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Association football is one of the national sports of Scotland and the most popular sport in the country. There is a long tradition of "football" games in Orkney, Lewis and southern Scotland, especially the Scottish Borders, although many of these include carrying the ball and passing by hand, and despite bearing the name "football" bear little resemblance to association football. Founded in 1873, Scotland has the second oldest national Football Association in the world (behind England's FA), and has various professional and amateur levels. The trophy for the national cup, the Scottish Cup is second oldest football cup competition (after the FA Cup and is the oldest national sporting trophy in the world. Scotland and Scottish football clubs hold many records for football attendances.
There has been debate as to whether Scotland is the traditional home of football, rather than England. The first game of international association football was played in Glasgow, and resulted in a 0–0 draw between Scotland and England. In respect of Scotland's footballing history, it is one of only four permanent members of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) which governs the Laws of the Game. The earliest record of football in Scotland dates from 1424 in an act of the Parliament of Scotland, whereby the King of Scotland, James I prohibited men from "playing at the football" and branded the game "decreed". Although the first reference to football in England dates back to 1314.
The national team play home matches at Hampden Park in Glasgow, and have appeared in eight FIFA World Cup competitions (the most recent being 1998) and four appearances at the UEFA European Championship (the most recent being 2024. Scotland also compete in the UEFA Nations League, and were in Group A for the 2024–25 instalment. For the 2026–27 tournament, Scotland will compete in Group B.
In 2025, the Scottish Premiership had the highest attendance per capita of any top-flight European football league for the third year in a row.
Origins
A game known as "football" was played in Scotland as early as the 15th century. It was prohibited by the Football Act 1424, as it distracted men from their marital duties, and although the law fell into disuse, it was not repealed until 1906. The sport was played by commoners and royalty, such as King James VI and Mary, Queen of Scots, alike. In Perth, apprentices progressing to become master craftsmen in the 16th century had to pay for a banquet and a game of football.
There is evidence for schoolboys playing a "football" ball game in Aberdeen in 1633 (some references cite 1636) which is notable as an early allusion to what some have considered to be passing the ball. In the 1700s, Football was known to cause riots and severe damage to both property and players.
It is clear that the game was rough and tackles allowed included the "charging" and pushing/holding of opposing players ("drive that man back" in the original translation, "repelle eum" in original Latin). It has been suggested that this game bears similarities to rugby football. Contrary to media reports in 2006 there is no reference to forward passing, game rules, marking players or team formation. These reports described it as "an amazing new discovery" but has actually been well documented in football history literature since the early twentieth century and available on the internet since at least 2000.
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) is the principal organising body for Scottish football. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations. It was formed in March 1873, making it the World's second oldest national football association. The founding clubs were Queen's Park, Clydesdale, Vale of Leven, Dumbreck, Third Lanark, Eastern Granville and Kilmarnock.
The SFA is responsible for the operation of the Scotland national football team, the annual Scottish Cup and several other duties important to the functioning of the game in Scotland.
League
Professional league football in Scotland is run by the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) comprising four tiers. The SPFL, along with the Scottish Highland Football League, Scottish Lowland Football League, East of Scotland League, South of Scotland League, West of Scotland League and the North Caledonian League were deemed to be "senior" and are administered by the Scottish Football Association. In 2014–15 season, a promotion and relegation scheme between the SPFL and the Highland and Lowland Leagues came into operation, as part of a gradual move towards building a comprehensive pyramid structure that now also incorporates the other senior leagues. Historically, "junior" clubs in the Scottish Junior Football Association (SJFA) were administered separately, however in February 2025, the SJFA acknowledged the request of teams participating in the remaining junior leagues to become autonomous within the Scottish Football Association structure, and these leagues now sit within the same structure as the former "senior" leagues as the Midlands Football League and the North of Scotland Football League. The leagues affiliated to the Scottish Amateur Football Association remain outwith the pyramid system and continue to be administered separately. In 2014–15 season, a promotion and relegation scheme between the SPFL and the Highland and Lowland Leagues came into operation, as part of a gradual move towards building a comprehensive pyramid structure.
Rangers' record attendance of 118,567 is a British record for a league match.
Scottish Professional Football League
The Scottish Professional Football League is a four tier football league system consisting of 42 teams. There are 12 teams in the top tier, the Scottish Premiership, and 10 in each of the lower three tiers, named the Scottish Championship, Scottish League One and Scottish League Two.
The Scottish Premiership is the top league in Scotland, and consists of 12 teams. It has existed since 2013, when the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League merged into the SPFL. The top tier of Scottish football is traditionally home to one of the world's most famous football rivalries, between Rangers and Celtic. Together the two clubs are known as the Old Firm, by virtue of the profitability of their rivalry. Rangers have won 55 Scottish league championships, which was a world record when the 55th title was won (2021) but has since been overtaken by Northern Irish club Linfield (56). Celtic, who have won 55 Scottish league championships, were the first non-Latin and first team from Great Britain to win the European Cup, in 1967. The Old Firm rivalry was interrupted in 2012, when the company running Rangers went into liquidation and the club was forced to restart in the fourth tier of Scottish Football. The rivalry was resumed in September 2016, after Rangers had been promoted into the Scottish Premiership.
The second, third and fourth tiers in the league structure are called the Scottish Championship, Scottish League One and Scottish League Two respectively, each consisting of 10 teams. Teams are relegated and promoted between the divisions. Relegation from the fourth tier may occur at the end of every season (from 2014 to 2015 thereafter); the last placed team in the fourth tier will play the winner of a play-off between the Highland and Lowland League champions. and 2003 due to not meeting the stadium requirements. Previously, requirements were that clubs had to have 10,000 seats in their ground, but this was changed to 6,000. Clubs must also have under-soil heating systems to prevent cancellation of matches caused by frozen pitches.
Queen's Park, uniquely, were the only true amateur (players are not paid) member of the League still standing, having been a League member since 1900, until its membership voted to end that status in 2019.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Level !! Division !! Number of clubs
|-
| 1 || SPFL Premiership || 12
|-
| 2 || SPFL Championship || 10
|-
| 3 || SPFL League One || 10
|-
| 4 || SPFL League Two || 10
|}
Non-league level
Immediately below the SPFL are two regionalised leagues:
- Highland Football League is a league of 18 clubs covering the north, north east and north west of Scotland, not just the Highlands as its name would suggest. This has been hard hit by a number of 'defections' to the Scottish Football League, though the Highland League has compensated by admitting new teams to its league in a similar way. Recent examples include Formartine United, Turriff United and Strathspey Thistle, who all joined the league in 2009.
- Lowland Football League is a league of 18 clubs operating in the Scottish Lowlands, drawn from teams previously competing in the East of Scotland and South of Scotland.
- Following the conclusion of the 2025–26 season, the Lowland League will split into the Lowland League East (covering Angus, Tayside, Fife, Edinburgh, Lothian and the Borders), and Lowland League West (covering Glasgow and the West Coast)
At the end of the season a play-off is held between the champions of the Highland League and the Lowland League. The winner plays the bottom club in the SPFL League Two for a place in League Two in the following season.
Below these two leagues in the pyramid are:
- East of Scotland Football League, covering Fife, Edinburgh, Lothian, Perth, and the Scottish Borders
- South of Scotland Football League, covering the south west of Scotland
- West of Scotland Football League, covering the west of Scotland
- North Caledonian Football League, covering the far north of Scotland, Lochaber, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, and the Islands of Orkney and Shetland
- Midlands Football League, covering the Tayside area
- North of Scotland Football League, covering the north-east of Scotland
There is no automatic promotion between these leagues and the Lowland or Highland Leagues, play-offs takes place between the champions of each of the leagues for promotion to the Lowland and Highland Leagues, subject to clubs meeting the required licensing criteria.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Level !! League !! Number of clubs (2025–26)
|-
| 5|| Highland Football League|| 18
|-
| 5 || Lowland Football League || 18
|-
| 6 || East of Scotland Football League || 58
|-
| 6 || South of Scotland Football League || 12
|-
|6 || West of Scotland Football League || 80
|-
| 6 || North Caledonian Football League || 12
|-
| 6 || North of Scotland Football League || 31
|-
| 6 || Midlands Football League || 20
|}
Clubs at level 6 automatically enter the Scottish Cup preliminary rounds provided they are members of the Scottish Football Association.
Junior football
Historically separate from the SPFL professional leagues and the four senior leagues, were the junior leagues. Although called junior, this referred to the level of football played, not the age of the participants. The junior leagues were organised by the Scottish Junior Football Association (SJFA), and were eventually regionalised into two areas, East and North. The SJFA also organises the Scottish Junior Cup, which all members of the association participate in, having done so since the Nineteenth century. In February 2025, the SJFA acknowledged the request of teams participating in the East and North Regions to become autonomous within the Scottish Football Association structure, which would leave the organisation responsible for the Junior Cup only.
Junior clubs, unlike those in the senior non-league level, were not in the main eligible to participate in the Scottish Cup until 2007–08. The one previous exception to this rule, Girvan, participated in the Scottish Qualifying Cup (South) by virtue of the fact that they opted to switch from the senior level to the junior level, but still retained their right to attempt to qualify. From the 2007–08 Scottish Cup however, the winners of each of the two (previously three) regional leagues and the winner of the Junior Cup enter the first round of the Scottish Cup proper, following a decision by the SFA to allow them entry at their previous Annual General Meeting. Additional junior clubs (Banks o'Dee) have received an SFA licence which permits them to participate in the Scottish Cup.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! SJFA region !! Number of divisions !! Number of clubs (2021–22)
|-
| Scottish Junior Football Association, East Region || 1 || 19
|-
| Scottish Junior Football Association, North Region || 3 || 32
|}
Amateur football
There are a vast number of amateur footballers in Scotland. They play in leagues across the country of varying standard, usually confined to a specific localised geographic area. Many amateur clubs run teams in more than one of the amateur leagues. Some of the teams are well known with a history of success and producing players who go on to a higher level, such as Drumchapel Amateur. The activities of clubs at the amateur level are co-ordinated by the Scottish Amateur Football Association.
The winner of the Scottish Amateur Cup enters the Scottish FA Cup in the following season.
There are three categories of amateur football administered by the SAFA - "Winter" Saturday, "Winter" Sunday and Summer football. Summer football tends to be popular in the Northern and Western Isles and in the north of the mainland. In addition to the Scottish Amateur Cup (for 'Saturday' teams) there is the Scottish Sunday Amateur Trophy and the Highland Amateur Cup for summer teams.
Cup competitions
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Cup is the world's oldest national cup but not the oldest competition, first contested in 1873 and being predated only by England's FA Cup. It is a pure knockout tournament with single matches, with replays being held if the first match is a tie. All 42 SPFL clubs automatically enter the tournament. A number of non-league clubs used to participate by virtue of having qualified through one of two regionalised qualifying cups (since 2007–08 they have qualified automatically for the First Round); or since 2007–08 by having won the Scottish Junior Cup or one of the three regionalised Junior leagues. The final is usually played at Hampden Park. The attendance of 146,433 for the 1937 Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Aberdeen at Hampden Park is a European record for a club match.
Scottish Challenge Cup
The Scottish Challenge Cup is open to members of the SPFL clubs contesting in the Championship, League One & League Two and the top four clubs in the Highland League and Lowland League, and has been contested since the 1990–91 season. Since 2016–17 season all 12 Premiership Development teams have taken part in the competition along with teams from the Welsh Premier League and Northern Irish Premiership, with teams from the English National League joining in
2017–18 season.
Scottish Junior Cup
The Scottish Junior Cup is contested by all members of the SJFA and has been competed for since the 1886–87 season. Currently, up to 132 teams are eligible to take part.
Scottish Amateur Cup
The Scottish Amateur Cup is the principal competition for amateur clubs, competed for since 1909–10. Currently around 600 clubs enter.
Current Scottish national cup eligibility summary
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Level!!League(s) !! Scottish Cup !! Scottish League Cup !! Scottish Challenge Cup!! Scottish Junior Cup
!Scottish Amateur Cup
|-
| 1|| SPFL Premiership|| rowspan="6" style="background:LightGreen;" | Yes || rowspan="4" style="background:LightGreen;" | Yes || style="background:#FFBBBB;"| No || rowspan="6" style="background:#FFBBBB;" | No
| rowspan="12" style="background:#FFBBBB;"|No
|-
| 2 || SPFL Championship || rowspan="3" style="background:LightGreen;" | Yes
|-
| 3 || SPFL League One
|-
| 4 || SPFL League Two
|-
| rowspan="2" | 5|| Highland League || rowspan="2" style="background:#FFBD50;" | League champions
Runner-up from one league
| rowspan="2" style="background:#FFBD50;" | No
|-
|Lowland League
|-
|6
|Midlands League
| rowspan="3" style="background:#FFBD50;" |League Champions
Licensed Clubs
| colspan="2" rowspan="7" style="background:#FFBBBB;" |No
| rowspan="6" style="background:LightGreen;"|Scottish Junior FA members
|-
|6
|North Caledonian League
|-
|6–7
|North of Scotland Football League
|-
| 6–9 || East of Scotland League|| rowspan="3" style="background:#FFBD50;" | League Champions
Licensed Clubs
Cup Winners' Shield holders
|-
|6
|South of Scotland League
|-
|6–10
|West of Scotland League
|-
| ||Scottish Amateur FA||style="background:#FFBD50;" |Scottish Amateur Cup winners || style="background:#FFBBBB;" | No
|style="background:LightGreen;"|Yes
|-
| ||Additional participants|| style="background:LightGreen;" |Scottish Junior Cup winners
| || style="background:LightGreen;" |12 x Premiership U21 teams
|
|
|-
| colspan="2" |Total clubs (2022–22)
|126
|45
|53
|108
|
|}
European competitions
Three Scottish clubs have won UEFA competitions. Celtic won the 1967 European Cup Final, then lost the 1970 European Cup Final. The highest ever attendance for a UEFA competition match was in the 1969–70 European Cup semi-final at Hampden Park, Scotland's National stadium. A record 136,505 people attended that Cup semi-final played between Celtic and Leeds United. The most recent appearance by a Scottish club in a European final was when Rangers lost on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2022 UEFA Europa League final.
National team
The Scottish national team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. The team has played international football longer than any other nation in the world along with England, whom they played in the world's first international football match at Hamilton Crescent, Partick, Glasgow in 1872. Scotland have qualified for eight World Cups and four European Championships, but have never progressed beyond the first round.
The majority of Scotland's home matches are played at Hampden Park in Glasgow, opened in 1903. The Scottish team have become famous for their travelling support, known as the Tartan Army, who have won awards from UEFA for their combination of vocal support, friendly nature and charity work. The attendance of 149,415 for the Scotland vs. England match of 1937 at Hampden Park is also a European record.</small>
Women's football
As in the men's game, the women's league structure consists of a Premier League and a Football League with Divisions One and Two, but the second division is split into North, West, and Central & East regions. In the women's SFL, reserve and youth squads may compete as long as they do not compete in the same division as the titular club. There are also four cup competitions, the Scottish Cup, Scottish Premier League Cup, Scottish First Division Cup and the Scottish Second Division Cup.
See also
- Tartan Army
- Sport in Scotland
- Scottish youth football system
- List of defunct football leagues in Scotland
- Football in the United Kingdom
Bibliography
- Brogan, Tom. We Made Them Angry: Scotland at the World Cup Spain 1982.
- Bleasdale, John. Scotland's Swedish Adventure: The Story of Scotland's European Championship Debut.
- Doherty, Neil. World Cup 1998: Scotland's Story.
References
External links
- Scottish Professional Football League
- Scottish Football Association