There are 2 divisions in the Qatari football structure and the league has previously seen one club promoted and relegated each year except in expansion seasons.

The top four clubs at the end of the regular league system participate in the Qatar Crown Prince Cup, which was formed in the 1994/95 season.

Inaugurated in November 2013,[5] the QAL has 14 teams, all of which were established through the country's government, political and social sectors.

[7] In 1984–85, there was no relegation or promotion due to a lack of players as members of the Qatar national football team were preparing for the qualification rounds of the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

[7] A successful method the QFA used to develop the league was allocating each Q-League club with a sum of $10,000,000 to buy big-name foreign players in order to increase popularity, in the summer of 2003.

The attempt brought in players such as Ronald and Frank de Boer, Romário, Pep Guardiola, Fernando Hierro, Marcel Desailly, Stefan Effenberg, Claudio Caniggia, and Gabriel Batistuta who soon appeared and shone in the league.

[11][12] In addition, in 2004, the Aspire Academy was formed, which provides training facilities to young people in order to improve the footballing standard not only in Qatar, but internationally.

Many notable players have graduated from the academy, including Abdelkarim Hassan, Saad Al Sheeb, and Ibrahim Majid.

[15] In 2012, Alkass Sports signed a deal to have the rights to broadcast Stars League in English.

An award system was developed in 2006 in which the best player and coach of the footballing season are selected by a panel of journalists.