The Royal League tournament was founded in 2004 by the National Football Associations and the Associations of the Professional Leagues in Denmark, Norway and Sweden with the following aims:
- Developing football in Scandinavia in general
- Creating a sporting and attractive offer to the top clubs
- Improving the conditions for the Scandinavian clubs in order to compete against the greatest in Europe for instance by extending the season in order to maintain the physical form by playing in the Royal League
- Strengthening the development of talents in the Scandinavian countries
How to qualify
Number one, two, three and four from the latest terminated season in Denmark (SAS Ligaen), Norway (Tippeligaen) and Sweden (Allsvenskan) are qualified to participating in the Royal League.
The 12 participating teams are distributed in three groups.
Number one and two from each country are placed in the same group. Number three and four from each country are distributed with one team in each of the other groups.
From the second season Royal League has decided to introduce quarter- and semifinals.
How the clubs qualify for the Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Final
No. 1 and 2 from each group and the two best no. 3´s after the preliminary group stage qualifies for the Quarter Finals. If two or more teams have the same point scores the number of order is determined by:
Goal difference, t.i. the difference between goals for and goals against.
If still equal then the team with the highest number of scored goals goes first.
If still equal goals scored away shall be counted as double.
If still equal a draw shall be made.
Quarter Finals
are settled after the cup-system over 1 match. In case of draw after the first 2 x 45 minutes + injury time there will be 2 x 15 minutes extra time. In case of draw there after, a penalty shooting must take place - according to the rules of FIFA.
If two teams are drawn to play against each other and they have the same amount of points, the club with the best goal difference shall play at home. In case of the same goal difference, the club with most scored goals shall play at home.
Is the number of scored goals equal as well, then the team with most wins in the group stage shall play at home. Still equal a draw shall be made.
Two clubs from the same group or from the same nation, shall - if possible - not meet in a Quarter Final.
One nation shall not be hosting more than two games in the respective clubs homegrounds. The last two Quarter Finales shall be played in one of the other nations.
Semi Finals
The four winners of the Quarter Finals shall meet in two Semi Finals.
Each team playes only one Semi Final. The club who has played away in the Quarter Final playes at home in the Semi Final.
If more than two teams have won their away match in the Quarter Finals, the clubs are ranked after goal difference and then after scored goals. If still even, a draw shall take place.
If all teams playing at home win their Quarter Finals, the club with biggest goal difference shall play at home in the Semi Final. If still even, then the team with most scored goals in the Quarter Final shall play at home. If still even, a draw will be made.
Unless all four teams in the Semi Finals origin from the same country, there shall not be two Semi Finals in the same country.
Final
The two winners of the Semi Final meet in the Final, which will be played where the Board of the Royal League will decide it to be. If not settled by the end of ordinary time + injury time 2 x 15 minutes of extra time shall be played. If still even a penalty shooting shall take place - according to the rules of FIFA.