aged 30 and above and a minimum of two under-25 players for clubs with a 20-man squad – was later reversed. Rebranding The league was rebranded as the Singapore Premier League on 21 March 2018. Further revamps were also made to see a greater emphasis on local youth players in a bid to strengthen the national side; this, in effect, has resulted in a number of senior as well as local and foreign stars being purchased by overseas clubs. Competition format Structure 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 league champion. If the points, goal difference, goals scored, and head-to-head results between teams are equal, head-to-head records between the teams are used, followed by a better fair play record. There is no relegation or promotion system in the league. Clubs enter the Singapore Premier League by invitation of the Football Association of Singapore. Clubs A total of 25 clubs have played in the league from its inception in 1996 up to and including the 2022 season. The following 9 clubs are competing in the league during the 2023 season. There is two non-Singaporean club that currently competes in the Singapore Premier League – Albirex Niigata (S) is a satellite team of the Japanese club of the same name and DPMM of the Brunei. Balestier Khalsa, Geylang International, Lion City Sailors FC and Tampines Rovers are clubs that have played in all 26 seasons of the Singapore Premier League as of 2022. Former clubs Gombak United (1998–2002, 2006–2012) Woodlands Wellington (1996–2014) Sembawang Rangers (1996–2003) Jurong FC (1997–2003) Warriors FC (1996–2019) Years in brackets indicates seasons active in the league. Invited clubs Sinchi FC (2003–2005) Super Reds (2007–2009) Sporting Afrique (2006) Liaoning Guangyuan (2007) Dalian Shide Siwu (2008) Beijing Guoan Talent (2010) Étoile (2010–2011) Harimau Muda A (2012) Harimau Muda B (2013–2015) Years in brackets indicates seasons active in the league. International competitions Qualification for Asian competitions The league's winners qualify for the AFC Champions League, while Singapore Cup winners qualify for the AFC Cup playoff spot. In the event of the same club winning both the S.League and Singapore Cup, the runners-up of the league takes up the AFC Cup qualification