The 2013–14 Ukrainian First League was the 23rd since its establishment. The competition commenced on 14 July 2013.[2] Due to sponsorship reasons the league was called Favbet League 1. The competition had a winter break that started on 30 November 2013[3] and resumed on 28 March 2014.[2] The completion concluded on 31 May 2014.
The competition was reduced by two teams to sixteen at the PFL Conference on 26 June 2013.[7]Krymteplytsia Molodizhne withdrew from the PFL after the previous season[7] and Shakhtar Sverdlovsk bid for promotion was refused.[7]
^UkrAhroKom Holovkivka to play their home games at CSC Nika Stadium due to limited capacity and lighting at their traditional home ground, Holovkivskiy Stadium, Holovkivka.[9](28 June 2013)
^Zirka Kirovohrad to play their spring session home games at Holovkivskyy Stadium, Holovkivka due to reconstruction of their home ground, Zirka Stadium.[21](29 December 2013)
Source: Professional Football League of Ukraine[47] Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored; 4th head-to-head points; 5th head-to-head goal difference; 6th head-to-head goals scored; 7th head-to-head fair play (all games); 8th draw or playoff[8] (C) Champions; (D) Disqualified; (P) Promoted Notes:
^PFC Oleksandriya were to be promoted after finishing second but the president of the club refused promotion citing instability in the country and business reasons with the cost of keeping a team in the Premier League.[43]
^Relegation to the Ukrainian Second League for the next season was canceled.[46] The Central Council of Professional Football League of Ukraine considered the force majeure circumstances that were created due to war conditions in Kramatorsk as the reason for the cancellation. With the goal to preserve the maximum integrity of the League, considering that a direct threat to the life of footballers, coaching staff, and club's administration, those games, that were to be conducted with participation of Avanhard Kramatorsk to the end of the season, were recognized that they were not going to take place because of those unforeseen events.[46](21 May 2014)
Source: Calendar(in Ukrainian) Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win. Notes:
^ abcInitially the PFL ruled that matches involving Avanhard Kramatorsk were abandoned as a technical loss for both teams due to war conditions.[46] Next day it was changed to a technical loss to Avanhard Kramatorsk in all games.[48](22 May 2014)
^Bukovyna Chernivtsi postpones their Round 9 match home match against Nyva Ternopil due to their financial situation.[52] Match was played after Round 19.[3]
^Dynamo-2 Kyiv postpones their Round 9 match at home against Helios Kharkiv since five players were called for international duty.[52] The match was rescheduled after Round 15.[53]
^Round 27 match between Helios Kharkiv and Nyva Ternopil is moved due to decisions made by the FFU of not conducting matches in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Odesa oblasts because of unrest in the region.[1] The match was played at Karlivka.[1] Match was not completed. Nyva Ternopil players walked off the pitch as a protest to a penalty awarded against them in 90+5' of the game. Score was 1–1 at the time.[54] Control Disciplinary Committee of the Football Federation of Ukraine award a 3–0 technical victory to Helios .[55]
^PFL reschedules the Round 19 match between MFC Mykolaiv and Dynamo-2 Kyiv to after Round 20, since several Dynamo-2 Kyiv players were called for international duty.[3]
^Administration of FC Poltava informed that the club would not travel to their Round 16 match against Nyva Ternopil[56] as a protest against unobjective decisions by referees against the team.[57] Control Disciplinary Committee of the Football Federation of Ukraine award a 3–0 technical victory to Nyva.[47]
^ abFC Poltava play their Round 22 and 24 matches at their Educational Sport Training Base Stadium in Kopyly, Poltava Oblast due to construction of their Lokomotiv Stadium in Poltava.[14]
^Administration of Bukovyna Chernivtsi informed that the club would not travel to their Round 8 match against Stal Alchevsk due to financial issues.[58] Control Disciplinary Committee of the Football Federation of Ukraine award a 3–0 technical victory to Stal.[59]
^Dynamo-2 Kyiv postpones their Round 14 away match against Stal Alchevsk since several players were called for international duty.[60] Match was played after Round 25.
^Administration of Olimpik Donetsk informed their opponent Tytan Armyansk that the club would not travel to their Round 29 match due to instability in the region.[61] Later the PFL administration awarded a technical win (3:0) to Tytan Armyansk and a technical loss (3:0) to Olimpik Donetsk.
Positions by round
The following table represents the teams position after each round in the competition.
^Апеляційний комітет ФФУ відмовив "Кривбасу" [Football Federation of Ukraine Appellate Committee deny Kryvbas] (in Ukrainian). uafootball.com. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
^Олег Лутков стал главным тренером "Титана" [Oleh Lutkov becomes new head coach of Tytan]. Tytan official webpage (in Russian). ua-football.com. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
^Близнюк назначен главным тренером "Полтавы" [Blyznyuk appointed head coach of Poltava]. Poltavshchyna Sport (in Russian). ua-football.com. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
^Тренер Зірки Федоренко подав у відставку [Trainer of Zirka, Fedorenko gives his resignation]. FC Zirka official web site (in Ukrainian). ua-football.com. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
^Матч Титан (Армянск) - Олимпик (Донецк) не состоится [Match Tytan (Armyansk) - Olimpik (Donetsk) will not be played]. Tytan Armyansk Official website (in Russian). ua-football.com. 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.