Swedish bandy league system

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The Swedish bandy league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club bandy in Sweden.

A league system is a hierarchy of leagues in a sport. They are often called pyramids, due to their tendency to split into an increasing number of regional divisions further down the system. League systems of some sort are used in many sports in many countries.

Bandy ballgame on ice played using skates and sticks

Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.

Sweden constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe

Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Scandinavian Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north and Finland to the east, and is connected to Denmark in the southwest by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund, a strait at the Swedish-Danish border. At 450,295 square kilometres (173,860 sq mi), Sweden is the largest country in Northern Europe, the third-largest country in the European Union and the fifth largest country in Europe by area. Sweden has a total population of 10.2 million of which 2.4 million has a foreign background. It has a low population density of 22 inhabitants per square kilometre (57/sq mi). The highest concentration is in the southern half of the country.

Contents

Current system

The table below shows how the system works as of the 2014–2015 season. For each division, its Swedish name and number of clubs is given.

This present system was introduced for the 2007–2008 season. The changes are a top division with fewer teams which has also changed its name, it is now called Elitserien ("the Elite League").

The 2007–08 season in Swedish bandy, starting August 2007 and ending July 2008:

It is not guaranteed that each division is a feeder of teams to the division that lies directly above it and relegates teams to the divisions that lie directly below it, even though this usually is the case. Some years, all the teams which are facing the risk of relegation get to play a qualification round in the end of the season against the best teams from the division below. Other years, the last teams in the leagues have been automatically relegated.

Level League(s)/Division(s)
1 Elitserien [1]
14 clubs
2 Allsvenskan [2]
North, 12 clubsSouth, 12 clubs
3 Division 1 [3]
North, 8 clubsWest, 10 clubsEast, 10 clubsSouth, 10 clubs
4Division 2

Previous systems

1981/82 – 2006/07

During the seasons 1981/82 – 2006/07, Allsvenskan and Elitserien was the combined top-tier. The top-tier had the name Allsvenskan in the beginning of the season (in the autumn). Allsvenskan had two groups, one northern group and one southern group. After Christmas the best of the teams from the two groups of Allsvenskan played in Elitserien (which always premiered on Boxing Day, 26 December) while the rest of the teams played in Superallsvenskan. The teams in Superallsvenskan faced the risk of being relegated to the second level league.

The combination Allsvenskan and Elitserien was earlier the highest level of bandy in Sweden contested annually between Swedish bandy clubs. The Allsvenskan was split into two regional divisions: the Allsvenskan Norra (north) and the Allsvenskan Södra (south), in which the teams played during the autumn. After the Christmas holiday the Allsvenskan was split into Elitserien and Superallsvenskan. The season ended in March with a final on Studenternas IP like the Super Bowl.

Boxing Day is a secular holiday celebrated the day after Christmas Day. It originated in the United Kingdom and is celebrated in a number of countries that previously formed part of the British Empire. Boxing Day is on 26 December, although the attached bank holiday or public holiday may take place either on that day or two days later.

The second level was called Division 1.

1931/32 – 1981/82

The top-tier Swedish bandy league which was instated in 1931 was called Division 1. The second level was called Division 2.

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Örebro HK is a Swedish ice hockey club located in Örebro. The team is currently playing in the Swedish Hockey League, the top tier of Swedish ice hockey, since the 2013–14 season. The team's home arena is Behrn Arena, which seats 5,500 spectators.

The 2012–13 HockeyAllsvenskan season was the 8th season of the HockeyAllsvenskan, the second-highest level of ice hockey in Sweden. The regular season began on 12 September 2012 and ended on 2 March 2013, with the following playoffs and Kvalserien tournaments running until 5 April 2013. Leksands IF, following a season marked by financial instability and scandal, secured first place in the regular season standings, and continued to the qualification round for the 2013–14 SHL/Elitserien season, along with second-place Södertälje SK, third place VIK Västerås HK, and playoff winner Örebro HK. Meanwhile, 13th- and 14th-ranked Tingsryds AIF and Karlskrona HK were forced to defend their places in HockeyAllsvenskan for the 2013–14 season.

1993-94 was the 19th season that Division 1 operated as the second tier of ice hockey in Sweden, below the top-flight Elitserien.

The 1998–99 Division 1 season was the 24th and last season that Division 1 operated as the second tier of ice hockey in Sweden, below the top-flight Elitserien. The Allsvenskan was founded as the new second-level league for the 1999-2000 season. Division 1 became the new third-level league for the following season.

IK Tellus Bandy is the bandy department of IK Tellus.

References

  1. ↑ Swedish Bandy Association
  2. ↑ Swedish Bandy Association
  3. ↑ Swedish Bandy Association
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