Rules of the Primera A

By: Jeremy | October 21st, 2008

Before I start posting about anything else, I thought a little explanation of how the league works is in order for those of you who aren’t familiar with the more intimate workings of the league.

The AFA (Argentine Football Association) runs the footy show there. The top league is the Primera A. It consists of 20 teams who play two seasons each year, the Apertura (Opening) and the Clausura (Closing). The Apertura starts at the end of summer and runs until the end of the year. The Clausura starts in late winter and runs until early summer. I am referring to North American summer and winter. The seasons are reversed in South America.

Each team plays all of the others once each season. The standard point system is in effect. Relegation occurs at the end of the Clausura each year. Relegation is based on a three year rolling average of points won per game played. Note that newly promoted teams are eligible for relegation after their first full year.

The two bottom teams (19th and 20th) are automatically relegated to the Primera B. The top two teams from the Primera B take their place. The 17th and 18th placed teams in the Primera A play a relegation playoff home and away against the 3rd and 4th placed teams in the Primera B.

Fairly straight forward. Now on to Copa qualification, which I am still not sure that I totally understand. For the Copa Sudamericana (think UEFA Cup) Argentina has like seven spots (which can vary, I think) and are decided on the average standings of the Apertura and Clausura and go the the top seven teams. Plus Boca Juniors and River Plate are invited every year. This one is still a bit hazy to me.

The Copa Libertadores (think Champions League) is a five team slot, consisting of the champions for three straight seasons, plus the top two teams on average over those three seasons who aren’t qualified as champions.

And due to the whacky way in which Argentina decides this stuff, teams can qualify for both tournaments, unlike most other countries where the top teams go to the Libertadores and the next group to the Sudamericana.

There is no domestic Cup competition. Games are scheduled at the beginning of the year based on rounds. The actual day and time of each game in the round is decided a week or so, sometimes days, ahead of time by the AFA. There are no playoffs, winner is the one with the most points, unless there is a tie.

That’s the basics. Correct me if I have anything wrong, especially the cup qualifying deal.