Kampala, Uganda: The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) has unveiled a new format for the Uganda Premier League (UPL), set to take effect in the 2025/26 season with changes that will among others see introduction of new fixtures format, relegation and promotion playoffs.
According to FUFA CEO Edgar Watson, the sweeping reforms are aimed at making the league more competitive, transparent, and professional.
Below, DailyExpress brings you an explained structure of how the new system will work.
League Structure
The UPL will retain a maximum of 16 teams, but the season will be split into three rounds instead of the usual two.
The top 8 teams will move into Group 1, while the bottom 8 will drop into Group 2.
Round One (Regular League Stage): Where all 16 teams will play each other once in a one-leg format.
Round Two (Group Stage):
Group 1: Teams will play home-and-away matches. The top 6 will progress to Group 3, while the bottom 2 finish in 7th and 8th place overall.
Group 2: Teams will also play home-and-away. The top 2 will end the season in 9th and 10th place, while the remaining 6 teams move into Group 4.
Round Three (Final Stage):
Group 3: Here, six teams will compete once again to decide the league champion.
Group 4: Six teams will fight relegation. The bottom two (15th and 16th) will go down automatically, while the team in 14th will face a playoff against the third-placed FUFA Big League side.
Player Registration
FUFA has also tightened eligibility rules, decal ring that only players with at least two years left on their contracts will be allowed to play.
Edgar Watson explained that the only exception applies to players turning 31 years old during the season.
Data Collection & Technology
Clubs will be required to submit both sporting and business data within 48 hours of every match.
Sporting data will be collected through Catapult Technology and monitored by referees while Business data to be collected will include gate collections, attendances, and revenue figures, all of which will be submitted on a FUFA-provided form for each Matchday.
FUFA says this will help with planning, accountability, and professional growth across the league.
Another key change for the new UPL season is that going forward, gate collections will now be subject to strict distribution rules, where for single-header matches, the home team will retain 85% of net gate collections, while FUFA, UPL, and the winning team will each take 5%.
For double-headers, revenue will be shared between both teams plus FUFA, UPL, and winners.
FUFA warned that any club found guilty of falsifying or hiding collections will face punishments.
Why It Matters
These reforms will raise the bar of Ugandan football, demanding professionalism both on and off the pitch. FUFA insists that the changes are designed to make the UPL more competitive, transparent, and sustainable for the future.
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