Portuguese football league system
{{Short description|Leagues bound together hierarchically by promotion and relegation}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2016}}
The Portuguese football league system consists of several leagues bound together hierarchically by promotion and relegation. Reserve teams are allowed to compete in the main league system, as is the case with most of Europe. However, they are not allowed to compete in the same tier as their senior team, thus no reserve team has ever competed in Portugal's top flight, the Primeira Liga.
Men's league system
The Portuguese men's football league system consists of four national divisions and up to four district leagues (depending on the district).
= National leagues =
All four national divisions provide access to the Portuguese Cup. The first two leagues are operated by the Portuguese Professional Football League, and they also guarantee participation in the Portuguese League Cup. Lastly, the third and fourth divisions are divided into two and four leagues respectively and are the only divisions operated by the Portuguese Football Federation. The federation announced the creation of Liga 3 (League 3) for 2021–22.{{cite news |title=FPF avança com 3.ª Liga em 2021/22 e cria megaplano para o Campeonato de Portugal |url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/detalhe/fpf-avanca-com-3-liga-em-202122-e-cria-megaplano-para-o-campeonato-de-portugal |website=Record.pt |trans-title=FPF advances with 3rd League in 2021–22 and creates megaplan for the Championship of Portugal |access-date=22 May 2020 |language=pt |date=6 May 2020 |archive-date=13 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513083133/https://www.record.pt/futebol/detalhe/fpf-avanca-com-3-liga-em-202122-e-cria-megaplano-para-o-campeonato-de-portugal |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|title=Conhecido o formato da Liga 3|url=https://www.fpf.pt/pt/News/Todas-as-not%C3%ADcias/Not%C3%ADcia/news/29178|access-date=14 April 2021|website=FPF|language=pt|date=8 April 2021|archive-date=14 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414115819/https://www.fpf.pt/pt/News/Todas-as-not%C3%ADcias/Not%C3%ADcia/news/29178|url-status=live}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" width="100%"
! Level ! colspan="4" | League(s)/Division(s) |
| 1
| colspan="8" | 18 clubs |
| style="background:#c8c8c8" |
| | colspan="8" | ↓↑ 2 clubs + 1 club play-off |
| 2
| colspan="4" | 18 clubs |
| style="background:#c8c8c8" |
| | colspan="4" | ↓↑ 2 clubs + 1 club play-off |
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" width="4%" |
3 | colspan="4" width="96%" | Liga 3 |
| colspan="2" align="center"|Serie A 10 clubs | colspan="2" align="center"|Serie B |
| style="background:#c8c8c8" |
| | colspan="4" | ↓↑ 4 clubs |
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" width="4%" |
4 | colspan="4" width="96%" | 56 clubs divided into 4 groups |
| colspan="1" align="center"|Serie A 14 clubs | colspan="1" align="center"|Serie B | colspan="1" align="center"|Serie C | colspan="1" align="center"|Serie D |
| style="background:#c8c8c8" |
| | colspan="4" | ↓↑ 20 clubs |
= District leagues =
District leagues are operated by 22 District Associations: 18 from each district, plus 1 from Madeira Islands, and 3 from Azores Islands (western, central and eastern groups). The winner of each district league is promoted to the fourth national tier, the Campeonato de Portugal. Moreover, all district leagues provide access to their correspondent district cup, and the winner of the district cup, along with the second-placed team in the district league, is allowed to participate in the next season's Portuguese Cup. The bottom tier of each association is open to any new club or reserve team based on that district.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" width="100%"
! District Association ! Level 5 ! Level 6 ! Level 7 ! Level 8 |
| Porto FA
| Elite Pro-National 32 clubs (Series 1 and 2) | Division of Honour 32 clubs (Series 1 and 2) | First Division 40 clubs (Series 1, 2, 3 and 4) | Second Division 67 clubs (Series 1, 2, 3 and 4) |
| Lisbon FA
| First Division 16 clubs | Second Division 32 clubs (Series 1 and 2) | Third Division 44 clubs (Series 1, 2 and 3) |
| Aveiro FA
| Elite 18 clubs | First Division 28 clubs (Series 1 and 2) | Second Division 24 clubs (Series 1 and 2) |
| Braga FA
| Pro-National 18 clubs | Division of Honour 32 clubs (Series 1 and 2) | First Division 82 clubs (Series 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) |
| Coimbra FA
| Elite 14 clubs | Division of Honour 14 clubs | First Division 16 clubs |
| Algarve FA
| First Division 12 clubs | Second Division 19 clubs (Series 1 and 2) |
| Beja FA
| First Division 12 clubs | Second Division 29 clubs (Series 1, 2 and 3) |
| Évora FA
| Elite Division 12 clubs | Division of Honour 19 clubs (Series 1 and 2) |
| Guarda FA
| First Division 14 clubs | Second Division 9 clubs |
| Leiria FA
| Campeonato Lizsport 16 clubs | First Division 27 clubs (Series 1 and 2) |
| Madeira FA
| Division of Honour 12 clubs | First Division 10 clubs |
| Santarém FA
| First Division 16 clubs | Second Division 25 clubs (Series 1, 2 and 3) |
| Setúbal FA
| First Division 16 clubs | Second Division 17 clubs |
| Viana do Castelo FA
| First Division 16 clubs | Second Division 17 clubs |
| Viseu FA
| Division of Honour 18 clubs | First Division 28 clubs (Series 1, 2 and 3) |
| Angra do Heroísmo FA
| rowspan="3" | 10 clubs | Graciosa Championship 2 clubs São Jorge Championship 3 clubs Terceira Championship 2 clubs |
| Horta FA
| Horta Championship 7 clubs |
| Ponta Delgada FA
| São Miguel Championship 9 clubs |
| Bragança FA
| Division of Honour 12 clubs |
| Castelo Branco FA
| Division of Honour 10 clubs |
| Portalegre FA
| First Division 7 clubs |
| Vila Real FA
| Division of Honour 19 clubs (Series 1 and 2) |
Women's league system
The Portuguese women's football league system consists of three national divisions and no district leagues.
All divisions provide access to the Women's Portuguese Cup and are operated by the Portuguese Football Federation. The second and third divisions are divided in series by geographical proximity.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" width="100%"
! Level ! colspan="24" | League(s)/Division(s) |
| 1
| colspan="24" | Campeonato Nacional de Futebol Feminino 12 clubs |
| style="background:#c8c8c8" |
| | colspan="24" | ↓↑ 1 club + 2 clubs play-off |
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" width="4%" |
2 | colspan="24" | Campeonato Nacional de Futebol Feminino II Divisão 16 clubs divided into 2 groups |
| colspan="12" align="center"|Serie North 8 clubs | colspan="12" align="center"|Serie South |
| style="background:#c8c8c8" |
| | colspan="24" | ↓↑ 2 clubs + 2 clubs play-off |
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" width="4%" |
3 | colspan="24" | Campeonato Nacional de Futebol Feminino III Divisão 71 clubs divided into 12 groups |
| colspan="2" align="center"|Serie A 6 clubs | colspan="2" align="center"|Serie B | colspan="2" align="center"|Serie C | colspan="2" align="center"|Serie D | colspan="2" align="center"|Serie E | colspan="2" align="center"|Serie F | colspan="2" align="center"|Serie G | colspan="2" align="center"|Serie H | colspan="2" align="center"|Serie I | colspan="2" align="center"|Serie J | colspan="2" align="center"|Serie L | colspan="2" align="center"|Serie M |
See also
- {{section link|List of association football competitions|Portugal}}
- Portuguese football competitions
References
{{reflist}}
{{Football in Portugal}}
{{League systems}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Portuguese Football League System}}