The Polish Ekstraklasa is the top professional football league in Poland. Established in 1927, it features 16 teams competing annually for the championship title. The league operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the I liga, the second tier of Polish football. Each season, teams play a total of 30 matches, facing each opponent twice, once at home and once away. The league's format includes a split after the regular season, where the top eight teams compete for the championship, while the bottom eight fight to avoid relegation.