The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) will introduce a new competition format for the Uganda Premier League (UPL), beginning with the 2025/26 season.
The changes were communicated to clubs on Wednesday through a circular from FUFA CEO Edgar Watson, following consultations held earlier this month.
The top division will maintain its 16-team structure, but the league will now run in three rounds.
In the opening round, all teams will face each other once in a one-leg format, with fixtures determined by draw. The top eight teams after this stage will move into Group 1 for Round Two, while the bottom eight will form Group 2.
Round Two will see both groups play full home-and-away fixtures.
The top six sides from Group 1 will then progress into Group 3 for the final round, which will decide the season’s champion.
The remaining two teams from Group 1 will finish 7th and 8th. Meanwhile, the bottom six from Group 2 will form Group 4 for the final stage, with positions 11 to 16 determined from those results.
Relegation will also change under the new structure. The side finishing 14th overall will contest a playoff against the third-placed team from the second division, while the bottom two will go down automatically.
Beyond fixtures, FUFA has introduced stricter player registration rules, requiring players to hold contracts of at least two years, except in cases where they turn 31 during the season.
Clubs will also now be obligated to provide detailed sporting and business data after every match, including attendance figures, revenues, and performance statistics tracked through Catapult technology.
On finances, FUFA has announced prize money totaling UGX 500 million. Match-day revenues will follow new sharing models, with home teams retaining the largest portion in single fixtures, while double-headers will involve split distributions between hosts, visiting clubs, and governing bodies.
FUFA says the reforms are designed to improve competitiveness, transparency, and financial sustainability of the top division.
Clubs are expected to begin preparations immediately under the revised system.
