2016 Bhutan National League

{{Infobox football league season

|competition=Bhutan National League

|season=2016

|winners=Thimphu City

|relegated=Bhutan U-17s, Tensung

|continentalcup1=AFC Cup

|continentalcup1 qualifiers=Thimphu City

|continentalcup2=

|continentalcup2 qualifiers=

|league topscorer=Chencho Gyeltshen
(15 goals)

|biggest home win=Ugyen Academy 5–0 Paro United

|biggest away win=Bhutan Clearing 0–6 Ugyen Academy

|highest scoring=Bhutan Clearing 1–6 Thimphu

|matches=30

|total goals=104

|longest wins=

|title=

|longest losses=

|longest unbeaten=

|prevseason=2015

|nextseason=2017

}}

The 2016 Bhutan National League was the fifth season of the national football competition in Bhutan, having replaced the A-Division (Bhutan) in 2013. Again, the Thimphu League provides the qualifiers from Thimphu, with the top three teams in that competition being awarded places in the National League alongside three regional teams.

Thimphu League

=Format and rules=

The Thimphu League is a regional competition for teams from Thimphu. the competition consists of seven teams, each plays the others twice – home and away – for a total of 12 games each, over 14 game weeks. 3 points are awarded for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a loss. The league table is decided firstly on points won, then on goal difference and finally on total goals scored if the previous two are equal. The first three teams automatically qualify for the National league, the bottom two teams compete in relegation playoffs with the top two teams from the B-Division for two places in the next season's competition.{{cite web |url=http://www.scoresway.com/?sport=soccer&page=competition&id=908&view=rules |title=Thimphu League – 2016 Rules |author= |website=scoresway.com |publisher=Perform Group |access-date=6 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505042602/http://www.scoresway.com/?sport=soccer&page=competition&id=908&view=rules |archive-date=5 May 2016 |url-status=dead }}

=Competing clubs=

{{Location map+

| Bhutan

| width = 400

| float = right

| border =

| caption = Location of teams participating in the 2016 Thimphu League.

| places =

{{Location map~

| Bhutan

| label = Bhutan U-17s
Druk Pol
Druk Stars
Druk United
Tensung
Terton
Thimphu
Thimphu City

| position = right

| mark = Red_pog.svg

| lat = 27.47

| long = 89.64

}}

=Season summary=

The 2016 season of the Thimphu League, previously called the Bhutan A-Division, started on April 3, 2016 and ended on June 19.{{cite web |url=https://int.soccerway.com/national/bhutan/a-division/2016/regular-season/r35009/ |title=Thimphu League |author= |date=3 April 2016 |website=soccerway.com |publisher=Perfrorm Group |access-date=5 April 2016}} Terton are defending champions{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesb/bhutan2015.html|title=Bhutan 2015|last=Stokkermans|first=Karel|last2=Jigmi|first2=Sonam|date=23 July 2015|website=RSSSF|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|access-date=5 April 2016}} and the competition has been expanded from 7 teams in 2015 with the addition of Tensung and Bhutan U-17s following the relegation of Dzongree. The 2016 Thimphu league was opened with a friendly match organised by the Bhutan Football Federation between the Legends, a team of ex-national team players, including Nado, a sixty-five year old player who represented Bhutan throughout the eighties and nineties,{{cite web |url=http://www.kuenselonline.com/when-old-meet-the-young/ |title=When old meet the young |last1=Tshedup |first1=Younten |date=4 April 2016 |website=kuenselonline.com |publisher=Kuensel |access-date=5 April 2016}} and the Young Stars, the national team,{{cite web |url=http://www.kuenselonline.com/the-meeting-of-the-titans/ |title=The meeting of the titans |last1=Tshedup |first1=Younten |date=2 April 2016 |website=kuenselonline.com |publisher=Kuensel |access-date=5 April 2016}} with the Young Stars winning 5–4.

=League table=

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL

|res_col_header=QR

|team1=TPC|name_TPC=Thimphu City

|team2=TPU|name_TPU=Thimphu

|team3=UTD|name_UTD=Druk United

|team4=STA|name_STA=Druk Stars

|team5=POL|name_POL=Druk Pol

|team6=TER|name_TER=Terton

|team7=TEN|name_TEN=Tensung

|team8=U17|name_U17=Bhutan U-17s

|col_BNL=#CCFFCC|text_BNL=2016 Bhutan National League

|result1=BNL|result2=BNL|result3=BNL

|col_R=#FFBBBB|text_R=Relegation

|result7=R|result8=R

|class_rules=1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

|update=19 June 2016

|source=

}}

=Results=

{{#invoke:sports results|main

|matches_style=FBR|solid_cell=grey

|team6=TER|team7=THI|team8=CIT

|name_U17=Bhutan U-17s

|match_U17_POL=0–4

|match_U17_STA=0–6

|match_U17_UTD=0–4

|match_U17_TEN=1–0

|match_U17_TER=0–5

|match_U17_THI=0–9

|match_U17_CIT=1–6

|name_POL=Druk Pol

|match_POL_U17=4–2

|match_POL_STA=0–1

|match_POL_UTD=1–1

|match_POL_TEN=1–2

|match_POL_TER=2–1

|match_POL_THI=5–1

|match_POL_CIT=1–3

|name_STA=Druk Stars

|match_STA_U17=6–0

|match_STA_POL=1–0

|match_STA_UTD=1–0

|match_STA_TEN=5–0

|match_STA_TER=0–4

|match_STA_THI=0–1

|match_STA_CIT=2–2

|name_UTD=Druk United

|match_UTD_U17=5–0

|match_UTD_POL=0–1

|match_UTD_STA=3–1

|match_UTD_TEN=3–1

|match_UTD_TER=1–1

|match_UTD_THI=5–1

|match_UTD_CIT=1–3

|name_TEN=Tensung

|match_TEN_U17=3–3

|match_TEN_POL=4–0

|match_TEN_STA=1–7

|match_TEN_UTD=1–2

|match_TEN_TER=0–3

|match_TEN_THI=0–2

|match_TEN_CIT=0–3

|name_TER=Terton

|match_TER_U17=3–0

|match_TER_POL=1–2

|match_TER_STA=2–3

|match_TER_UTD=0–1

|match_TER_TEN=2–2

|match_TER_THI=2–4

|match_TER_CIT=1–2

|name_THI=Thimphu

|match_THI_U17=5–0

|match_THI_POL=0–0

|match_THI_STA=4–2

|match_THI_UTD=1–0

|match_THI_TEN=0–0

|match_THI_TER=2–0

|match_THI_CIT=0–0

|name_CIT=Thimphu City

|match_CIT_U17=6–0

|match_CIT_POL=3–0

|match_CIT_STA=1–1

|match_CIT_UTD=0–2

|match_CIT_TEN=10–0

|match_CIT_TER=3–1

|match_CIT_THI=2–1

|update=19 June 2016

|source=

}}

{{small|Note 1: The notion of home and away fixtures in the A-Division is moot as all games are played at Changlimithang Stadium. As such, for the purpose of this table, the first result chronologically has been deemed that team's "home" game and the second the "away" game.}}

National league

=Format and rules=

The competition consists of six teams competing for the national league championship, the winner of which gains a place in the next season's. AFC Cup. Each plays the others twice – home and away – for a total of 10 games each, over 10 game weeks. 3 points are awarded for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a loss. the league table is decided firstly on points won, then on goal difference and finally on total goals scored if the previous two are equal. There is no promotion or relegation from this league.{{cite web |url=http://www.scoresway.com/?sport=soccer&page=competition&id=1104&view=rules |title=Bhutan National League – 2015 Rules |author= |website=scoresway.com |publisher=Perform Group |access-date=29 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505042557/http://www.scoresway.com/?sport=soccer&page=competition&id=1104&view=rules |archive-date=5 May 2016 |url-status=dead }}

=Teams=

{{Location map+

| Bhutan

| width = 400

| float = right

| border =

| caption = Location of teams participating in the 2016 Bhutan National League.

| places =

{{Location map~

| Bhutan

| label = Ugyen Academy

| position = top

| mark = Red_pog.svg

| lat = 27.61

| long = 89.87

}}

{{Location map~

| Bhutan

| label = Bhutan Clearing

| position = right

| mark = Red_pog.svg

| lat = 26.85

| long = 89.38

}}

{{Location map~

| Bhutan

| label = Paro United

| position = left

| mark = Red_pog.svg

| lat = 27.41

| long = 89.42

}}

{{Location map~

| Bhutan

| label = Druk United
Thimphu
Thimphu City

| position = right

| mark = Red_pog.svg

| lat = 27.47

| long = 89.64

}}

A total of six teams competed in the league: three teams representing Thimphu, who qualified as a result of their final positions in the 2015 A-Division, and three teams representing other districts.