List of association football leagues without promotion and relegation

Last updated

The following is a list of association football leagues which do not or did not have a promotion and relegation process.

Contents

Leagues within the scope of this list are:

Excluded are:

Leagues

Current

Top tier leagues

LeagueCountryConfederationFirst seasonWithout relegation since
Flag of Australia (converted).svgFlag of New Zealand.svg A-League Men [1] Australia, New Zealand AFC / OFC 2005–06 2005
Flag of Australia (converted).svgFlag of New Zealand.svg A-League Women Australia, New Zealand AFC / OFC 2008–09 2008
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canadian Premier League Canada CONCACAF 2019 2019
Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg Congo Premier League (The Republic of Congo only has one league so there is no relegation system, but at the end of each season the worst team leaves the league) Republic of the Congo CAF 1961
Flag of Gibraltar.svg Gibraltar National League [lower-alpha 1] Gibraltar UEFA 2019–20 2019–20
Flag of Mexico.svg Liga MX [2] [lower-alpha 2] Mexico CONCACAF 1943 2019-20
Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand National League [3] New Zealand OFC 2021 2021
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Papua New Guinea National Soccer League Papua New Guinea OFC 2006 2006
Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippine Football League Philippines AFC 2017 2017
Flag of the Philippines.svg PFF Women's League Philippines AFC 2016–17 2016–17
Flag of San Marino.svg Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio [lower-alpha 3] San Marino UEFA 1985–86 1995–96
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka Super League [4] Sri Lanka AFC 2021 2021
Flag of the United States.svgFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg Major League Soccer [5] United States, Canada CONCACAF 1996 1996
Flag of the United States.svg National Women's Soccer League United States CONCACAF 2013 2013

Notes

  1. Gibraltar Second Division was dissolved at the end of 2018–19 season, all teams was introduced in the new Gibraltar National League
  2. Ascenso MX was dissolved at the end of 2019–20 season, introducing the new Liga de Expansión MX.
  3. Serie A2, the second-tier of Sanmarinese football was dissolved at the end of 1994–95 season, all teams was introduced in the new Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio

Lower division leagues

LeagueDivisionCountryConfederationFirst seasonWithout
promotion since
Next highest leagueRelegation to
National Premier Leagues 2Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia AFC 2005–06 2005 A-League Various (State-level leagues)
USL Championship [lower-alpha 1] 2Flag of the United States.svg  United States [lower-alpha 2] CONCACAF 2017 [lower-alpha 3] 2017 Major League Soccer None
Liga de Expansión MX [2] [lower-alpha 4] 2Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico CONCACAF 2020–21 2020–21 Liga MX Serie A
USL League One 3Flag of the United States.svg  United States CONCACAF 2019 2019 USL Championship None
  1. Established in 2011 as USL Pro; rebranded as United Soccer League (USL) in 2015 and the USL Championship in 2019.
  2. The USL Championship featured teams from Canada as late as 2019, but all teams that played in the most recent 2021 season are US-based.
  3. First season as second-level league.
  4. Ascenso MX was dissolved at the end of 2019–20 season, introducing the new Liga de Expansión MX.

Defunct or inactive

Top tier leagues

LeagueCountryConfederationFirst seasonLast seasonYears without
relegation
Relegation to
National Soccer League Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia OFC 1977 2003–04 1977–2004None (underperforming clubs were de facto relegated to the state leagues but there was no set criterion for relegation)
Philippine Premier League Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines AFC 2019 2019 2019None
United Football League Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines AFC 2010 2016 2016 [6] United Football League Division 2
(2010–2015)
North American Soccer League (1968–84) Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
CONCACAF 1968 1984 1968–1984None
Women's Professional Soccer Flag of the United States.svg  United States CONCACAF 2009 2011 2009–2011None
Women's United Soccer Association Flag of the United States.svg  United States CONCACAF 2001 2003 2001–2003None
BeNe League Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
UEFA 2012-13 2014-15 2012-2015None
Chinese Women's Super League (1997-2010)
National Women's Football League (2011-2014)
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China AFC 199720141997-2013National Women's Football League (Early years)

Lower division leagues

LeagueDivisionCountryConfederationFirst seasonLast seasonYears without
promotion
Next highest league
North American Soccer League 2Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Flag of Puerto Rico.svg  Puerto Rico
CONCACAF 2011 2017 2011–2017 Major League Soccer
USSF Division 2 Professional League 2Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Flag of Puerto Rico.svg  Puerto Rico
CONCACAF 2010 2010 Major League Soccer
USL Pro / United Soccer League [lower-alpha 1] 3Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
CONCACAF 2011 2016 [lower-alpha 2] 2011–2016 North American Soccer League
  1. The USL organization dropped "Pro" from the league branding in advance of the 2015 season.
  2. Last season as third-level league. In 2017, the USL was granted second-division status alongside the NASL; it became the sole second-level league in 2018 and was renamed the USL Championship in 2019.

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