Fulham handed Europa League place
Fulham will play in the Europa League next season via the Premier League's Fair Play League.
Mark Hughes' side had just one player sent off in Barclays Premier League matches all season - Zoltan Gera saw red in the final fixture, a 2-2 draw at home to Arsenal.
That led to suggestions that relegated Blackpool could pip them to the spot but the Cottagers have now been confirmed as the beneficiaries of the extra place in the competition.
Chelsea finished top of the Fair Play League but had already qualified for the Champions League and Fulham were in second spot.
highest placed
The Premier League said in a statement: "Fulham FC has finished the season as the highest placed club in the 2010/11 Fair Play League that has not already qualified for UEFA competitions via the 2010/11 Barclays Premier League.
"The club will take the additional European place awarded to England and compete in next season's UEFA Europa League."
England received an additional Europa League place for next season after finishing second in UEFA's national fair-play table based on results from all UEFA club and international matches played over the season.
It means the Cottagers will go into the first qualifying round of the competition which gets under way on 30th June.
The London side reached the final of the Europa League in 2010, losing 2-1 in extra-time to Atletico Madrid in Hamburg.
The marks for the Fair Play table are awarded by the match delegate who assesses the officials in charge of the fixture.
These are usually former players, managers or club administrators with one appointed for each fixture by John Morton, the match delegate co-ordinator.
subjective decision
He explained: "The first category is for red and yellow cards. Teams start each match with 10 points and lose one for every booking and three for a straight red card or a second yellow.
"If a player has already had a booking and then gets a straight red then it is four points taken off.
"The next column is positive play which is also marked out of 10 and it is a subjective decision by the match delegate who judges it on shots on goal, whether teams still push forward once they are ahead etc.
"Behaviour towards opponents and team-mates is marked out of seven by the match delegate.
"Behaviour of the players towards the referee is also marked out of seven by the match delegate after he has had his post-match debrief with the officials and received their feedback.
"The next category is behaviour of the coaches and manager on the bench and this is marked out of six after discussions with the fourth official.
"Finally the behaviour of supporters is marked out of 10. The score starts at five and goes up or down according to whether there is abuse towards the officials or the opposition or sporting applause for the opposition.
"These marks are submitted within 72 hours of the match and once the red and yellow cards are ratified by the FA the columns are added up, multiplied by 10 and divided by four.
"Over the course of the 38 matches, this creates the Fair Play League table."
better players
UEFA award three Europa League places across the continent to the countries with the best Fair Play records.
This is taken from all action, including international matches, European competition etc.
This year England has received a Europa League place which goes to the highest-placed Fair Play side not already qualifying for Europe.
Morton added: "Historically the leading teams in the Fair Table tend to correspond fairly closely with the Barclays Premier League table itself.
"The teams with the better players tend to be near the top of the Fair Play table so when we do get a Europa League place, we go down the table until we find a club which has not qualified via another route."
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fulham confirmed
