The short answer is: no, the current Saudi Pro League does not use playoffs to determine the champion. The title is decided through a traditional league format, where the team with the most points at the end of the season is crowned champion. AntiKick will walk you through the history, why there are no playoffs now, and how things changed in the past so you understand the full picture.
What Is The Current Format Of The Saudi Pro League
- There are 18 teams competing.
- It follows a double round-robin system: each club plays every other club twice (once home, once away), totaling 34 matches.
- Points are awarded in the usual way: 3 for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss. The ranking is by total points, then head-to-head results if tied, then goal difference.
- At season’s end, the club with the highest points is champion.
So currently, there are no post-season playoffs, knockouts, or “Golden Four” etc., to decide the champion once the league matches finish.
Historical Use Of Playoffs In Saudi Pro League
Although nowadays the format is straightforward, that hasn’t always been the case.
Golden Four / Championship Playoffs
- In earlier years, especially around the 1990s up to mid-2000s, the Saudi Premier League (the predecessor to the Saudi Pro League) did have a playoff or “Golden Four” system. The top-4 teams at the end of the regular season would enter semi-finals and then a final to decide the champion.
- For example, in the 2006-07 season, the playoffs were still used to crown the champion.
Abolition Of Playoffs
- Starting with the 2007-08 season, the league reverted to the full round-robin system without playoffs. The champion is simply the team topping the table at the end of all matches.
- Since then, there have been no league championship playoffs; all seasons use the league standings to decide champion.
Why No Playoffs? Pros and Cons
Why did the Saudi Pro League move away, and what are its effects?
Pros of the current (no-playoff) system
- Consistency rewarded: Teams that perform well over the long haul get rewarded. No risk of a slip-up in a single playoff ruining an otherwise excellent season.
- Simpler scheduling: Double round-robin is easier to plan; every match matters.
- Fairness: Point totals reflect overall performance rather than just knockout performance.
What was appealing about playoffs
- Drama: Knockout matches create tension, excitement, and often more viewership.
- Unpredictability: Even a lower seed could upset in semis/finals, which can be thrilling for fans.
But the Saudi FA clearly decided that the benefits of a pure league format outweighed the drama of playoffs when it comes to determining a champion.
Other Playoffs In Saudi Football
Even though the league doesn’t have playoffs for the championship now, there are playoff-style competitions elsewhere in Saudi Arabia’s system:
- Promotion playoffs: In the lower tiers there are playoffs to decide which clubs get promoted to higher divisions. For example, in the Saudi First Division / Yelo League there are promotion playoffs to fill remaining spots.
- Cup competitions: Knockout cups (like the King’s Cup) still use single-elimination or two-leg formats.
So, while league championship playoffs are gone, the format is still alive elsewhere in Saudi football.
Key Statistics & Recent Seasons In the 2024-25 season, Al-Ittihad won the title by accumulating the most points across the 34 matchdays.
- That season included 306 matches in total across the league, with teams facing each opponent twice.
- The league expanded to 18 teams starting in 2023-24, making the season even more competitive.
What Fans Should Know Moving Forward
- The champion of the Saudi Pro League will be the club with the highest points at season’s end.
- End-of-season matches can still be thrilling — title races, relegation battles — but there is no knockout final or playoff stage for the title.
- If you’re following promotions and relegations or cup contests, then playoff-style matches may appear in those contexts.
Conclusion
Does Saudi Pro League have playoffs? No — the league championship is currently decided by points in a double round-robin format without any playoff rounds. This system rewards consistency over the full season, and has been in place since 2007-08. AntiKick hopes this clears up how the Saudi Pro League operates now versus in past years. If you want, we can also compare this format with leagues that do use playoffs (MLS, Liga MX, etc.) to show pros and cons — are you interested?
