Why Do Premier League Teams Play 38 Matches?

**TL;DR: **Premier League teams play 38 matches because there are 20 teams in the league, and each team plays every other team twice - once at home and once away. That gives every team 19 opponents x 2 matches = 38 fixtures. The league reduced from 22 teams to 20 in 1995 to lighten the schedule and improve match quality.

The 38-match Premier League season is so familiar that most fans never stop to ask why. Why not 30 matches, or 40, or some other number? The answer is pure arithmetic combined with one big strategic decision the league made in the mid-1990s. If you play football score prediction games, understanding the format helps you plan your prediction strategy across the full season.

The Maths of 38 Matches

Here is the calculation. The Premier League has 20 teams. Each team plays every other team in a home and away format. That means every team plays 19 opponents, and they play each opponent twice. 19 x 2 = 38 matches per team.

This format is called a double round-robin. Every team plays every other team an equal number of times, with the matches split equally between home and away. It is the cleanest possible structure for a league competition. There are no gimmicks, no divisional splits, no bye weeks. Just every team against every team, twice, across a full season.

• 20 teams in the league
• Each team plays 19 opponents
• Each pairing produces two matches (one home, one away)
• 19 x 2 = 38 matches per team across the season
• Total league matches per season: 380

That last number - 380 league matches per season - is what feeds into the total number of Premier League matches per season calculations. Every weekend in the season, ten matches are played to keep the schedule moving forward.

Why 20 Teams, Not 22?

The Premier League actually started with 22 teams when it launched in 1992. Each team played 42 matches per season. That format lasted three seasons before the league reduced to 20 teams in 1995, dropping the schedule to 38 matches.

The reasoning was simple. 42 matches plus FA Cup, plus League Cup, plus European competition for the top clubs added up to a punishing schedule. Top players were burning out by April. The quality of matches in late spring suffered visibly. Reducing to 20 teams cut four matches off everyone's schedule and gave the league more breathing room for cup competitions and international fixtures.