SPFL sticks with Scottish Premiership winter break for 2019/20
- From the section Scottish
The Scottish Premiership will have a winter break again next season, with the domestic programme kicking-off with the League Cup on 13 July.
Saturday 3 August has been chosen by the Scottish Professional Football League for the opening fixtures in all four divisions.
The top flight will shut down again from 30 December until 17 January.
The Premiership will end on the weekend of 16/17 May, with the play-off final on Wednesday 20 and Sunday 24 May.
Championship, League One and League Two seasons finish on Saturday 2 May, with the second legs of their play-offs on the weekend of 16/17 May.
The season will again begin with the group stage of the League Cup, in which clubs involved in European competition receive a bye into the last 16, which will again be played on a weekend.
The League Cup final is scheduled for the weekend of 7/8 December - nearly a week later than this season, when Celtic retained the trophy by beating Aberdeen.
Dates for next season's Challenge Cup will be confirmed shortly, while fixtures for the 2019/20 league season will be published in June.
| SPFL key dates 2019/20 | |
|---|---|
| League Cup group stage: 13/14, 16/17, 20/21, 23/24, 27/28 July | |
| Start of Premiership, Championship, League One and League Two: 3 August | |
| League Cup second round: 17/18 August | |
| League Cup quarter-finals: 24-26 September | |
| League Cup semi-finals: 2/3 November | |
| League Cup final: 7/8 December | |
| Premiership winter break: 30 December-17 January | |
| Championship, League One and League Two final fixtures: 2 May | |
| League Two play-off final, first leg: 10 May | |
| Championship and League One play-off finals: 12/13 May, 16/17 May | |
| League Two play-off final, second leg: 16 May | |
| Premiership final fixtures: 16/17 May | |
| Premiership play-off final: 20 May, 24 May | |
