Editing Scottish Football League (section)

===Four-division period and SPL split===
After a couple of decades, in 1994 the league again reorganised (following an attempted 'Super League' breakaway by the top clubs in 1992)<ref>[https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/rangers-and-hearts-owners-hibs-and-aberdeen-involved-celtic-wavering-recalling-failed-scottish-super-league-breakaway-of-1992-3207472?amp Rangers and Hearts owners, Hibs and Aberdeen involved, Celtic wavering - recalling failed Scottish Super League breakaway of 1992], Stephen Halliday, The Scotsman, 20 April 2021</ref> with four divisions of 10 teams, as [[Highland Football League|Highland League]] clubs [[Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.|Inverness Caledonian Thistle]] (a merger of two existing clubs in the city) and [[Ross County F.C.|Ross County]] were elected to round out the league. At the same time, the SFL adopted the system of [[three points for a win]]. In 1998 the Premier Division clubs split from the league to form the [[Scottish Premier League]] (SPL).<ref>{{cite news|last=Grahame|first=Ewing|title=Low in attendance, low in achievement – the SPL's dismal legacy of failure|url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/low-attendance-low-achievement-spls-dismal-legacy-failure-1618057|access-date=1 December 2021 |work=The Scotsman|date=13 July 2012}}</ref> The remaining leagues, of ten clubs each, kept their names and the Premier Division was not reconstituted, leaving First, Second and Third Divisions. Part of the agreement was that the SPL would expand to 12 clubs in 2000. The SFL then took in two new members to replace the two clubs lost to the SPL; Highland League clubs [[Elgin City F.C.|Elgin City]] and [[Peterhead F.C.|Peterhead]] were admitted, increasing the total number of clubs in the Scottish football league system to 42.

From 2005, the SFL determined a [[promotion and relegation]] place between each division according to [[playoffs]] between four clubs.<ref name = "promotion">{{cite web |url=http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/news/article/irn-bru-sfl-play-offs-201112/ |title=IRN-BRU SFL PLAY-OFFS 2011/12 |work=www.scottishfootballleague.com |publisher=Scottish Football League |date=30 April 2012 |access-date=22 December 2012}}</ref> The playoffs were contested between the ninth placed (second bottom) club in the higher division and the second, third and fourth placed clubs in the lower division.<ref name = "promotion"/> It was therefore possible for a team finishing fourth in the Second Division or Third Division to be promoted, rather than the clubs finishing immediately above them in the standings.<ref name = "promotion"/> It was also possible for the ninth placed club to retain their position in the higher division.<ref name = "promotion"/>

{{Rquote|right|"Our review of non-financial matters indicate an organisation which is not wholly suited to the modern-day business environment, or the size of the league."|Pannell Kerr Foster|''BBC Sport website''}}In March 2007, a self-conducted review found the league to be three times more expensive to run than equivalent leagues in England, with a report stating the league structure was "outdated": the report found that the [[Football Conference]] had four employees looking after 68 clubs, while the SFL had 14 people running leagues with just 30 clubs.<ref name="review">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/6418853.stm|title=Scottish League branded out-dated|work=BBC Sport |access-date=22 December 2012|date=5 March 2007}}</ref>