Premiership could move to 10, 14 or 16-team league

Aberdeen and Motherwell have played each other three times this term but there could yet be a fourth encounter, depending on the Premiership split

The Scottish Premiership could be changed to a 10, 14 or 16-team division in an attempt to help reduce fixture congestion.

Talks have taken place at senior levels about altering the structure of the top flight, in which 12 clubs split into a top and bottom six after 33 rounds of matches.

Thirty-eight rounds of games are played altogether and the format has been in place since season 2000-01. Retaining that model is also an option.

One of the major issues with any reconstruction would be how the financial distribution model would work.

Last year the SPFL announced record turnover of £44m with more than £33m being awarded to the clubs.

Top-flight clubs were given more than £27.5m of that total with the rest being split between the Championship and Leagues 1 and 2.

In addition to this income, Premiership clubs who do not feature in the group or league stages of European football currently share 'solidarity payments' from Uefa, which are distributed by the Scottish FA.

Last season these payments were in excess of £600,000 with this current season's total expected to be around the £900,000.

'Product on the park to be a wee bit better'

Recently, the Scottish FA suggested to Premiership clubs they share some of the Uefa money with clubs in the Championship - a suggestion that was knocked back.

Livingston manager David Martindale says something has to change to give some of the smaller clubs a bigger slice of the monies.

"I don't think it's going to happen this year," he said of the prospect of solidarity money to Championship clubs.

"It comes down to self preservation and that's where Scottish football is all in.

"But I think we've got to all get our heads together. I think 80% of the European leagues are going to allow it to filter down into the second tier of their systems.

"I think there's definitely merit in having a bigger Premiership. That probably takes away a wee bit of that argument of the solidarity payments.

"If we want to promote youth, the product on the park to be a wee bit better... the game becomes a wee bit mundane at times, playing each other four times a year."

An SPFL spokesperson confirmed: "The SPFL's competitions working group will be meeting shortly to discuss several different options for league reconstruction."