Tercera División

This article is about the Spanish football league. For the Mexican football league, see Tercera División de México.
Tercera División
Country  Spain
Confederation UEFA
Founded 1928–29
Number of teams 360
Level on pyramid 4
Promotion to Segunda División B
Relegation to Divisiones Regionales
Domestic cup(s) Copa del Rey
Copa Federación
Website Official website
2015–16 season
Groups of Tercera División

Tercera División is the fourth level of the Spanish football league system. The top three are the Primera División, often referred to as "La Liga" in English, the Segunda División, and Segunda División B.

Current format

The Tercera División currently features 360 teams divided into 18 regional groups, corresponding to the Autonomous communities of Spain (due to its huge size, Andalucia is divided into two different groups, East and West; Ceuta is allocated to West Andalusia, while Melilla is allocated to the East). Each Group is administered by a regional football federation. At the end of the season the first four teams in each group qualify for promotion play-offs to decide which teams are promoted to Segunda División B. The three teams finishing bottom of each group may be relegated to the Divisiones Regionales de Fútbol. However the number of teams relegated can vary. The eighteen group champions also qualify for the following season's Copa del Rey. However reserve teams are ineligible. Along with teams from Segunda División B, the remaining teams from the division compete in the Copa Federación.

Since the 2008-09 season, the eighteen group winners have the opportunity to promote directly to the Segunda División B. The 18 group winners are drawn into a two-legged series where the nine winners promote to the Segunda División B. The nine losing clubs enter the playoff round for the last nine promotion spots.

The 18 runners-up are drawn against one of the seventeen fourth-place clubs outside their group and the 18 third-placed clubs are drawn against one another in a two-legged series. The twenty-seven winners advance with the nine losing clubs from the champions' series to determine the 18 teams that enter the last two-legged series for the last nine promotion spots. In all the playoff series, the lower-ranked club plays at home first. Whenever there is a tie in position (like the group winners in the champions' series or the third-placed teams in the first round), a draw determines the club to play at home first.

Group Region Area (km²) Winners (2014–15) Relegation
1. Galicia 29,574 Pontevedra Preferente de Galicia
2. Asturias 10,604 Condal Preferente de Asturias
3. Cantabria 5,321 Laredo Preferente de Cantabria
4. Basque Country 7,234 Portugalete Basque lower levels
5. Catalonia 32,114 Ascó Primera Catalana
6. Valencian Community 23,255 Castellón Preferente Comunidad Valenciana
7. Madrid 8,028 Rayo Majadahonda Preferente de Madrid
8. Castile and León 94,223 Arandina Preferente de Castilla y León
9. Eastern Andalusia and Melilla 42,114 Linares Primera Andaluza
10. Western Andalusia and Ceuta 45,194 Algeciras Primera Andaluza
11. Balearic Islands 4,992 Formentera Preferente
12. Canary Islands 7,447 Mensajero Interinsular Preferente
13. Murcia 11,313 Jumilla Preferente de Murcia
14. Extremadura 41,634 Mérida AD Preferente de Extremadura
15. Navarre 10,391 Peña Sport Preferente de Navarra
16. La Rioja 5,045 Varea Preferente de La Rioja
17. Aragon 47,719 Ebro Preferente de Aragón
18. Castile-La Mancha 79,463 Talavera Preferente de Castilla-La Mancha

History

During the inaugural La Liga season of 1928/29 a third level of teams known as Segunda División B was also organised. This division featured 10 teams and at the end of the season Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa were crowned champions. However the 1929/30 season saw the first of many reorganisations of the Spanish football league system and the Tercera Division was born. During its first season the division featured 33 teams divided into eight groups. The eight group winners qualified for a play-off and CD Castellón eventually beat Barakaldo CF 3-2 to be declared champions. The most significant reorganisation came at the start of the 1977/78 season with the revival of Segunda División B which replaced the Tercera División as the third level.

Historical classification

The classification will be updated at the end of each season.

Pos Team Seasons Winners
1. Murcia Imperial 62 1
2. Arenas Getxo 61 3
3. Eldense 55 12
3. Tudelano 55 5
5. Atlético Baleares 53 11
5. Constancia 53 8
7. Manacor 52 4
8. Cacereño 51 10
8. Racing Santander B 51 5
8. Europa 51 2
8. Lemos 51 0
12. Mirandés 50 4
12. Gimnástica Segoviana 50 2
14. Caudal 49 14
14. Don Benito 49 7
Pos Team Seasons Winners
14. Baskonia 49 4
17. Linense 48 5
17. Reus 48 2
17. Poblense 48 2
17. Arosa 48 1
21. Calahorra 47 6
21. Monzón 47 1
21. Salamanca B (†) 47 1
21. Coria 47 0
21. Alaior 47 0
21. Turón 47 0
27. Deportivo Coruña B 46 3
27. Ponferradina 46 3
27. Guadalajara 46 0
30. Gimnástica Torrelavega 45 10
Pos Team Seasons Winners
30. Alicante (†) 45 3
30. Siero 45 2
30. Getxo 45 1
30. Júpiter 45 0
35. Girona 44 4
35. Tortosa 44 0
35. Santoña 44 0
35. Chantrea 44 0
35. Oberena 44 0
40. Laredo 43 3
40. Gandía 43 3
40. Acero 43 2
43. Valladolid B 42 7
43. Carabanchel 42 1
43. Tolosa 42 0

Records

Teams for season 2014-15

External links

Level 3
Level 4
Tercera División - Play-Offs
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