List of professional sports leagues

A sports league is a professional body that governs the competition of its teams. They make the rules for competition and behavior and disciplines its members as necessary. This is done through a structure that varies by league. Some are made up of a board of governors that have a Commissioner or President, while others are single entity organizations where the league owns the franchises and therefore does not have a board of governors.

A list of professional sports leagues:

This list attempts to show those sports leagues for which all players and teams are paid to play. In other words, these players can be considered to play their chosen sport as their profession. Some leagues don't pay well enough to allow players to use them as their primary or only source of income, but because the players are paid, it's still considered professional, or semi-professional. As such, some leagues listed here may not be fully professional.

Auto racing

• Arena Racing USA
• American Le Mans Series
• Asian Le Mans Series
• British Touring Car Championship
• Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (German Touring Car Masters)
• D1 Grand Prix
• European Le Mans Series
• Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)
• Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM)
• Formula One
• Formula D
• Formula Truck
• FIA GT Series (Blancpain Sprint Series)
• Grand-Am Road Racing
• IndyCar
• NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)
• National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)
• Pirelli World Challenge
• Stock Car Brasil
• Super GT
• TC 2000
• Top Race
• Turismo Carretera
• V8 Supercars (Australia)
• FIA World Endurance Championship
• World Rally Championship (WRC)
• World Touring Car Championship

Badminton

 England

• National Badminton League

 India

• Indian Badminton League

Bandy

 Finland

• Bandyliiga

 Russia

• Russian Bandy Super League
• Russian Bandy Supreme League

 Sweden

• Elitserien
• Allsvenskan

Baseball

America

 United States and  Canada

• Major League Baseball:
  • AL – American League
  • NL – National League
• Minor League Baseball:
  • AAA: IL – International League
  • AAA: PCL – Pacific Coast League
  • AA: EL – Eastern League
  • AA: SL – Southern League
  • AA: TL – Texas League
  • A+: CalL – California League
  • A+: CarL – Carolina League
  • A+: FSL – Florida State League
  • A: MwL – Midwest League
  • A: SAL – South Atlantic League
  • SSA: NYPL – New York–Penn League
  • SSA: NwL – Northwest League
  • R+: ApL – Appalachian League
  • R+: PL – Pioneer League
  • R: AzL – Arizona League
  • R: GCL – Gulf Coast League
• Independent Baseball:
  • American Association of Independent Professional Baseball
  • Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
  • Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball
  • Empire Professional Baseball League
  • Frontier League
  • Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs
  • Pecos League

 Colombia

• Colombian Professional Baseball League

 Dominican Republic

• Dominican Summer League (Official Minor League Affiliate)
• Dominican Professional Baseball League

 Mexico

• Mexican League
• Mexican Pacific League

 Nicaragua

• Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League

 Panama

• Panamanian Professional Baseball League

 Puerto Rico

• Puerto Rico Baseball League

 Venezuela

• Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

Asia

•  China:
  • China Baseball League
•  Republic of China (Taiwan):
  • Chinese Professional Baseball League
•  South Korea:
  • Major: KBO League
  • Minor: KBO Futures League
•  Japan:
  • Nippon Professional Baseball(NPB)
    • Major:
      • Central League
      • Pacific League
    • Minor:
      • Eastern League
      • Western League
  • Independent:
    • Baseball Challenge League
    • Shikoku Island League Plus

Australia

 Australia

• ABL – Australian Baseball League

Europe

 Italy

• Major: Italian Baseball League 1D
• Minor: Italian Baseball League 2D

 Netherlands

• Major: Honkbal Hoofdklasse (relegation to Honkbal Overgangklasse)
  • Minor: Honkbal Overgangsklasse (promotion to Honkbal Hoofdklasse)
  • Minor: Honkbal Rookie League

Basketball

• 1. A SKL – known for sponsorship reasons as Liga Telemach (Slovenia)
• A-1 Liga (Croatia)
• ACB – Liga ACB (Spain, men's first level)
• ABA
  • Liga ABA, also known as Adriatic League (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Slovenia)
  • American Basketball Association (Official Page)
• ABL – ASEAN Basketball League (Asean Countries) (Official page)
• Basketball Championship of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• BBL
  • Baltic Basketball League (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Sweden)
  • Basketball BundesLiga (Germany)
  • British Basketball League (United Kingdom)
• BLB – Basketball League Belgium
• BLNO (Norway)
• BSN – National Superior Basketball (Puerto Rico)
• CBA – Chinese Basketball Association
• DBL – Dutch Basketball League
• Euroleague – Pan-European competition for elite clubs (Official Page)
• Eurocup – known as the ULEB Cup from 2002–2008. Is the second-tier transnational professional basketball competition in Europe.
• EuroChallenge – is the top Men's Basketball competition directly run by FIBA Europe. The competition was created in 2003 following the defection of several top European basketball teams from the former European Champions' Cup which heralded the formation of the Euroleague under the umbrella of Euroleague Basketball (company).
• Greek Basket League (Greece, first level)
• Greek A2 Basketball League (Greece, second level)
• IBL – International Basketball League
• ISL – Iranian Basketball Super League (Iran)
• KBL – Korean Basketball League (South Korea) (Official Page)
• Korisliiga (Finland)
• KLS – Basketball League of Serbia
• LBL – Latvian Basketball League
• LEB – Liga Española de Baloncesto (Spain, men's second level)
• Lega Basket Serie A (Italy, first level)
• LFB – Liga Femenina de Baloncesto (Spain, women's first level)
• Ligat HaAl (Israel)
• LKL – Lietuvos krepšinio lyga (Lithuania)
• LNB
  • Liga Nacional de Básquet (Argentina)
  • Ligue Nationale de Basketball (France), itself divided into two fully professional leagues, Pro A and Pro B
• LNBP – Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (Mexico)
• NBA – National Basketball Association (United States & Canada) (Official Page)
• NBA D-League – NBA Development League (Official Page)
• NBB – Novo Basquete Brasil (Official Page)
• NBL
  • National Basketball League (Australia) (Australia with one team in New Zealand)
  • National Basketball League (New Zealand) (New Zealand only)
  • National Basketball League (Indonesia)
• Opportunity League (Montenegro)
• PBA – Philippine Basketball Association (Philippines) (Official Page)
• PBL
  • Russian Professional Basketball League (men's first level)
  • Premier Basketball League (United States)
• PLK – Polska Liga Koszykówki, also called Tauron Basket Liga for sponsorship reasons (Poland, men) Official page
• PLKK – Polska Liga Koszykówki Kobiet, also called Torell Basket Liga for sponsorship reasons (Poland, women) Official page
• Russian SuperLeague (men's second level)
• SBL – Super Basketball League (Taiwan)
• Serie A2 Gold Basket (Italy, second level)
• TBL – Thailand Basketball League (Thailand)
• TBSL – Turkish Basketball Super League
• TKBL – Türkiye 1. Kadınlar Basketbol Ligi, or Turkish Women's Basketball League in English
• TPBL – Texas Pro Basketball League
• USBL – United States Basketball League (Official Page)
• VTB United League – Russia, the Baltics, Finland, Poland, and Ukraine.
• WBA – World Basketball Association
• WBA/WABA – Women's American Basketball Association
• WKBL – Women's Korean Basketball League (South Korea) (Official Page)
• WNBA – Women's National Basketball Association (Official Page)
• WNBL – Women's National Basketball League (Australia) (Official Page)
• Hong Kong Basketball League, All-Hong Kong Youth Basketball League

Boxing

Major promotions

• Top Rank Boxing
• Golden Boy Promotions
• Don King Promotions
• DiBella Entertainment
• Sauerland Events

Major sanctioning bodies

• World Boxing Association (WBA)
• World Boxing Council (WBC)
• International Boxing Federation (IBF)
• World Boxing Organization (WBO)
• The Ring Magazine (Unofficial Sanctioning Body)

Bowling

• Professional Bowlers Association

Cricket

Africa

South Africa MTN Domestic Championship South African Airways Provincial Challenges Standard Bank Pro 20 Series SuperSport Series

Zimbabwe Logan Cup Coca-Cola Metbank Pro50 Championship Stanbic Bank 20 Series

Americas

West Indies

• Caribbean Twenty20
• Regional Four Day Competition
• WICB Cup

Asia

Bangladesh Bangladesh Premier League National Cricket League of Bangladesh One-Day Cricket League of Bangladesh  India Indian Premier League Ranji Trophy Duleep Trophy Deodhar Trophy Irani Trophy Vijay Hazare Trophy

Pakistan ABN-AMRO Cup National One-day Championship Pakistan Super League Patron's Trophy Pentangular Trophy Quaid-i-Azam Trophy  Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Premier League Premier Limited Overs Tournament Premier Trophy

Europe

England County Championship Friends Provident Trophy Pro40 NatWest t20 Blast

Oceania

Australia Sheffield Shield Ford Ranger One Day Cup KFC Twenty20 Big Bash Big Bash League

New Zealand New Zealand first-class cricket championship State League State Twenty20 State Championship

Cycling

 United States

• National Bicycle League (BMX)
• American Bicycle Association (BMX)

International

• UCI World Tour

Gridiron football: American football

 United States

• National Football League (Official Page)
• Fall Experimental Football League (Official Page)
• Indoor: Arena Football League (Official Page)

 Canada

• Canadian Football League (Official Page)

 Japan

• X-League (Official Page)

 Germany

• German Football League and German Football League 2 ^[1]

Football: Association Football

Football: Australian rules football

• Australian Football League (Official Page)

Football: Futsal

 Argentina

• Division de Honor Argentina

 Brazil

• Liga Futsal

 Indonesia

• Indonesian Futsal League

 Iran

• Iranian Futsal Super League

 Italy

• Serie A1

 Kyrgyzstan

• Kyrgyzstan Futsal League

 Japan

• F. League

 South Korea

• FK-League

 Portugal

• Portuguese Futsal First Division

 Spain

• División de Honor Spain

 Russia

• Russian Futsal Super League

 Thailand

• Thailand Futsal League

 Turkey

• Turkish Futsal Championship

 Uzbekistan

• Uzbekistan Futsal League

Fencing

• American Fencing League Official Website

Golf

See main article: Professional golf tours.

Men's

Top-level tours

• PGA Tour (United States)
• PGA European Tour
• Japan Golf Tour
• Asian Tour (Asia outside Japan)
• PGA Tour of Australasia (Australia and New Zealand)
• Sunshine Tour (southern Africa, mainly South Africa)
• OneAsia Tour (joint venture between the Japan, Australasia, China and Korean tours)

Senior tours

• Champions Tour (United States)
• European Seniors Tour

Developmental tours

• Web.com Tour (second-tier US tour, operated by the PGA Tour)
• Challenge Tour (second-tier European tour)
• Japan Challenge Tour (second-tier Japanese tour)
• PGA Tour Canada (feeds to the Web.com Tour)
• PGA Tour China (feeds to the Web.com Tour)
• PGA Tour Latinoamérica (feeds to the Web.com Tour)
• Satellite Tour, a group of four third-level tours recognised by the European Tour:
  • Alps Tour (jointly sanctioned by the golf associations of Austria, France, Italy, Morocco and Switzerland)
  • EPD Tour (based in Germany)
  • Nordic League (operating in the Nordic countries)
    • SAS Masters Tour (men's version is a Swedish tour included in the Nordic League competition)
  • PGA EuroPro Tour (based in the UK)
• Gateway Tour (third-tier US tour)
• Minor League Golf Tour (low cost fourth-tier US tour)
• NGA Pro Golf Tour (third-tier US tour)

Women's

Top-level tours

• LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association; United States)
• LPGA of Japan Tour
• Ladies European Tour
• LPGA of Korea Tour (South Korea)
• Ladies Asian Golf Tour (Asia outside Japan and Korea)
• ALPG Tour (Australia)

Senior tours

• Legends Tour (United States)

Developmental tours

• Symetra Tour (second-tier US tour, operated by the LPGA)
• Ladies European Tour Access Series, LETAS, the official feeder tour to the Ladies European Tour, has been formed to give players not part of a major tour an opportunity to compete and progress on to the Ladies European Tour.
• Step Up Tour (second-tier Japanese tour, operated by the LPGA of Japan)
• SAS Masters Tour (women's version is a second-tier tour in Sweden, feeding to the Ladies European Tour)

Ice hockey

Americas

 Canada and  United States

• National Hockey League (major)
• American Hockey League (high minor)
• ECHL (mid-minor)

 United States only

• Southern Professional Hockey League (low minor)
• Federal Hockey League (low minor)

Asia

 Japan,  South Korea, and  China

• Asia League Ice Hockey

 Kazakhstan

• Kazakhstani Championship

Eurasia

 Russia,  Belarus,  Croatia,  Finland,  Kazakhstan,  Latvia,  Slovakia and  Ukraine

• Kontinental Hockey League (major)

 Russia only

• Russian Major League (high minor)
• Russian Hockey League (low minor)

 Turkey

• Turkish Ice Hockey Super League

Europe

 Austria,  Slovenia,  Hungary,  Czech Republic and  Italy

• Erste Bank Eishockey Liga
• Austrian National League

 Belarus

• Belarusian Extraleague

 Czech Republic

• Czech Extraliga
• 1. národní hokejová liga

 Denmark

• Metal Ligaen

 France

• Ligue Magnus

 Finland

• Liiga
• Mestis

 Germany

• Deutsche Eishockey Liga
• DEL2
• Oberliga

 Hungary and  Romania

• MOL Liga

 Italy

• Serie A

 Latvia

• Latvian Hockey League

 Lithuania

• Lithuania Hockey League

 Netherlands and  Belgium

• Eredivisie

 Norway

• GET-ligaen

 Poland

• Polska Liga Hokejowa

 Slovakia

• Slovak Extraliga
• Slovak 1.Liga

  Switzerland

• Nationalliga A
• National League B

 Sweden

• Swedish Hockey League
• HockeyAllsvenskan
• Hockeyettan

 Ukraine

• Professional Hockey League

 United Kingdom ( England,  Scotland,  Wales and  Northern Ireland)

• Elite Ice Hockey League

Oceania

 Australia

• Australian Ice Hockey League

Inline hockey

• Ligue Elite (France)
• National Roller Hockey League (United States)
• Major League Roller Hockey (United States)
• Professional Inline Hockey Association (United States)

Lacrosse

Box / Indoor lacrosse

 United States and  Canada

• NLL – National Lacrosse League (United States and Canada) [Major]
• WLA – Western Lacrosse Association (Canada) [high minor]
• MSL – Major Series Lacrosse (Canada) [high minor]
• CLax – Canadian Lacrosse League (Canada) [mid minor]
• CILL- Continental Indoor Lacrosse League (United States) [low minor]
• USLL- United States Lacrosse League (United States) [low minor]

Field lacrosse

• MLL – Major League Lacrosse (United States^[2])
• ALL - American Lacrosse League (United States)

Mixed martial arts

•  United States: Ultimate Fighting Championship (Premier American/International Organization)
•  United States: Bellator Fighting Championships (Second Tier American Organization)
•  United States: World Series of Fighting (Minor American Organization)
•  United States: King of the Cage (Minor American Organization)
•  United States: Shark Fights (Minor American Organization)
•  United States: Titan Fighting Championships (Minor American Organization)
•  United States: Tachi Palace Fights (Minor American Organization)
•  United States: Invicta FC (Minor American Organization)
• Japan: DREAM (Premier Japanese Organization)
• Japan: Shooto (Second Tier Japanese Organization)
• Japan: Pancrase (Minor Japanese Organization)
• Japan: DEEP (Minor Japanese Organization)
• Japan: ZST (Minor Japanese Organization)
• Japan: RisingOn (Minor Japanese Organization)
• South Korea: ROAD Fighting Championship (Official Page) (Premier Korean Organization)
• South Korea: TOP Fighting Championship (Official Page) (Second Tier Korean Organization)
• Brazil: Jungle Fight Championship (Premier Brazilian Organization)
• Russia: M-1 Global (Premier Russian-based Organization)
• Canada: Maximum Fighting Championship (Premier Canadian Organization)
• England: BAMMA (Premier English Organization)
• Netherlands: United Glory (Premier Dutch Organization)
• Poland: Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (Premier Polish Organization)
• Finland: Finnfight (Premier Finish Organization)
• China: Art of War Fighting Championship (Premier Chinese Organization)
• Singapore: ONE Fighting Championship (Premier Singaporean Organization)
• Hong Kong: Legend Fighting Championship (Premier Hong Konger Organization)
• Philippines: Universal Reality Combat Championship (Premier Filipino Organization)

Motorcycle racing

• Grand Prix motorcycle racing (MotoGP)
• FIM Superbike World Championship (SBK)
• AMA Superbike Championship

Speedway

•  Denmark: Danish Speedway League
•  Poland:
  • Speedway Ekstraliga
•  Sweden:
  • Elitserien
  • Allsvenskan
•  United Kingdom:
  • Elite League
  • Premier League
  • National League

Rugby league

 Australia

• National Rugby League (also includes New Zealand Warriors)
• Queensland Cup
• New South Wales Cup
• Ron Massey Cup

 France

• French elite championship

 England

• Super League (also includes Catalans Dragons in France)
• Championship
• League 1 (also includes North Wales Crusaders, South Wales Scorpions and Toulouse Olympique)

 Lebanon

• Lebanon Championship

 New Zealand

• National Zonal Competition

 Papua New Guinea

• Papua New Guinea National Rugby League

 Russia

• Russian Championship

 United States

• USA Rugby League (USARL)

Rugby union

• World Rugby Sevens Series

 Argentina

• Super Rugby (from 2016)

 Australia

• Super Rugby
• National Rugby Championship

 England

• Aviva Premiership
• Greene King IPA Championship (second level; fully professional from 2009–10)

 France

• National Rugby League (France)
  • Top 14
  • Rugby Pro D2

 Italy

• Guinness Pro12 (since 2010–11)
• National Championship of Excellence (effectively second tier since 2010–11, but not linked to Pro12)

Ireland

• Guinness Pro12

 Japan

• Super Rugby (from 2016)
• Top League

 New Zealand

• Super Rugby
• Mitre 10 Cup (split into two divisions in 2011, but both remain fully professional)

 Russia

• Professional Rugby League

 Scotland

• Guinness Pro12

 South Africa

• Super Rugby
• Currie Cup
  • Premier Division
  • First Division

 Spain

• Super Ibérica de Rugby

 United States

• PRO Rugby

 Wales

• Guinness Pro12
• Welsh Premier Division

Softball

 United States

• National Pro Fastpitch

 United Kingdom:

• National Softball League

Table tennis

World

• International Table Tennis Federation
• USA Table Tennis
• China Table Tennis Super League
• European Table Tennis Union
• International Table Tennis Federation Africa
• Latin America Table Tennis Federation

Team handball

• Danish Handball League
• German Bundesliga (handball)
• Liga ASOBAL
• Championnat de France de handball

Tennis

• Men's Professional Tennis Tour
• Women's Professional Tennis Tour
• World TeamTennis

Track and field

• IAAF Diamond League Official Website

Ultimate

 United States

• Major League Ultimate
• American Ultimate Disc League

Video gaming/Electronic sports

 United States

• Major League Gaming

Asia

 South Korea

• Starleague (Ongamenet)
• GOMTV Global Starcraft II League

Volleyball

• Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) (beach volleyball)
• Chinese Volleyball League (CVL) (both men and women)
• Enterprise Volleyball League (TVL) (both men and women)
• A1 Ethniki Volleyball (men)
• Iranian Volleyball Super League (men)
• Lega Pallavolo Serie A (men)
• Male Superior Volleyball League (men)
• Female Superior Volleyball League (women)
• Dominican Republic Volleyball League (both men and women)
• V.League (both men and women)
• V-League (both men and women)
• Volleyball Thailand League (both men and women)
• Pro A (men)
• Russian Volleyball Super League (men)
• Superliga Brasileira de Voleibol (both men and women)
• Plus Liga (men)
• Plus Liga Kobiet (women)
• Turkish Volleyball League (both men and women)

Water polo

• Australian National Water Polo League
• A1 Ethniki Water Polo
• Serie A1
• FINA

Wrestling

• World Wrestling Entertainment (Official Page)
• Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (Official Page)

See also

• List of professional sports leagues in Asia
• List of defunct sports leagues
• List of developmental and minor sports leagues
• Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada
• List of professional sports teams in the United States and Canada
• List of cities by number of pro-sports franchises (North America)
• National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
• Little League, amateur baseball and softball league
• List of sports
• List of sports attendance figures
• List of professional sports leagues by revenue

References

1. Brown, Wendy (17 July 2012). "Soldiers share football skills with German semi-pro team". United States Army. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
2. mll.com

External links

• North American Pro Sports Teams – Lists every league that has operated in Canada and the United States. Grouped by city.