Tercera División

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The Tercera División is the fourth level of the Spanish football league system. The top three are La Liga, also referred to as the Primera División, the Segunda División and Segunda División B. Among the teams playing in the division during the 2006/07 season are Palamós CF, one of the oldest clubs in Spain, Arenas Club de Getxo and CE Europa, who were both founding members of La Liga and CE Sabadell, who were Copa del Rey finalists in 1935. The division also currently includes various reserve teams and youth teams including Real Betis B, FC Barcelona C, Real Madrid C and CD Baskonia.

1 Current Format
2 History
3 Teams for Season 2006/07
4 External link

[edit] Current Format

The Tercera División currently features 364 teams divided into 18 regional groups, corresponding to the Autonomous communities of Spain (due to its huge size, Andalucia is divided in two different groups). 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 seasons 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.

Main article: Segunda División B Play-Off 2005/2006

[edit] 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 it 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.

[edit] Teams for Season 2006/07

Main article: Tercera División Groups 1-9

Main article: Tercera División Groups 10-18

[edit] External link

Football in Spain

v • d • e

League competitions	RFEF	Cup competitions
Primera División	Spain	Copa del Rey
Segunda División	U-21	Copa de la Liga
Segunda División B (4 groups)	List of clubs	Supercopa de España
Tercera División (18 groups)	List of venues	Copa Federación
Divisiones Regionales
División de Honor Juvenil (7 groups)	Foreign players
Liga Nacional Juvenil (16 groups)
Superliga Femenina
Liga Nacional Femenina (6 groups)