Ykkönen is the second tier of professional football in Finland. It operates below the top division, Veikkausliiga, and features clubs that compete for promotion to the higher league. The league typically consists of 12 teams, and the season runs from spring to autumn. Teams in Ykkönen play each other in a round-robin format, with each club facing every other club twice. The top teams at the end of the season have the chance to move up to Veikkausliiga, while the lower-ranked teams may face relegation to Kakkonen, the third tier of Finnish football.