Slovenian Third League
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| Country | Slovenia |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1992 |
| Divisions | 4 |
| Number of teams | 52 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Promotion to | 2. SNL |
| Relegation to |
Regional League or Intercommunal Leagues |
| Current champions |
Zarica (Centre) Odranci (East) Maribor B (North) Ajdovščina (West) (2014–15) |
| Most championships |
Dravinja Korte Krka Zavrč (3 titles each) |
 2015–16 season | |
The Slovenian Third League (Slovene: Tretja Slovenska Nogometna Liga), commonly known as the 3. SNL, is the third tier of the Slovenian football system. The league consists of four regional groups (Centre, East, North and West). They are operated by the Intercommunal Football Associations.
Format and rules
Between 1992–93 and 1997–98 seasons, Slovenian Third League was divided into two regional groups (East and West) with both group winners directly promoting to the Slovenian Second League.
In the 1998–99 season the third league was expanded to four regional groups (Centre, East, North, West). Up to the 2002–03 season all four group winners were promoted directly to the Second Division. In the 2003–04 season two-legged playoffs were introduced, as only two teams promoted.
In 2004–05 the format was changed back to two regional groups with both group winners promoting.
From the 2014–15 season onwards the Slovenian Third League is again divided into four regional groups with a total of 52 participating clubs. Three groups (i.e. North, Centre, East) are composed of 14 clubs, while the group West only has 10 clubs that are participating in the competition. The winners of the regular season in each group play a promotional two-legged play-off to decide which two teams promote to the Slovenian Second League. Reserve teams of the top division sides are ineligible to promote to the second division, due to the rules of the Football Association of Slovenia, which stipulate that one club's main squad and their reserve team must be at least two leagues apart in the country's football pyramid. Consequently, in case one club's main squad is relegated from the top division to the second division their reserve team would be automatically relegated from the third division.
The number of relegated teams from each group is determined by the number of regional MNZ's from which the clubs in all four groups are a part of. There are nine MNZ's governing bodies in Slovenian football:
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This means that three teams from 3. SNL North are relegated at the end of the season and replaced by the winners of the fourth tier competitions held separately in MNZ Celje, MNZ Maribor and MNZ Ptuj. The number of relegated teams from 3. SNL Centre and 3. SNL East is two, while only the bottom team relegates from 3. SNL West as MNZ Koper and MNZ Nova Gorica manage a combined fourth tier competition. The number of relegated teams can also be determined by the location of teams which relegate from the second division. Each of the bottom placed second division teams can only relegate to the one 3. SNL group that is managed by the MNZ they are a part of.
Winners
| Season | East | West |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Centre | East | North | West |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Centre | East | North | West |
|---|---|---|---|---|
- Notes
- ^ Korte declined promotion, their place was taken by second placed Tabor Sežana
- ^ a b Čarda and Pohorje declined promotion (no replacement taken)
- ^ a b Play-off: Korte - Factor Ježica 4–0, 0–4 (1–4 pen.) Factor Ježica promoted
- ^ a b Play-off: Šoštanj - Nafta Lendava 0–0, 2–0 Šoštanj denied licence, Nafta Lendava promoted
- ^ Zavrč declined promotion (no replacement taken)
- ^ Adria declined promotion, their place was taken by the second placed Dob
- ^ Odranci declined promotion, their place was taken by the second placed Šampion
- ^ Play-off: Ajdovščina Škou vs. Zarica Kranj 1–1, 1–3 ; Zarica Kranj promoted
- ^ Maribor B was ineligible for promotion; 2nd placed Drava Ptuj played the play-off
- ^ Play-off: Drava Ptuj vs. Odranci 2–0, 1–2 ; Drava Ptuj promoted
Clubs participating in the 2015–16 season[1]
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Centre |
East |
North
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West |
References
- ↑ "Sestava članskih lig za TL 2015/16" (PDF) (in Slovenian). NZS. 1 July 2015.
External links
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