Singapore Premier League kicks off Feb 25; Cup competition returns
The 2022 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season will kick off on Feb 25 and the Singapore Cup competition will also return to the local football calendar after a two-year pandemic-enforced hiatus, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced on Tuesday (Jan 25).
A curtain-raiser Community Shield match between defending SPL champions Lion City Sailors and last season's runners-up Albirex Niigata, is also scheduled for Feb 19 at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
After the standalone fixture, Albirex will then play Tanjong Pagar United at the Jurong East Stadium on Feb 25 in the first SPL game of 2022.
The FAS said that the upcoming season of the SPL will feature a quadruple round format - up from three rounds previously - "to inject a higher level of competition, while also allowing players to earn more minutes on the pitch". This means each team in the eight-team SPL will play 28 league games, up from 21 last term.
To help teams better manage their squad to cope with the added games, clubs will also be allowed to name more substitute players on the bench - nine, up from seven - and use more replacements - five, up from three.
The season is scheduled to end on October 15, before the Singapore Cup begins on October 25.
As previously reported, the upcoming season will also see a reduction in the minimum number of Under-23 Singaporean players required to start games, with the quota for each team down from three to one.
Up to 1,000 spectators will be allowed at each match, with those above the age of 18 required to be fully vaccinated.
Tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $5 for concession holders. Clubs, however, reserve the right to amend pricing with a maximum cap of $15, said the FAS.
All SPL matches will also be broadcast live via Singtel TV and StarHub TV, as well as live streaming online via the SPL Facebook page and YouTube channel.
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