Competitions
Competitions
The Rookie League and the national pyramid offer two distinct league formats. Domestic cups bring Amateur, Pro and Elite together, while the top six in each Elite division can qualify for one of three international competitions the following season.
The six competitions#
| Competition | Who plays | Format |
|---|---|---|
| National Championship | 14 clubs per division, 224 divisions | Home and away, 26 rounds, then promotion and relegation play-offs over two legs |
| Rookie League | Registered clubs not in a national division | One shared table, 26 Swiss-style Game Days; the top 256 go up and the next 512 play off |
| Champions League | 1st and 2nd in every Elite division | Qualifying, a 36-team league phase of 8 matches, then two-legged knockouts to a one-match final on neutral ground |
| Contenders League | 3rd and 4th in every Elite division | Two qualifying rounds, then the same road |
| Challengers League | 5th and 6th in every Elite division | Two qualifying rounds, then the same road |
| National Cup | 96 of each country’s 98 Amateur, Pro and Elite clubs, selected by fame | Single-leg knockout from a qualification round to a neutral-ground final |
Competitive results also build fame. Fame controls National Cup entry, seeding and most hosting decisions, contributes to Stadium attendance, orders clubs during horizontal rotation and supplies the Top Clubs (Fame) leaderboard. The Calendar shows how the competitions overlap.