The Jamaica Premier League (formerly the National Premier League), commonly abbreviated as JPL and officially known as the Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is sanctioned by the Jamaican Football Federation as the top division for men's association football in Jamaica. Contested between 14 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the JFF Championship.KSAFA teams strong challengers for DPL title – Jamaica Observer Most games are played on Sunday afternoons and Monday evenings (Monday Night Football).
History The Jamaica Premier League was formed in 1973 to serve as the top tier of Jamaican professional club football. The league's inaugural season kicked off on September 22, 1973 as the Craven A National Club League Championships, and finished with Santos as the first title winners. 14 clubs have been crowned champions of Jamaica. Portmore United is the most successful team with 7 top flight titles.
The 2019–20 season was ruled null and void on March 12, 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. Later in 2020, Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) began managing the league with its focus being the commercialization and marketing of professional football in the country.
In May 2021, the Jamaican Football Federation announced that the league would resume, playing a shortened season between June and September, competed by the 12 teams from the previous season. In June 2021, UWI FC announced it would withdraw ahead of the 2021 season due to the modified schedule conflicting with other player commitments; leaving 11 teams in the competition.
Montego Bay United was promoted to the league at the start of the 2022 season, restoring the league to 12 teams. Also in 2022, the league entered an agreement with Admiral Sportswear to supply kits to all teams in the league.
The league was expanded to 14 teams for the 2022–23 season.
Competition format The Jamaica Premier League's regular season typically runs from late August to May the following year. The competition is divided into two stages; the single table regular season and the playoffs.
The regular season is contested in a round robin format with three rounds for a total of 39 matches for each team. The top six clubs contend for the championship in the playoffs, the first and second place regular season finishers advance directly to the semifinals and the third to sixth place teams advance to the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals and semifinals are played in a two legged, home and away, format with the winner decided on aggregate. The finals and third place matches are contested as a single leg match.
The bottom two regular season finishers are relegated and replaced the next season by the top two finishers of the JFF Championship.
Clubs 2024–25 clubs Club2023–24Regular Season (Playoffs) City Stadium Arnett Gardens5th (3rd place) Kingston Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex Cavalier2nd (Champions) Kingston Stadium East FieldChapelton MaroonsChampions (JFF Championship)ChapeltonAnthony Spaulding Sports Complex Dunbeholden8th Portmore Dunbeholden Sports Complex Harbour View12th Kingston Harbour View Football Club Stadium Humble Lions10th May Pen Effortville Community Centre Molynes United11th Kingston Jasceria Park Recreational Center Montego Bay United7th Montego Bay Wespow Park Mount Pleasant 1st (Runners-up) Runaway Bay Draxhall Sports Complex Portmore United4th Portmore Ferdi Neita Sports ComplexRacing UnitedRunners-up (JFF Championship)PortmoreFerdi Neita Sports Complex Tivoli Gardens3rd Kingston Edward Seaga Sports Complex Vere United9th Hayes Wembley Centre of Excellence Waterhouse6th Kingston Waterhouse Mini Stadium
All-time table The following is the historical table of the Jamaica Premier League from the professional era in the 2001–02 season up to the concluded 2023–24 season. Table does not include matches played in the playoff stages.
Teams1Portmore United 695 322 215 158 870 539 +331 11872Harbour View 730 320 217 193 951 691 +285 11853 Waterhouse 730 328 215 207 964 677 +287 11754 Tivoli Gardens 730 322 190 218 1009 749 +260 11605 Arnett Gardens 729 299 213 217 970 786 +184 11166Montego Bay United 515 169 150 196 582 629 -47 6557Humble Lion 462 160 148 164 488 452 +36 6288Boys' Town 459 159 139 161 494 537 -43 6169 FC Reno 506 123 169 214 500 653 -153 53810Village United 381 127 118 136 421 427 -6 49911Cavalier 316 127 90 105 371 310 +61 46512Rivoli United 305 85 92 128 305 366 -61 33813Sporting Central Academy 294 79 96 119 288 349 -61 33114Mount Pleasant 146 92 42 38 255 141 +114 31815UWI FC 161 58 46 57 180 188 -8 22016St. George's SC 152 47 42 63 134 168 -34 18317Dunbeholden 146 47 30 43 144 143 +1 17118Constant Spring 158 35 57 66 151 224 -73 16519August Town 142 35 40 67 125 198 -73 14520Wadadah 158 33 41 84 167 323 -156 14021Vere United 146 30 41 75 111 190 -79 13122Molynes United 113 26 23 61 127 210 -83 10423Highgate United 76 21 21 34 69 93 -24 8424Invaders United 65 8 20 37 52 134 -82 4425Lime Hall (Benfica) 64 11 11 42 48 146 -98 4426Meadhaven United 38 9 12 17 36 53 -17 3927Maverley Hughenden 33 7 14 12 26 34 -8 3528Savannah SC 38 6 8 24 24 74 -50 2629Barbican 33 5 10 18 26 61 -35 2530Sandals South Coast 33 5 7 21 25 60 -35 2231Arlington 33 5 7 21 23 65 -42 2232Naggo Head 33 5 6 22 26 65 -39 2133Bull Bay 32 4 9 19 19 57 -38 1934Star Cosmos 32 3 7 22 22 66 -44 1636Faulkland26110152355 -321335Duhaney Park 28 2 3 23 13 59 -46 937Chapelton Maroons2636171462 -48938Treasure Beach2634191752 -357
Champions By season Since the inaugural 1973–74 season, 14 teams have claimed the Jamaica Premier League title. As of 2024–25 season, Cavalier successfully defended their title, making this their fourth league title overall.
+Finalists by SeasonSeasonWinnersResultRunners-upThird placeResultFourth place1973–74Santos1–0Boys' Town1974–75Santos3–2Boys' Town1975–76SantosCavalier1976–77Santos1–0Cavalier1977–78Arnett GardensHarbour View1978–79Abandoned1979–80SantosCavalier1980–81CavalierThunderbolts1981–82No Competition1982–83Tivoli GardensSantos1983–84Boys' Town2–1 (agg)Tivoli Gardens1984–85Jamaica Defence Force2–1 (agg)Seba United1985–86Boys' TownHarbour View1986–87Seba UnitedBoys' Town1987–88WadadahFC Reno1988–89Boys' TownSeba United1989–90FC RenoBlack Lions1990–91FC RenoArnett Gardens1991–92WadadahFC Reno1992–93Hazard UnitedArnett Gardens1993–94Violet KickersSeba United1994–95FC Reno3–1 (agg)Constant Spring1995–96Violet KickersFC Reno1996–97Seba United4–3 (agg)Arnett Gardens1997–98Waterhouse2–1 (agg)Seba United1998–99Tivoli Gardens3–1 (agg)Harbour View1999–00Harbour View2–1 (agg)Waterhouse2000–01Arnett Gardens4–2 (agg)Waterhouse2001–02Arnett Gardens3–2 (agg)Hazard United2002–03Hazard United4–3 (agg)Arnett Gardens2003–04Tivoli Gardens5–3 (agg)Harbour View2004–05Portmore United2–1 (agg)Tivoli Gardens2005–06WaterhouseHarbour ViewTivoli GardensPortmore United2006–07Harbour ViewPortmore UnitedFC RenoWaterhouse2007–08Portmore UnitedTivoli GardensBoys' TownHarbour View2008–09Tivoli GardensPortmore UnitedHarbour ViewBoys' Town2009–10Harbour ViewTivoli GardensWaterhouseSt. George's S.C.2010–11Tivoli GardensBoys' TownHarbour ViewWaterhouse2011–12Portmore UnitedBoys' TownWaterhouseHumble Lions2012–13Harbour ViewWaterhousePortmore UnitedArnett Gardens2013–14Montego Bay United5–2Waterhouse2014–15Arnett Gardens2–0Montego Bay United2015–16Montego Bay United2–1Portmore United2016–17Arnett Gardens2–1Portmore United2017–18Portmore United0–0 (4–3 pen.)Waterhouse2018–19Portmore United1–0WaterhouseCavalier1–0Mount Pleasant2019–20Abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic2021Cavalier1–1 (5–4 pen.)WaterhouseTivoli Gardens1–1 (4–3 pen.)Mount Pleasant2022Harbour View1–1 (6–5 pen.)DunbeholdenCavalier4–1Waterhouse2022–23Mount Pleasant2–1CavalierArnett Gardens1–0 (aet)Harbour View2023–24Cavalier1–1 (4–3 pen.)Mount PleasantArnett Gardens5–1Waterhouse2024–25Cavalier0–0 (6–5 pen.)Mount PleasantArnett Gardens4–2Montego Bay United2025–26Portmore United2–2 (5–3 pen.)CavalierMount Pleasant3–2Montego Bay United
By club Portmore United is the league’s most successful club having won 7 league titles and finishing runners-up 5 times. +Champions by Club Club Winners Championship Seasons Runners-up Runners-up Season Portmore United (*)8 1992–93, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2011–12, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2025–2652001–02, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2015–16, 2016–17Harbour View5 1999–00, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2012–13, 202251977–78, 1985–86, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2005–06Tivoli Gardens5 1982–83, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2008–09, 2010–1141983–84, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2009–10Arnett Gardens5 1977–78, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2014–15, 2016–1741990–91,1992–93, 1996–97, 2002–03 Santos5 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1979–8011982–83Montego Bay United (**)4 1986–87, 1996–97, 2013–14, 2015–1651984–85, 1988–89, 1993–94, 1997–98, 2014–15Cavalier4 1980–81, 2021, 2023–24, 2024–2551975–76, 1976–77, 1979–80, 2022–23, 2025–26Boys' Town3 1983–84, 1985–86, 1988–8951973–74, 1975–76, 1986–87, 2010–11, 2011–12FC Reno3 1989–90, 1990–91, 1994–9531987–88, 1991–92, 1995–96Waterhouse2 1997–98, 2005–0671999–00, 2000–01, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021Wadadah2 1987–88, 1991–92—Violet Kickers2 1993–94, 1995–96—Mount Pleasant1 2022–232 2023–24, 2024–25Jamaica Defence Force1 1984–85—Thunderbolts—11980–81Black Lions—11989–90Constant Spring—11994–95Dunbeholden—12022
By parish Kingston and St. Andrew are the most successful parishes with 30 top flight titles won by 7 clubs from Kingston’s metropolitan area. No club from rural St. Andrew has won the league.
St. James is the next best parish with 8 league titles won by 3 clubs. Two of their title winners, Violet Kickers and Wadadah, have since fell from grace and compete in the lower divisions.
Hazard United won 2 league titles while based in Clarendon before the club relocated to St. Catherine and rebranded as Portmore United.
No club from the parishes of Hanover, Manchester, Portland, St. Elizabeth, St. Mary, St. Thomas nor Trelawny have won the league. +Titles by ParishParishTitlesClubsKingston &Saint Andrew30Arnett Gardens (5)Harbour View (5)Santos (5)Tivoli Gardens (5)Cavalier (4)Boys' Town (3)Waterhouse (2)Jamaica Defence Force (1)Saint James8Montego Bay United (4)Violet Kickers (2)Wadadah (2)Saint Catherine8Portmore United (8)Westmoreland3FC Reno (3)Clarendon2Hazard United (2)Saint Ann1Mount Pleasant (1)
Statistics
Top scorers +Top Scorer by SeasonYearPlayerTeamGoals 2002–03 Roen Nelson Hazard United 19 2003–04 Fabian Taylor Harbour View 19 2004–05 Christopher Nicholas Tivoli Gardens 25 2005–06 Kevin Lamey Waterhouse 22 2006–07 Irvino English Waterhouse 18 2007–08 Roen Nelson Portmore United 16 2008–09 Devon Hodges Rivoli United 24 2009–10 Devon Hodges Rivoli United 18 2010–11 Kirk Ramsey Arnett Gardens 17 2011–12 Jermaine "Tuffy" Anderson Waterhouse 14 2012–13 Jermaine "Tuffy" Anderson Waterhouse 21 2013–14 Brian Brown Harbour View 19 2014–15 Craig Foster Reno 20 2015–16 Owayne Omar Gordon Montego Bay United 19 2016–17 Jermaine Johnson Tivoli Gardens 16 2017–18 Craig Foster Humble Lions 17 2018–19 Colorado Murray Tivoli Gardens 13 2019–20 Kemar Beckford Mount Pleasant 142021 Oquassa Chong, Jourdaine Flectcher and Shaqueil BradfordHarbour View, Mount Pleasant, Waterhouse62022 Atapharoy Bygrave, Daniel GreenDunbeholden, Mount Pleasant132022–23 Collin AndersonCavalier202023–24 Javane BryanWaterhouse172024–25 Warner BrownArnett Gardens 222025–26 Raheem EdwardsMount Pleasant 23
All-time goalscorers RankCountry ScoredGoalsYears1 Kevin Lamey1151998–20162Devon Hodges1062002–2020
Hat-tricks