BY GLASGOW COSMIC EDITORIAL
How the European T20 Premier League works: six franchises, three nations, the 2026 match format, points system and playoffs, explained in plain terms.
Six franchises. Three nations. One champion. That's the entire Wikipedia entry on the European T20 Premier League's format, and it's the most detailed explanation currently ranking for anyone searching "ETPL format rules."
Here's the actual breakdown.
What is the ETPL?
The European T20 Premier League is a franchise T20 cricket competition organized jointly by Cricket Scotland, Cricket Ireland, and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association, launching its first season in 2026. Six franchises compete: Glasgow Cosmic and Edinburgh Castle Rockers from Scotland, Dublin Guardians and Belfast Wolves from Ireland, and Amsterdam Flames and a Rotterdam-based franchise from the Netherlands.
It's the first top-tier T20 franchise league to span three separate national cricket boards in a single competition, which is also why its format has a few wrinkles you won't find in single-country leagues like the IPL or the Big Bash.
The season structure
The inaugural ETPL season runs from 26 August to 20 September 2026. Each of the six franchises plays the others in a round-robin group stage, with matches split across three host venues: The Hague (Netherlands), Malahide in Dublin (Ireland), and The Grange in Edinburgh (Scotland). Notably, no confirmed 2026 fixture currently has Glasgow itself hosting a match, despite Glasgow Cosmic being one of the six competing franchises.
Top four teams after the group stage advance to the playoffs. From there, it's a standard knockout: two semifinals, one final.
Why the three-nation structure matters
Compare this to the Big Bash (entirely Australian clubs) or the IPL (entirely Indian franchises, foreign players imported). The ETPL is structurally closer to something like European club football's continental competitions than to a domestic T20 league: it's an attempt to build a shared cricket product across three cricket boards that have historically run separate domestic structures.
That has real format consequences. Broadcast rights, player eligibility rules, and even simple things like which board's grounds host which matches all require three-way agreement instead of one national board making the call. It's part of why, as of this writing, the ETPL still has no confirmed broadcast partner (only SportVot streaming has been confirmed), and why fixture and venue details have taken longer to firm up than a single-country league.
Points table and tiebreakers
Standard T20 franchise scoring applies: two points for a win, one for a no-result, zero for a loss. Where teams are level on points after the group stage, net run rate is the tiebreaker, the same system used in the IPL and international ICC tournaments.
Squad rules
Each franchise fields a squad built from a mix of domestic (Scottish, Irish, or Dutch) players and international signings. Glasgow Cosmic's confirmed squad includes Liam Livingstone, Finn Allen, Lungi Ngidi, and Keshav Maharaj alongside Scottish players Richie Berrington and George Munsey, coached by Matthew Hayden.
How ETPL compares to other T20 leagues
| ETPL | IPL | Big Bash | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nations involved | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Franchises | 6 | 10 | 8 |
| Inaugural season | 2026 | 2008 | 2011 |
| Governing structure | 3 national boards jointly | Single board (BCCI) | Single board (Cricket Australia) |
Track Glasgow Cosmic's full 2026 fixture list and squad announcements as they're confirmed. [See fixtures →]
Frequently Asked Questions
How many teams are in the ETPL?
Six: Glasgow Cosmic, Edinburgh Castle Rockers, Dublin Guardians, Belfast Wolves, Amsterdam Flames, and a Rotterdam-based franchise.
When does the ETPL 2026 season start?
26 August 2026, running through 20 September 2026.
Does the ETPL have a group stage and playoffs?
Yes. All six teams play a round-robin group stage, and the top four advance to semifinals and a final.
Which countries organize the ETPL?
The league is jointly organized by Cricket Scotland, Cricket Ireland, and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association.
Where can I watch ETPL matches?
As of now, SportVot has confirmed streaming rights. No traditional broadcast deal has been announced yet.
