Football was invented in England to be a winter sport. Whether that was by chance or design, it has remained as such over the years. To get all of the games in, domestic football across Britain has traditionally been a nine-month affair. The season, loosely speaking, took place between August of one year and May of the next.
Of course, international games may take place after the traditional end of the domestic season, and pre-season friendlies and training are happening from early July meaning there is not a lot of time off for players in between seasons.
Changes to Traditional Seasons
As time has gone on, things have been tweaked. More rest days are needed given the harder pitches, though it doesn’t always happen. The lower leagues in England play 46 games a season compared to the Premier League’s 38, while there are also play-offs to fit in at the end of the campaign.
In the past, Scotland’s top league and England’s lower leagues began one week before the Premier League. The official start of the season in England, given that the Community Shield also takes place on that same weekend, begins then. In Scotland now, some cup games are taking place as early as July.
The August-May football season was largely followed by most European leagues. This allowed for European competitions, such as the Champions League, to be uniformed with finals taking place in late May or early June. European Championships and World Cups were traditionally scheduled for the summer for this reason too.
Some leagues organise their seasons via calendar year. This makes sense in Scandinavia, where harsh winters would lead to too many match postponements. Traditional seasons can change owing to outside influences. During lockdown across 2020 and 2021, many leagues stopped and restarted with traditional timings changed. The 2022/23 season was also different owing to the winter World Cup in Qatar.
Domestic Seasons by Major League
Using the 2023/24 season as a guide, these are the start and end times for domestic seasons at the top level in six major footballing territories. This helps to give us an idea of the similarities and uniformity of the football season.
England
Being the most competitive footballing nation in the world, it would be unfair to mark the start and end of the English football season using only the Premier League. England has two major cup competitions rather than one, alongside the Community Shield which is essentially the equivalent to a Super Cup. The FA Cup may be the last traditional major game of the season however the play-offs are hugely important too.
- August 4: Championship season begins
- August 6: Community Shield takes place
- August 8: EFL Cup begins
- August 11: Premier League begins
- November 4: FA Cup begins
- February 25: EFL Cup final
- May 4: Championship season proper ends
- May 18: League One play-off final
- May 19: Premier League ends and League Two play-off final takes place
- May 25: FA Cup final
- May 26: Championship play-off final
Essentially then, the English season now runs from the beginning of August to the end of May. This leaves only the months of June and July as an off-season.
Scotland
When including the domestic cup competitions, the Scottish domestic season is very long these days. We’ve incorporated only the Premiership, League Cup and FA Cup for these purposes.
- July 15: League Cup begins
- August 5: Premiership season begins
- August 12:. FA Cup begins
- December 17: League Cup final
- May 19: Premiership season ends
- May 24: FA Cup final
The major teams in Scotland entered the League Cup at the second-round stage, after the group phase. This began on August 18, meaning the domestic season for the top teams has remained largely as it was over the course of many years.
France
As one of Europe’s big five leagues, France’s Ligue 1 dates are important to the calendar. As you can see below, they stick to a tried and tested format, much like in Britain. There was a Coupe de la Ligue, essentially the French League Cup like those played in England and Scotland, though that was discontinued in 2020.
- August 12: Ligue 1 season begins
- September 17: Coupe de France begins
- January 24: Trophee des Champions takes place
- May 18: Ligue 1 season ends
- May 25: Coupe de France final
This season end, May 18 or 25 depending on whether a team reaches the cup final, is perfect given the dates of the European club competition finals and international dates.
Spain
Spain doesn’t begin or end its traditional season significantly differently to any other major territory. With the lack of a second cup competition however, they can afford a winter break and to have their Super Cup spread over several days in the winter.
- August 11: La Liga begins
- October 11: Copa de Rey begins
- January 14: Supercopa de Espana final
- April 6: Copa del Rey final
- May 26: La Liga ends
Having the major cup final in April and ending the season completely at the top level by May 26 means Spanish players can stay relatively fresh. Arguably, this helps players in La Liga to remain at their best in biannual international tournaments.
Germany
Germany has a Super Cup, the main league division (Bundesliga) and one major domestic cup competition, the DFB-Pokal being the equivalent to an FA Cup.
- August 11: DFB-Pokal begins
- August 12: DFL-Supercup takes place
- August 18: Bundesliga begins
- May 18: Bundesliga ends
- May 25: DFB-Pokal final
Once again, a standard start and end time in line with major European leagues.
Italy
There is a slightly early start to the domestic cup in Italy but other than that, major dates are once again standardised.
- August 5: Coppa Italia begins
- August 19: Seria A begins
- January 8: Supercoppa Italiana takes place
- May 15: Coppa Italia final
- May 26: Serie A finishes
Once more, the season is done and dusted by the end of May. Furthermore, when the league finishes after the domestic cup competition it means the end of the season comes for all 20 teams, rather than favouring some.
Will Seasons Ever Change?
We should never be afraid of change. Longer half-time breaks, bigger World Cup tournaments and other things are either confirmed or mooted for football. Can football be a summer sport? In theory, there’s no reason why not. There are very many traditionalists who would attempt to block a change in the recognised football season but we should never say never.
Imagine a major final, such as the Champions League final, taking place just before the traditional holiday season in November or December? How about a New Year’s Day opening day? A calendar year season with perhaps a summer break is something that at least should make it around the debating table at some point in time.