Tercera División RFEF
Founded | 6 May 2020 2021–22 (first season) |
---|---|
Country | Spain |
Confederation | UEFA |
Number of teams | 320 |
Level on pyramid | 5 |
Promotion to | Segunda División RFEF |
Relegation to | Divisiones Regionales |
Domestic cup(s) | Copa del Rey Copa Federación |
International cup(s) | UEFA Europa League (via winning Copa del Rey) |
TV partners | FORTA: tvG2, laOtra |
Current: 2021–22 season |
Tercera División RFEF (English: Third Division RFEF), is the fifth tier of the Spanish football league system. It is below the Primera División (also known as La Liga), the Segunda División, and the semi-professional divisions Primera División RFEF and Segunda División RFEF.[1] It was founded in 1929 as the third tier, and dropped down to the fourth and fifth tiers in 1977 and 2021, respectively.
History[]
On 6 May 2020, the RFEF announced the creation of a new, two-group, 40-team third division called Primera División RFEF, which made the former third and fourth divisions, Segunda División B and Tercera División, respectively, to drop down a level and change into Segunda División RFEF and Tercera División RFEF; the changes were made effective for the 2021–22 campaign.[2][3]
Current format[]
The Tercera División RFEF features 18 regional groups (like the former fourth tier Tercera División), corresponding to the autonomous communities of Spain (due to its size, Andalusia is divided into two groups, East and West; Ceuta is allocated to West Andalusia, while Melilla is allocated to the East), where each group is administered by a regional football federation. At the end of the season the first four teams in each group qualify for promotion play-offs to decide which teams are promoted to Segunda División RFEF. At least the three teams finishing bottom of each group may be relegated to the Divisiones Regionales de Fútbol. However the number of teams relegated can vary. The eighteen group champions also qualify for the following season's Copa del Rey. However reserve teams are ineligible. Along with teams from Segunda División RFEF, the remaining teams from the division compete in the Copa Federación.
Group | Region | Relegation |
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1 | Galicia | Preferente de Galicia |
2 | Asturias | Preferente de Asturias |
3 | Cantabria | Preferente de Cantabria |
4 | Basque Country | Basque lower levels |
5 | Catalonia and Andorra | Primera Catalana |
6 | Valencian Community | Preferente Comunidad Valenciana |
7 | Community of Madrid | Preferente de Madrid |
8 | Castile and León | Preferente de Castilla y León |
9 | Eastern Andalusia and Melilla | División de Honor Andaluza Gp 2 |
10 | Western Andalusia and Ceuta | División de Honor Andaluza Gp 1 |
11 | Balearic Islands | Preferente |
12 | Canary Islands | Interinsular Preferente |
13 | Murcia | Preferente de Murcia |
14 | Extremadura | Preferente de Extremadura |
15 | Navarre | Preferente de Navarra |
16 | La Rioja | Preferente de La Rioja |
17 | Aragon | Preferente de Aragón |
18 | Castile-La Mancha | Preferente de Castilla-La Mancha |
References[]
- ^ "La R.F.E.F. comunica las novedosas bases de competición para la próxima temporada en Tercera División" [The RFEF communicates the new competition rules for the next season in the Third Division]. VTV (in Spanish). 15 September 2020.
- ^ "Comunicado de la RFEF en relación con las competiciones no profesionales del fútbol español" (in Spanish). RFEF. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "La Federación desvela el misterio: La nueva Segunda B se denominará Primera División RFEF". ABC (in Spanish). 15 September 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
External links[]
- Tercera División RFEF
- Football leagues in Spain
- Fifth level football leagues in Europe
- Sports leagues disestablished in 2021
- 2021 establishments in Spain