2020 RFL League 1

{{short description|2020 rugby league competition in the United Kingdom}}

{{Infobox rugby football league season

|title = 2020 League 1

|league =League 1

|duration = Planned: 22 rounds + play-offs
Actual: 2 rounds

|no_of_teams = 11

|logo =

|attendance =

|highest_attendance =

|lowest_attendance =

|TV =

|season = 2020 Season

|season_champs =

|season_champ_name = Champions

|second_place =

|biggest_home_win =

|biggest_away_win =

|top_scorer =

|top try scorer =

|promote =

|promote_from = League 1

|promoted_to = RFL Championship

|prevseason_link = 2019 RFL League 1

|prevseason_year = 2019

|nextseason_link = 2021 RFL League 1

|nextseason_year = 2021

}}

The 2020 RFL League 1 was a professional rugby league football competition played in England and Wales and is the third tier of the sport for Rugby Football League (RFL) affiliated clubs. The sponsors for the league were the bookmakers, Betfred and the league continued to be known as the Betfred League 1.

The league was to follow the same structure that was in place for the 2019 season, consisting of 22 rounds with each of the 11 teams playing 20 fixtures against each other, both home and away, and two bye rounds. The team finishing top would have won automatic promotion to the 2021 Championship and be named league champions for 2020. The teams finishing second to sixth were meet in a series of play-off games culminating in the League 1 Play-Off Final. The winner of this match would also be promoted to the Championship for 2021.

The season did sees the introduction of golden point extra time but no matches went to extra time before the season was suspended and subsequently abandoned. Extra-time was to have consisted of two periods of five minutes but unlike the version in use in the Super League where winner takes all, in League 1 each team would earn a point for a game where the scores finish level at the end of normal time with a third point awarded to the first team to score during extra-time.{{cite web |url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/56050/-betfred-championship--league--fixtures-revealed |title=2020 Betfred Championship & League 1 Fixtures revealed |publisher=RFL |date=17 November 2019 |accessdate=17 November 2019}}

On 16 March the structure and timing of the competition was placed in doubt as all rugby league games were suspended until 3 April at least as part of the United Kingdom's response to the coronavirus pandemic.{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Rugby Football League suspends season until 3 April |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/51911290 |work=BBC Sport |date=16 March 2020}} The suspension of the season was extended to indefinite.{{cite news |title=Rugby League to stand down staff and players |page=3 |issue=3,219 |work=Rugby Leaguer & League Express |date=30 March 2020}}

A discussion between the RFL and club officials in May saw seven of the 11 clubs reject a suggestion that the season could recommence with games being played behind closed doors.{{cite news |title=Championship on the brink of closing for the season |page=3 |issue=3,226 |work=Rugby Leaguer & League Express |date=18 May 2020}} The RFL board met on 20 July and having consulted with the League 1 clubs decided to abandon the 2020 season as the majority of clubs did not support playing behind closed doors.{{cite news |title=No relegation from Super League in 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/53474508 |accessdate=20 July 2020 |work=BBC Sport |date=20 July 2020}} At the date of suspension only two rounds of matches had been played and the season was declared null and void.{{cite web |title=Championship and League One null and void |url=https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/championship-and-league-one-null-and-void-31446/ |website=Serious About Rugby League |accessdate=8 August 2020 |date=20 July 2020}}