The Netherlands, England, Ireland have received a fair play bonus from UEFA, giving them each an extra start place in next season’s Europa League first qualifying round.

 European football’s organising body said on Friday the three countries topped its fair play rankings, with the Dutch heading England and Ireland.

 The three associations will be entitled to enter the club that has won their domestic top-division fair play competition.

 If this club has already qualified for a UEFA competition, the second-placed team in the domestic fair play competition may be entered.

 Should they also have already qualified, the third-placed side would be considered and so on, UEFA said.

 UEFA bases its fair play rankings on criteria such as positive play, respect for the opposition, respect for the referee, behaviour of the crowd and of the team officials, and bookings and dismissals.

 New fair play regulations come into force from the 2015-2016 season, with three different fair play rankings introduced – overall fair play; improvement in overall fair play score from one season to the next; behaviour of spectators.

 The winners of each of the three new rankings will no longer receive places in the Europa League. Instead they will receive prize money to donate to amateur or professional clubs of their choice for fair play projects.