How are the Scottish Premier League games decided after the split?

Clubs play 16 or 17 home games in the 33rd before the split – with a minimum of two, and a maximum of three, home games thereafter.

Ideally they should be playing 19 of each by the end of the season, but that’s not always possible – and this is the second season in a row that there has been an imbalance.

In compiling its initial fixtures, the SPFL tries to predict which clubs will finish in the top six and bottom six to best avoid such a scenario, but this season promoted Falkirk have over-performed and sit in sixth place.

As a result, they will play 20 home games and Livingston will have 18.

Not ideal, but the SPFL explained that they chose to mitigate the impact by spreading too widely.

With Falkirk five points behind Hibernian, an extra home game is the least likely scenario to affect European qualification. And Livingston having one less home game means little as they are all but relegated.

The Scottish top flight has had such a 20/18 scenario in almost half of its seasons.