16 at home.
But it's not quite as straightforward as that. Given the need to even out home and away derbies and the stakes in the title race, it's likely two of Hearts' away games will be at Easter Road and Celtic Park while Rangers can expect to be away to Celtic and Hearts, having hosted those sides twice in the Premiership already this term.
However, Hearts have hosted Falkirk and Motherwell twice, which means one of those two sides might get a third league trip to Tynecastle.
As well as visits from Hearts and Rangers, Celtic will have a home meeting with either Hibs, Falkirk or Motherwell - three sides who have already visited Celtic Park twice this season.
Meanwhile Rangers will have hosted Hibs, Falkirk and Motherwell only once each but will only have two home post-split games. Similarly, Motherwell have hosted Falkirk, Hibs and Rangers twice each but can only expect two home games against that trio of teams.
If United get ahead of Falkirk, they too will create the same imbalance of home and away games as they, like the Bairns will have played 17 at home and 16 away come the split.
These are just some of the dilemmas the SPFL will have to resolve.
Scottish Premiership split - sixth v seventh scenario
Nothing. The team in sixth is still sixth and the team in seventh is still seventh.
That happened in two of the first three years of the split.
Scottish Premiership split - bottom six complications
Aberdeen, Dundee, Dundee United, Kilmarnock, Livingston and St Mirren are the current bottom six.
The team finishing bottom will be relegated and the team in 11th will go into a two-legged play-off with a Championship side to try to stay up.
Four of the bottom six will have played 16 home league games and 17 away come the split. Falkirk or United and Killie will have the opposite.
One of the home-away discrepancies could centre around Dundee United, should they be in the bottom half. As well as the Dundee derby, United would have one other home game after the split but all four of Aberdeen, Killie, Livi and St Mirren have been to Tannadice in the league twice already this season.
One may have to make a third trip, although it's unlikely to be north-east rivals Aberdeen.
Kilmarnock are due to have two home games. However, Aberdeen, Dundee and St Mirren have all already been to Rugby Park twice already, so one will need to make a third trip to Ayrshire, although it's unlikely to be St Mirren.
Who faces who and where may depend on who is and who is not safe from relegation come the end of round 33.
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