The structure of the top divisions in this season’s Dutch domestic competition seems likely to be broadly similar to that which applied in 2010, although with a few significant modifications.

Several aspects of the domestic set-up were discussed at last Thursday’s meeting between KNCB officials and the representatives of the Topklasse, Hoofdklasse and Eerste Klasse clubs, and the results of that discussion will be considered by the KNCB Board next week.

Although the three-phase system, which came in for a good deal of criticism last year, seems set to be retained, clubs will now carry forward all the points they gain in the first phase, the 14-match double round-robin.

This means that when each division splits into the top and bottom four for a three-match second phase, rankings will no longer be dependent on the randomising effect of which sides happen to finish in the same half of the table.

Another important change is that the Australian-style play-off phase, with semi-finals, preliminary final and championship final, is likely to be replaced by a best-of-three final series between the top two sides after the second phase. It is believed that this will be fairer than a sudden-death, one-off championship decider: last year, Excelsior ’20 Schiedam – who had beaten their opponents VRA Amsterdam three times in the course of the season and had topped the table virtually all the way – lost the final and had to be content with the runners-up slot.

And a third difference will probably be that the promotion-relegation series between the bottom side in each division and the champions of the one below will no longer take place; final rankings in the table will decide automatic promotion and relegation.

If implemented, these proposals would mean that most clubs would again be guaranteed 17 competition matches, with the top two sides potentially playing as many as 20.

There will also be changes to the Twenty20 Cup, where the qualifying groups will comprise eight teams rather than four or five. This is a response to the clubs’ desire for more competitive matches in this increasingly popular format, and means that the competing sides will be the sixteen teams from the Topklasse and Hoofdklasse – including the HCC second eleven, who look set to take part for the first time.

The group matches will still be played on Friday evenings, probably in the latter half of the season when the main youth competitions have finished, even though the larger groups will inevitably mean travelling longer distances for some away games.

The finals day, with four sides qualifying for semi-finals and final, will again be the climax of the competition, and the proposal is that it will be hosted by the club with the best record after the group phase.

A discussion of the regulations respecting eligibility of foreign players is understood to have produced agreement that change is needed, although the precise details of the proposal have yet to be worked out.

The system suggested by the KNCB Board, with clubs producing squad lists for the season in the top three divisions and the number of non-Dutch players being restricted in any one match, appears to have gained majority support, with the limit on the latter perhaps being set as low as three.

The new system would have little immediate effect on the clubs, since it is proposed that any resident who has played in any KNCB competition in the past three years should be deemed a Dutch national for the purposes of the regulations, but it would mean that the number of additional foreigners (including coaches and exchange players) permitted to take part in the Topklasse, Hoofdklasse and Eerste Klasse would be restricted.

A definitive version of the Board’s proposed scheme, modified in the light of the clubs’ comments, is now to be prepared.