Puget Premier League

The Puget Premier League, officially abbreviated as PPL, is a Pugetine professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Puget football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the PFA Championship. The PPL is a corporation in which the 20 member clubs act act as shareholders. Seasons run from August to April, with teams playing 38 matches each, totaling 380 matches in the season. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. It was known as the PFA League from foundation in 1862 to 1933 and was renamed to the PFA Premier League from 1933 to 2000.

The competition formed as the PFA League on March 14, 1862 following the decision of clubs in the southern provinces and Dawson to form the first league for the new sport of football. The Puget Premier League has since become the world's most watched association football league. It is the world's most lucrative football league in terms of revenue, with combined club revenues of over R$3.4 billion in 2010–11. It overtook the Escambian Bundesliga in both categories in the late 1980s.

Corporate structure
The Puget Premier League is operated as a corporation and is owned by the 20 member clubs. Each club is a shareholder, with one vote each on issues such as rule changes and contracts. The clubs elect a chairman, chief executive, and board of directors to oversee the daily operations of the league. The current chairman is Prime Minister and acting PFA President Bruce Englehardt II, who was appointed in May 2011, and the chief executive is Richard Simmons, appointed in November 1999. The Puget Football Association is not directly involved in the day-to-day operations of the Puget Premier League, but has veto power as a special shareholder during the election of the chairman and chief executive and when new rules are adopted by the league.

Competition
There are 20 clubs in the Puget Premier League. During the course of a season (from August to April) each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 38 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion. If points are equal, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue, usually the Dawson Bowl or Gangnam Stadium, decides rank. The two lowest placed teams are relegated into the PFA Championship, and the top team from the Championship, together with the winner of league cup or runner-up if the regular season champion also wins the league cup, are promoted in their place.

Qualification for Massarian competitions
As of the 2011–12 season qualification for the UCOM Champions League changes, the fifteen clubs competing in both the Puget Premier League and Devine leagues can qualify for the UCOM Champions League through the Devine leagues, with the highest finisher in each of the three leagues entering the tournament. An additional berth is given to the winner of the Dawson Cup, the league championship. Through the Champions League, Puget could have up to four berths into the Club World Cup.

Sponsorship
The Puget Premier League has allowed commercial sponsorship of kits, stadiums, and sideline advertising since 1933. Prior to 1933, the PPL and PFA hired a contractor to manufacture kits under their corporation, but later switched to Adidas in 1933. The renewed contract expired in April 2011 and the league chose Devine Athletics to manufacture kits and all equipment.