Spanish football league system

The football league system in Spain consists of several leagues bound together hierarchically by promotion and relegation. The Spanish football federation allows reserve teams to compete in the main league system, as is the case in most of Europe. However, reserve teams are not allowed to compete in the same tier as their senior team, and no reserve team has thus competed in the top flight, Primera División.

Men

La Liga

La Liga is the highest level in the Spanish football league system and is operated by the LFP.

Other professional divisions

Segunda División, also called La Liga 2 is the second highest level in the Spanish football league system and is also operated by the LFP.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) created a new professional division to begin in the 2021–22 season between Segunda División and Segunda División B.[1] The federation officially named the third tier Primera División RFEF.

Semi-professional division

The Segunda Division B is the current third highest level in the Spanish football league system and is operated by the RFEF. Beginning in 2021-22, it will become the fourth tier, dropping the B from its name and suffixing the federation's Spanish initials RFEF, becoming Segunda División RFEF.

Lower divisions

The Tercera Division is the current fourth highest level in the Spanish football league system and is operated by the RFEF and 17 regional federations. Beginning in 2021-22, it will become the fifth tier, adding the initials RFEF to its name.[2]

Starting at level 5 (6 in 2021-22), each of the 19 regional federations of RFEF run their regional league pyramid under their own jurisdiction. Tercera will be the fifth level next season.

For 2020–21:

Level	League(s)/Division(s)
	Professional Leagues
1	La Liga (LaLiga Santander) 20 teams
	↓↑ 3 teams
2	Segunda División (LaLiga SmartBank) 22 teams
	↓↑ 4 teams
	Semi-Professional League
3	Segunda División B 4 groups, 20 teams each (until 2020) 5 groups, 20-21 teams each; 10 subgroups, 10-11 teams each (2020–21)
	↓ 26 teams, ↑ 54 teams
	Non-Professional Leagues
4	Tercera División 18 groups, 20 teams each (until 2020) 18 groups, 20-24 teams each; 36 subgroups, 10-12 teams each (2020–21)
5	1st Regional Division 37 groups, >620 teams in total
6	2nd Regional Division
7	3rd Regional Division
8	4th Regional Division
9	5th Regional Division

Starting in 2021–22:

Level	League(s)/Division(s)
	Professional Leagues
1	La Liga (LaLiga Santander) 20 teams
	↓↑ 3 teams
2	Segunda División (LaLiga SmartBank) 22 teams
	↓↑ 4 teams
3	Primera División RFEF 2 groups, 20 teams each
	↓↑ 10 teams
	Semi-Professional League
4	Segunda División RFEF 5 groups, 18 teams each
	↓↑ 18 teams
	Non-Professional Leagues
5	Tercera División RFEF 18 groups, 18 teams each
6	1st Regional Division
7	2nd Regional Division
8	3rd Regional Division
9	4th Regional Division
10	5th Regional Division

Evolution of the Spanish league system

Tier\Years	1929	1929–34	1934–36	1936–39	1939–40	1940–43	1943–77	1977–2021	2021–future
1	Primera División			Civil War	Primera División**
2	Segunda División Group A	Segunda División			Segunda División
3	Segunda División Group B	3ª División	None*		None*	(playoff) known as 3ª División	3ª División	Segunda División B	1ª División RFEF
4	None*	None*				Lower	Lower	Tercera División	2ª División RFEF
5								Lower	3ª División RFEF
6									Lower
7
8
9
10

^* From 1929 to 1940 the Spanish pyramid was similar to the Brazilian system, two simultaneous and independent pyramids, the national pyramid, and the regional pyramid.

^**The Primera and Segunda was founded by the Royal Spanish Football Association, but since 1984 is now operated by the LFP. Since 2008 the Primera División is commonly known as Liga Santander and the Segunda División is commonly known as Liga SmartBank for sponsorship reasons.

Women

Level	League
1	Primera División (Liga Iberdrola) 16 teams
	↓↑ 2 teams
2	Segunda División 2 groups, 16 teams each
	↓↑ 6 teams
3	Primera Nacional 7 groups, 14 teams each
4	Regional leagues

Youth

Level	League
1	División de Honor (7 groups)
2	Liga Nacional Juvenil (21 groups)
3	Divisiones regionales

References

"Comunicado de la RFEF en relación con las competiciones no profesionales del fútbol español" [RFEF announcement in relation to the non-professional competitions in Spanish football] (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.

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[1] "Comunicado de la RFEF en relación con las competiciones no profesionales del fútbol español" [RFEF announcement in relation to the non-professional competitions in Spanish football] (in Spanish). RFEF. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.

[2] "La Federación desvela el misterio: La nueva Segunda B se denominará Primera División RFEF". ABC (in Spanish). 15 September 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.