An initial ten teams compete in the league, which replaced the Taça Nacional as the highest level of women's football in Portugal.

One of the first women's football national championship in Portugal began in 1985, under the title Taça Nacional.

In 2001, the UEFA Women's Cup was created with the previous season winners of this competition qualifying to play on it.

For the 2016–17, the Portuguese Football Federation granted direct entrance to the first tier to four Primeira Liga teams, with Sporting CP, Braga, Estoril and CF Os Belenenses taking the spots.

That season was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal with no title awarded and no teams relegated.

During the course of a season (from September to May) each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents', for 22 games.