List of association football leagues without promotion and relegation
The following is a list of association football leagues which do not or did not have a promotion and relegation process.
Leagues within the scope of this list are:
- Top-tier football leagues with no relegation system
- In countries without lower-tier leagues (e.g., Philippines)
- In countries with lower-tier leagues not integrated to the top-tier league; closed model (e.g., United States)
- Recognized Division II or lower leagues without promotion or relegation.
Excluded are:
- Any Division II or lower leagues with promotion but without relegation
Leagues
Top tier leagues
| League | Country | Confederation | First season | Without relegation since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
.svg.png.webp){kind=small}  |
Australia, New Zealand | AFC | 2005–06 | 2005 |
|
Australia | AFC | 2008–09 | 2008 |
 |
India | AFC | 2014 | 2014 |
 |
Japan | AFC | 1993 | 2020 |
 |
Philippines | AFC | 2017 | 2017 |
|
Philippines | AFC | 2016–17 | 2016–17 |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} | Canada | CONCACAF | 2019 | 2019 |
 |
United States, Canada | CONCACAF | 1996 | 1996 |
|
United States | CONCACAF | 2013 | 2013 |
|
New Zealand | OFC | 2004 | 2004 |
 |
San Marino | UEFA | 1985–86 | 1985 |
 |
Gibraltar | UEFA | 2019–20 | 2019 |
Lower division leagues
| League | Division | Country | Confederation | First season | Without promotion since |
Next highest league | Relegation to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Premier Leagues | 2 | | AFC | 2005–06 | 2005 | A-League | Various (State-level leagues) |
| USL Championship[lower-alpha 1] | 2 | | CONCACAF | 2017[lower-alpha 3] | 2017 | Major League Soccer | None |
| USL League One | 3 | |
CONCACAF | 2019 | 2019 | USL Championship | None |
- Established in 2011 as USL Pro; rebranded as United Soccer League (USL) in 2015 and the USL Championship in 2019.
- The USL Championship featured teams from Canada as late as 2019, but all teams that played in the most recent 2020 season are US-based, and no Canadian team is expected to play in the 2021 season.
- First season as second-level league.
Top tier leagues
| League | Country | Confederation | First season | Last season | Years without relegation |
Relegation to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Soccer League | | OFC | 1977 | 2003–04 | 1977–2004 | None (underperforming clubs were de facto relegated to the state leagues but there was no set criterion for relegation) |
| Philippine Premier League | | AFC | 2019 | 2019 | 2019 | None |
| United Football League | | AFC | 2010 | 2016 | 2016[6] | United Football League Division 2 (2010–2015) |
| North American Soccer League (1968–84) | | CONCACAF | 1968 | 1984 | 1968–1984 | None |
| Women's Professional Soccer | | CONCACAF | 2009 | 2011 | 2009–2011 | None |
| Women's United Soccer Association | | CONCACAF | 2001 | 2003 | 2001–2003 | None |
Lower division leagues
| League | Division | Country | Confederation | First season | Last season | Years without promotion |
Next highest league |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North American Soccer League | 2 |  | CONCACAF | 2011 | 2017 | 2011–2017 | Major League Soccer |
| USSF Division 2 Professional League | 2 | | CONCACAF | 2010 | 2010 | Major League Soccer | |
| USL Pro / United Soccer League[lower-alpha 1] | 3 | |
CONCACAF | 2011 | 2016[lower-alpha 2] | 2011–2016 | North American Soccer League |
- The USL organization dropped "Pro" from the league branding in advance of the 2015 season.
- Last season as third-level league. In 2017, the USL was granted second-division status alongside the NASL; it became the sole second-level league in 2018 and was renamed the USL Championship in 2019.
References
- Thomas, Josh (29 March 2018). "Neil Kilkenny calls for promotion and relegation in the A-League". Goal. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
- Sarkar, Dhiman (5 April 2018). "Indian clubs face ban if single football league not started from 2019-20: Fifa-backed report". The Hindustan Times. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
- Orlowitz, Dan (19 March 2020). "J. League to skip relegation as schedule threatened by coronavirus". Japan Times. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- Pitt-Brooke, Jack (3 March 2018). "MLS stands alone as a closed shop in the world of football. Meet the two men trying to change that". The Independent. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
- http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/asset/downloadasset?id=d8ec9b94-cc80-43cf-99a7-b3ef49c6780b
- Guerrero, Bob (13 January 2016). "What to expect in Philippine football in 2016". Rappler. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
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