The playoffs, play-offs, postseason and/or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be either a single game, a series of games, or a tournament, and may use a single-elimination system or one of several other different playoff formats. Playoff, in regard to international fixtures, is to qualify or progress to the next round of a competition or tournament.
The Belgian First Division A is the top league competition for association football clubs in Belgium. Following the 2015–16 season it was renamed from the Belgian Pro League (officially known as Jupiler Pro League. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Belgian First Division B. Seasons run from late July to early May, with teams playing 30 matches each in the regular season, and then entering play-offs I or play-offs II according to their position in the regular season. Play-offs I are contested by the top-six clubs in the regular season, with each club playing each other twice. Play-offs II are contested by teams ranked 7 to 16 in the regular season, divided in four groups of four teams playing each other twice. The team finishing in 16th place is relegated. As of 2014 the league was sponsored by AB InBev, brewers of Jupiler beer, and officially known as Jupiler Pro League.
The Belgian Second Division was the second-highest division in the Belgian football league system, one level below the Belgian Pro League. It was founded by the Royal Belgian Football Association in 1909 and folded in 2016, when it was replaced by the Belgian First Division B.
The Belgian Third Division was the third highest level in Belgian football. It had two leagues of 18 teams each at the same level. This competition, originally known as the Belgian Promotion was first played in the 1926-27 season with three leagues, then with four leagues between 1931 and 1952. From 1952 on, only two leagues remained and the competition was named the Third Division. Originally set to 16 clubs, the number of clubs in each division was increased in 2009 to 18 clubs. At the end of the regular season, both league winners promoted to the second division and a play-off was played to determine a possible third club to promote. The champion of the third division was determined after a two-legged match between the winners of the two leagues. If those matches ended in a draw, a third match was played on a neutral ground. However, in recent years this final game was not organised anymore due to lack of interest. In 2016, the Belgian Third Division was replaced by the Belgian Second Amateur Division.
The Belgian Fourth Division was the lowest nationwide division in Belgian football. The division was split into four separate leagues, A, B, C and D. The team with the most points in the four leagues together was declared the overall winner. If several league winners had the same number of points, the one with the most wins was declared champion, or if that was still tied, then the one with the best goal average was declared champion. Finally, if two teams were still equal, a single match was played on a neutral ground to determine the team to be added to the palmares. For 2016–17 the Belgian Fourth Division was replaced by the Belgian Third Amateur Division.
The Belgian Provincial leagues are the lower leagues for Belgian football. Until 2016, these were at levels 5-8 in the Belgian football league system however as part of the reform an extra level was created causing the provincial leagues to drop to levels 6-9. The provincial leagues are divided into 9 regional league systems. Each league system is itself divided into 4 levels. The number of leagues at each level depends on the province, but every province must have only one league at the top level. The best teams from the 9 first divisions can promote to the Belgian Third Amateur Division, the fifth and lowest level in the national leagues.
Lommel SK is a Belgian association football club based in the city of Lommel, Limburg.
The Belgian Fourth Division D was one of the four leagues at the fourth level of the Belgian football league system, the other ones being the Belgian Fourth Division A, B and C. This division existed from the 1952-53 to 2015-16 seasons and was played every year with 16 clubs in each league. The league was replaced by the Belgian Second Amateur Division.
First League of the Republika Srpska is a second level football competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since there were three different football championships in country, organized on ethnic principles, the "First League of the Republika Srpska" was the top flight in Republika Srpska before 2002. However, the champions of this League were not recognized by UEFA. In 2002, the top clubs from Republika Srpska joined Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the First League was kept as one of two second level divisions. It is still run by the Football Association of Republika Srpska, and has ended its boycott of Bosnian football on a federal level.
The Romanian football league system, also known as the football pyramid, refers to the system in Romanian club football that consists of several football leagues bound together hierarchically by promotion and relegation. The first three leagues are organized at a national level and consist of fully professional teams. Lower divisions are organized at county levels, with each county's football association controlling its respective leagues.
The J2 League or simply J2 is the second division of the Japan Professional Football League and the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The top tier is represented by the J1 League. It is currently sponsored by Meiji Yasuda Life and it is thus officially known as the Meiji Yasuda J2 League. Until the 2014 season it was named the J.League Division 2.
The following article is a summary of the 2015–16 football season in Belgium, which is the 113th season of competitive football in the country and runs from July 2015 until June 2016.
The 2015–16 season of the Belgian Third Divisions is the 89th season of the third-tier football league in Belgium, since it was established in 1926.
The 2016–17 season of the Belgian First Division B began in August 2016 and ended on 28 April 2017. It was the inaugural season of the First Division B following a change in league format from the old Belgian Second Division. The fixtures were announced on 23 June 2016.
The Belgian First Division B is the second-highest division in the Belgian football league system, one level below the Belgian First Division A. It was created by the Royal Belgian Football Association in 2016, replacing the Belgian Second Division.
The Belgian Second Amateur Division is the fourth-highest division in the Belgian football league system, one level below the Belgian First Amateur Division. It was created by the Royal Belgian Football Association in 2016, replacing the Belgian Third Division. The division consists of three separate leagues with 16 teams each, two of these leagues consist of teams playing with a license from the Voetbalfederatie Vlaanderen and one with teams with a license from the Association des Clubs Francophones de Football.
The Belgian Third Amateur Division is the fifth-highest division in the Belgian football league system, one level below the Belgian Second Amateur Division. It was created by the Royal Belgian Football Association in 2016 as a new layer at the fifth level of the league system. The division consists of four separate leagues with 16 teams each, two of these leagues consist of teams playing with a license from the Voetbalfederatie Vlaanderen and two with teams with a license from the Association des Clubs Francophones de Football.
The 2016–17 Belgian First Amateur Division is the inaugural season of the newly created division at the third-tier football league in Belgium, as it was established in 2016. The fixtures were announced on 23 June 2016.
The 2017–18 Belgian First Amateur Division was the second season of the third-tier football league in Belgium, as it was established in 2016. The fixtures were announced near the end of June 2017.
The 2018–19 Belgian First Amateur Division was the third season of the third-tier football league in Belgium, as it was established in 2016. While Tessenderlo won the regular season, Virton became champions by virtue of winning the promotion play-offs. Defending champions Knokke finished last and were relegated together with Aalst and Geel. Oudenaarde was also relegated after losing the play-offs with teams from the Belgian Second Amateur Division.
