West Ham may be on course to qualify for Europe via the Fair Play League - but it is by no means certain that the club would accept an invitation to enter.

How the start of the 2015/16 season could look

UEFA Fair Play League: how it works

Ireland, the Netherlands and England were leading the pack in the most recently published UEFA Respect Fair Play table. With West Ham neck-and-neck with Burnley at the top of the English division, the Hammers are poised to land a spot in UEFA's second tier competition.But despite it being nine years since the Hammers last qualified for Europe - during Alan Pardew's tenure as runners-up to Liverpool in the 2006 FA Cup Final - West Ham are considering not entering this time around, should they be invited to compete.The cause of considerable concern at the club is the first qualifying round's start date of 2 July.In order to enter, the Hammers would need to recall the first team squad from their summer break at least a fortnight earlier than usual which, it is feared, could result in problems with injury and fatigue as the season progresses.An additional problem is the sheer number of games required to qualify for the Europa League proper; with three qualifying rounds and a play-off to navigate, West Ham will have to play no less than EIGHT matches before September to win a place in the group phase.Additionally, all events planned for the Boleyn Ground this summer - including a number of charity events - would have to be cancelled, as the pitch would need to be ready to host home games far earlier than usual.The indecision over Europe has also played havoc with the club's pre-season plans. So far little to no information has been released by West Ham with view to their summer programme, which will not be determined until a decision on the Europa League has been made.Jul 2: Europa League 1st qualifying round, 1st legJul 9: Europa League 1st qualifying round, 2nd leg16 July: Europa League 2nd qualifying round, 1st leg23 July: Europa League 2nd qualifying round, 2nd leg30 July: Europa League 3rd qualifying round, 1st leg6 Aug: Europa League 3rd qualifying round, 3rd leg8 Aug: Premier League15 Aug: Premier League20 Aug: Europa League play-off, 1st leg22 Aug: Premier League25 Aug: Capital Cup 2nd round27 Aug: Europa League play-off, 2nd leg29 Aug: Premier LeagueThe three nations finishing atop UEFA's Fair Play League, which covers every European nation and began in 1995, are each allocated one space in the preliminary stage of the Europa League.Teams are adjudged on several criteria, including but not exclusive to the number of yellow and red cards received. Other factors include positive play, respect to the opponents and referee plus the behaviour of the team's officials and supporters.The first qualifying round begins on 2 July, whilst last season included teams from luminary football nations such as Kazakhstan (FC Kairat), Lithuania (FK Atlantas) and the Faroe Islands (V?kingur).Should West Ham qualify for the Europa League via the Fair Play route, they will become one of the last clubs to do so. Starting from the 2016/17 season, clubs winning their respective Fair Play tables will be rewarded not with a place in UEFA's competition, but with a financial bonus.