The 12-club tournament, sees each team play 11 games, home and away, in a traditional league format. Then the drama of the play-offs begins, with eight teams vying for promotion and four battling it out against relegation.
The 2011-12 season follows the three stage system of the previous two season, plus the addition of a double-legged semi final.
Season structure: 22 Rounds, six Play-Off rounds followed by a double-legged semi-final and a double-legged final.
Clubs finishing in the top eight will go into two promotion pools of four and based on their ranking will start with points as a reward for their record during Rounds 1-22. The 1st ranked team will have three points, the 2nd two, the 3rd one and the 4th none.
Clubs finishing in the bottom four will go into one relegation pool and will carry forward one point for every game won in Rounds 1-22.
The weekends for the play offs are as follows:
10th March Championship Playoffs
17th March Championship Playoffs
24th March Championship Playoffs
31st March Championship Playoffs
7th April B&I Cup Semi Final21-Apr
14th April Championship Playoffs
21st April Championship Playoffs
28th April B&I Cup Final
5th May Championship Semi Final 1st leg
12th May Championship Semi Final 2nd leg
19th May Championship Final 1st leg
26th May Championship Final 2nd leg
