It was created by the 1993 split of the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League following the breakup of Czechoslovakia. The league's season usually takes place between September and April and features 14 teams. It is ranked by the IIHF as the fourth-best league in Europe and the fifth-best in the world.
14 teams compete in the league, with the top 10 teams at the end of the season qualifying for post-season play to determine the national champion. The top six teams qualify directly to the best-of-seven quarterfinals, while the teams that finish seventh through 10th play a play-in series (best-of-five) to determine who will join them. The four lowest ranked teams (11–14) after the regular season play in a play-out group (12 games, all regular-season games are counted into the ranking). The two worst-placed teams after the play-out group play with the two semi-final winners of the First League in a qualifying group, where each team will play 12 games (twice home and twice away against every team in group), with the first- and second-placed teams of that group qualifying for the Extraliga the following season while the third and fourth teams play in the First League.
During the 2011–12 season, the association of Czech Extraliga managers attempted to close the league to prevent any relegations to or promoting from the second tier national league and also set a maximum salary cap similar to the NHL system.[3] However, after some legal difficulties and strong opposition by the public, the whole proposition was scrapped and a system that allows promotions and relegations between divisions continues.
