The “split system” introduced to the nation’s first-division soccer league has enjoyed rousing success, experts said Monday, as it has led to inspired play on the field and generated excitement in the stands.

For the 2012 season, the K-League adopted the split system, in which the 16 clubs would be divided into two groups, eight teams apiece, based on their records after 30 matches, two apiece against each other. The teams completed that phase on Sunday.

The teams are then to play 14 more games against each other within their group, from Sept. 15 to Dec. 2. The two worst clubs in the lower group will be relegated to the second division in 2013.

With that, the teams will each play 44 games in total, up from 30 in 2011.

The league brought in the split play in response to the league-wide match-fixing controversy last year. Dozens of active and former players were indicted or found guilty of their roles in the scandal, the first of its kind to hit the K-League in its 28-year history.

The idea of the split system was to encourage players to stay competitive until the end without being tempted to throw games.

Relegation to the lower half will likely mean drops in ticket and merchandise sales, plus other revenue sources.

As it was, the battle for the eighth and the final spot in the top tier came down to the final day of the first phase. Four clubs ― Incheon United, Daegu FC, Gyeongnam FC and Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma ― entered Sunday with a chance to claim that position.

Gyeongnam snatched the spot with a 2-1 victory over Gwangju FC. (Yonhap News)