On 12 April 2009, in the final round of the season, Al-Ittihad won the title after a 2–1 victory over Al-Hilal.
The changes were based on the criteria introduced by AFC President Mohammed bin Hammam to improve the football standards in Asia.
[4] The changes also included a website dedicated to recording statistics of the league for the first time.
For the January transfer window, the SAFF added an additional slot for a player from one of the AFC countries.
The winner on aggregate score after both matches earned entry into the 2009–10 Professional League while the loser was relegated to the First Division.