Adran Premier

In its first three seasons, the league was divided into two Conferences that played a double round robin, with the winner of both contesting a final for the championship. The first season featured no relegation, from the 2010–11 season onwards, the last placed team in each conference got relegated.{{Cite web |url=http://atfc.org.uk/page.php?16 |title=Aberystwyth Town FC: Ladies News |access-date=2010-10-07 |archive-date=2010-09-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100911182939/http://www.atfc.org.uk/page.php?16 |url-status=dead }}

Since 2012–13 the league is played in one group only.{{cite web|title=Wrexham Odds on for Play-off place|url=http://shekicks.net/news/view/5174|publisher=shekicks.net|access-date=27 April 2012|date=27 April 2012}} In 2015–16 two teams were relegated.

The eight clubs who formed the League were Aberystwyth Town Ladies, Caernarfon Town Ladies, Llanidloes Ladies, Manorbier Ladies, Newcastle Emlyn Ladies, Swansea City Ladies, UWIC Ladies and Wrexham Women.

File:6 September 2012 - Welsh Premier Women's Football League Launch - 6 Medi 2012 - Lansiad Uwch Gynghrair Pel-droed Merched Cymru.jpg

The league was increased to five teams per Conference in 2010–11,{{Cite web |url=http://www.welshpremier.com/uploads/documents/WelshPrem10977Pages1.PDF |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-07-14 |archive-date=2011-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720112915/http://www.welshpremier.com/uploads/documents/WelshPrem10977Pages1.PDF |url-status=usurped }} with Caerphilly Castle Ladies and Trefelin Ladies joining the South and Llandudno Junction Ladies joining the North. Manorbier Ladies ceased playing activities after their inaugural season.{{cite web|url=http://www.tenby-today.co.uk/sport.cfm?id=36297&headline=Manorbier%20Ladies%20call%20it%20a%20day|title=Manorbier Ladies call it a day|date=15 October 2010|author=Tenby Observer}}

Llandudno Junction's stay in the league lasted just one season before they were relegated; they were replaced by Northop Hall Girls.

In May 2021, the Football Association of Wales announced a restructuring of the league, including cutting the number of teams from nine to eight, splitting the second tier into northern and southern conferences, and the introduction of a U19 development league. The restructuring saw Abergavenny Women's FC, Caerphilly Castle Ladies and Briton Ferry Llansawel Ladies demoted to the second tier, while Barry Town United Ladies FC and The New Saints joined the Premier League.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/57304754 |title=Women's football: FAW announce the make-up of new tiers – BBC Sport |publisher=Bbc.com |date=2021-05-31 |access-date=2021-06-25}} The choice of top-tier teams in the restructuring was met with a significant amount of criticism, as Abergavenny had finished within the top four during the 2020–21 season and The New Saints did not have a complete senior women's side.{{cite web|url=https://www.thenational.wales/news/19340581.abergavenny-condemns-faw-restructure-welsh-womens-football/ |title=Abergavenny condemns FAW restructure of Welsh women's football |publisher=The National Wales |date= |access-date=2021-06-25}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-57305621 |title=Welsh Premier Women's League shake-up 'unjust and wrong', say relegated clubs – BBC News |work=BBC News |date= June 2021|access-date=2021-06-25}} FAW head of women's football Lowri Roberts stood by their decision, adding that "we have to be able to compete with Tier 3 in England. The WSL and Championship in England are professional and semi-professional and we’re a long way off that. It’s unlikely we’ll get to a professional level."{{cite web|url=https://www.thenational.wales/news/19352029.faw-chief-lowri-roberts-responds-restructuring-outcry/ |title=FAW chief Lowri Roberts responds to restructuring outcry |publisher=The National Wales |date= |access-date=2021-06-25}}

In August 2021, the league also announced a rebranding initiative, changing the name from "Welsh Premier Women's League" to "Adran Premier", adopting the Welsh word adran (division). For sponsorship reasons it is named the "Genero Adran Premier" (sponsored by Welsh firm Genero).{{cite press release|url=https://www.cymrufootball.wales/news/launch-genero-adran-leagues-marks-new-era-domestic-football-wales/|title=Launch of Genero Adran Leagues marks new era for domestic football in Wales|date=16 August 2021|publisher=Cymru Football}} The second tier conferences were likewise renamed Adran North and Adran South. The rebranding was in part an effort to remove the word "Women's" from the league name to achieve better parity with the men's game. The league cup was likewise rebranded to the Adran Trophy.

The club with the highest number of points at the end of the season are the League Champions. In the event of two or more clubs having the same number of points the League winners will be decided by the difference between goals scored and goals against. In the event of more than one club having the same goal difference, the club that has scored the highest number of goals will be the Champions.{{cite web |title=Welsh Premier Women's League 2018/19 Rules |url=http://www.welshpremierwomensleague.co.uk/uploads/documents/originals/rules.pdf |access-date=19 July 2019 |archive-date=19 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719205127/http://www.welshpremierwomensleague.co.uk/uploads/documents/originals/rules.pdf |url-status=dead }}

One club may be promoted to the Adran Premier, from Adran North or from Adran South, and the same number relegated out of the first tier. To determine which conference sees a club promoted, the top club from each of the two leagues that meets the other requirements for being in the Premier compete in a playoff.{{Cite web|url=https://www.adranleagues.cymru/adran-premier/news/genero-adran-leagues-and-adran-trophy-competition-formats-confirmed-202223/|title=Genero Adran Leagues and Adran Trophy competition formats confirmed for 2022/23|publisher=Adran Leagues|date=9 August 2022|access-date=18 December 2022}}

UEFA grants European places to the Football Association of Wales, determined by Wales' position in the UEFA country coefficient rankings. The Welsh Football Association in turn allocates a number of these European places to the final Welsh Premier Women's League positions. As of 2024, Wales was ranked 48th in Europe – granting them one placement in the UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying rounds.

{{Location map+|Wales|width=350|float=right|caption=Locations of teams in the 2024–25 Adran Premier|places=

{{Location map~|Wales|lat=52.41|long=-4.08|label=Aberystwyth Town|position=left}}

{{Location map~|Wales|lat=51.4118|long=-3.26|label=Barry Town United|position=left}}

{{Location map~|Wales|lat=51.6421|long=-3.8151|label=Briton Ferry|position=right}}

{{Location map~|Wales|lat=51.4736|long=-3.2106|label=Cardiff City|position=right}}

{{Location map~|Wales|lat=51.4955|long=-3.2115|label=Cardiff Met|position=left}}

{{Location map~|Wales|lat=51.616667|long=-3.95|position=left|label=Swansea City}}

{{Location map~|Wales|lat=52.8753|long=-3.0266|label=The New Saints|position=right}}

{{Location map~|Wales|lat=52.9779|long=-3.0704|label=Wrexham|position=left}}

}}

In the first three seasons, a final between the north and south division winners determined the champion.

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Category:Top-level women's association football leagues in Europe

Category:Women's football leagues in Wales

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