Belgian Third Division
Encyclopedia
The Belgian Third Division is the third highest level in Belgian
football
. It has two leagues of 18 teams each (A
and B
) at the same level. This competition, 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 remain and the competition is 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 promote to the second division
and a play-off is played to determine a possible third club to promote. The champion of the third division is determined after a two-legged match between the winners of the two leagues. If those matches end in a draw, a third match is played on a neutral ground. However in recent years this final game has not been organized anymore due to the lack of interest of being worn champion.
. The 16th placed teams must play the Promotion play-off with teams from Promotion (see Promotion).
The three period winners in each league qualify for the third division play-off along with the 16th-placed team in the second division. If the league winner also wins one or more period or that a period winner wins more than one period, finishes in the last three places or has not received a second division license
, the best-placed teams in the league overall ranking qualify for the play-off so that 3 teams in each league qualifies. The playoff is played in three rounds. In the first round, the 6 qualifiers from the third division are drawn in three matches played in two legs. The winners of the first round and the 16th-placed team from the second division enter the second round (2 matches played in two legs). The final game is also played in two legs. The winner qualifies for the second division. In each round, the away goals rule
is used to declare the winner in case of aggregate tie score. If each team has scored the same number of away goals, the teams play extra time of two 15-minutes periods. If there is still a tie, the away goals rule is applied once again. Finally, the matches goes to penalties.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. It has two leagues of 18 teams each (A
Belgian Third Division A
The Belgian Third Division A is one of the two leagues at the third level of the Belgian football league system, the other one being the Belgian Third Division B. This division has existed since the 1952-53 season and is played every year with 16 clubs...
and B
Belgian Third Division B
The Belgian Third Division B is one of the two leagues at the third level of the Belgian football league system, the other one being the Belgian Third Division A. This division has existed since the 1952-53 season and is played every year with 16 clubs...
) at the same level. This competition, 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 remain and the competition is 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 promote to the second division
Belgian Second Division
The Belgian Second Division is the second-highest division in the Belgian football league system after the Belgian Pro League. It was created by the Belgian Football Association in 1905. Between 2008 and 2010 it was named EXQI League after a television channel owned by the league main sponsor,...
and a play-off is played to determine a possible third club to promote. The champion of the third division is determined after a two-legged match between the winners of the two leagues. If those matches end in a draw, a third match is played on a neutral ground. However in recent years this final game has not been organized anymore due to the lack of interest of being worn champion.
Competition
The competition comprises the regular season (two leagues of 18 teams, 34 matchdays each) followed by the third division play-off (7 teams, 3 matchdays). Each team plays 34 matches during the regular season (from August till May). The regular season is divided in 3 periods with the first period consisting of the first 10 match days, the second period consisting of the next 12 match days and the third period consisting of the final 12 match days. For each period in each league, a ranking is computed in the same way as the overall league rankings (three points for a win, one point for a draw and no point for a loss). In each league, the winner of the regular season promotes to the second division and the two worst-placed teams (17th and 18th) are relegated to the PromotionBelgian Promotion
The Belgian Promotion is the lowest nationwide division in Belgian football. Since 1905, Promotion has been the name of the lowest nationwide level but it is the fourth one since 1952. There were already 4 leagues at the time . The champion of the Promotion is declared to be the winner of a...
. The 16th placed teams must play the Promotion play-off with teams from Promotion (see Promotion).
The three period winners in each league qualify for the third division play-off along with the 16th-placed team in the second division. If the league winner also wins one or more period or that a period winner wins more than one period, finishes in the last three places or has not received a second division license
Belgian remunerated football license
The Belgian remunerated football license is a license giving permission to a Belgian football club to play in the Belgian Second Division. It is delivered by the Belgian Football Association...
, the best-placed teams in the league overall ranking qualify for the play-off so that 3 teams in each league qualifies. The playoff is played in three rounds. In the first round, the 6 qualifiers from the third division are drawn in three matches played in two legs. The winners of the first round and the 16th-placed team from the second division enter the second round (2 matches played in two legs). The final game is also played in two legs. The winner qualifies for the second division. In each round, the away goals rule
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
is used to declare the winner in case of aggregate tie score. If each team has scored the same number of away goals, the teams play extra time of two 15-minutes periods. If there is still a tie, the away goals rule is applied once again. Finally, the matches goes to penalties.
Members for 2010-11
- See Belgian Third Division ABelgian Third Division AThe Belgian Third Division A is one of the two leagues at the third level of the Belgian football league system, the other one being the Belgian Third Division B. This division has existed since the 1952-53 season and is played every year with 16 clubs...
and Belgian Third Division BBelgian Third Division BThe Belgian Third Division B is one of the two leagues at the third level of the Belgian football league system, the other one being the Belgian Third Division A. This division has existed since the 1952-53 season and is played every year with 16 clubs...
for the list of participating clubs
Past play-off winners
Here are listed the final games of the third division play-off:- 1994: V.V. Overpelt FabriekK.V.S.K. United Overpelt-LommelLommel United is a Belgian association football club based in the city of Lommel, Limburg.It was founded as K.V.S.K. United Overpelt-Lommel, often referred to as K.V.S.K. United, in 2003 following the bankruptcy of K.F.C. Lommel S.K. The remains of the club were integrated into K.V.V....
beat R. Cappellen F.C.R. Cappellen F.C.R. Cappellen F.C. is a Belgian football club from the town of Kapellen, near Antwerp. Cappellen has matricule number 43 and has yellow and red as main team colours. The club has a long history in the higher divisions of Belgian football... - 1995: K.V. TurnhoutK.V. TurnhoutK.V. Turnhout is a Belgian football club, from the municipality of Turnhout.-History:K.V. Turnhout was founded as Turnhout Sport in 1912 with matricule n°148. After World War I, the club was refounded as F.C. Turnhout with the same matriculation...
beat K. Tesamen Hogerop DiestK. Tesamen Hogerop DiestKoninklijke Tesamen Hogerop Diest is a Belgian association football club from the town of Diest, Vlaams Brabant. It played two spells in the first division: from 1961–62 to 1964–65 and from 1970–71 to 1974–75, finishing 7th in 1964.-History:...
(2-0) - 1996: F.C. Denderleeuw beat R. Union Saint-GilloiseR. Union Saint-GilloiseR. Union Saint-Gilloise is a Belgian football club located in the municipality of Forest, though it is named after the neighbour municipality of Saint-Gilles, Brussels. It had been in the second division in 2004-05, but was subsequently relegated to third division. Its matricule is the n°10...
(4-1) - 1997: K. Sint-Niklase S.K.E.K. Sint-Niklase S.K.E.Koninklijke Sint-Niklase Sportkring Excelsior was a Belgian football club from the town of Sint-Niklaas that merged with KSC Lokeren in 2000, establishing K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen....
beat K.F.C. Strombeek - 1998: R.C.S. VisétoisC.S. ViséCercle Sportif Visé is a Belgian football club from the city of Visé in the province of Liège. They are playing in the Belgian second division. The club plays its home matches at Stade de la Rue de Mons in Visé. They are nicknamed Les Oies , after the city of Visé nickname.-History:The club was...
beat K.S.V. IngelmunsterSporting West Ingelmunster-HarelbekeSporting West Harelbeke is a Belgian association football club based in Harelbeke, West Flanders. It is the result of the merger between K.R.C. Harelbeke and K.S.V. Ingelmunster in 2002. They currently play in the West Flanders Division One in the Belgian Provincial leagues...
(2-1) - 1999: K.M. S.K. Deinze beat Eendracht Hekelgem (3-0)
- 2000: K. Heusden-ZolderK. Beringen-Heusden-ZolderK. Beringen-Heusden-Zolder is a former Belgian football club, from the municipalities of Heusden-Zolder and Beringen in Limburg. Its stadium has been located in the municipality of Beringen-Mijn from 2004 to 2006 .-History:It was founded in 1936 as S.K. Heusden and it eventually changed its name...
beat K.V. KortrijkK.V. KortrijkKoninklijke Voetbalclub Kortrijk is a Belgian professional football club based in Kortrijk, West Flanders. They have been playing in the Belgian Pro League since the 2008-09 season, and they achieved they best ranking ever during the 2009-10 season, finishing 4th after the play-offs...
(4-1) - 2001: K.V. KortrijkK.V. KortrijkKoninklijke Voetbalclub Kortrijk is a Belgian professional football club based in Kortrijk, West Flanders. They have been playing in the Belgian Pro League since the 2008-09 season, and they achieved they best ranking ever during the 2009-10 season, finishing 4th after the play-offs...
beat R.C.S. VisétoisC.S. ViséCercle Sportif Visé is a Belgian football club from the city of Visé in the province of Liège. They are playing in the Belgian second division. The club plays its home matches at Stade de la Rue de Mons in Visé. They are nicknamed Les Oies , after the city of Visé nickname.-History:The club was...
(2-1) - 2002: K.F.C. V.W. HammeK.F.C. V.W. HammeK.F.C. V.W. Hamme is a Belgian association football club from Hamme in East Flanders. It is currently playing in the third division A.- History :...
beat K.V. OostendeK.V. OostendeK.V. Oostende is a Belgian association football club, from the municipality of Ostend, West Flanders. It was created in 1904 as V.G. Oostende and it has the matricule n°31.- History :...
(4-1) - 2003: V.C. Eendracht Aalst 2002V.C. Eendracht Aalst 2002SC Eendracht Aalst is a Belgian football club based in Aalst, East Flanders.It changed its name in 2002 after former Belgian First Division club K.S.C. Eendracht Aalst had gone into liquidation. So they could not get the license and the new team began at the third division level...
beat Oud-Heverlee Leuven (1-1 after extra-time, 8-7 after penalty shootout) - 2004: K.V. KortrijkK.V. KortrijkKoninklijke Voetbalclub Kortrijk is a Belgian professional football club based in Kortrijk, West Flanders. They have been playing in the Belgian Pro League since the 2008-09 season, and they achieved they best ranking ever during the 2009-10 season, finishing 4th after the play-offs...
beat K.V. TurnhoutK.V. TurnhoutK.V. Turnhout is a Belgian football club, from the municipality of Turnhout.-History:K.V. Turnhout was founded as Turnhout Sport in 1912 with matricule n°148. After World War I, the club was refounded as F.C. Turnhout with the same matriculation... - 2005: Oud-Heverlee Leuven beat C.S. ViséC.S. ViséCercle Sportif Visé is a Belgian football club from the city of Visé in the province of Liège. They are playing in the Belgian second division. The club plays its home matches at Stade de la Rue de Mons in Visé. They are nicknamed Les Oies , after the city of Visé nickname.-History:The club was...
(4-2 after extra-time) - 2006: Racing WaregemK. Racing WaregemKoninklijke Racing Waregem is a Belgian association football club based in Waregem as is rival club Zulte-Waregem. It is currently playing in the third division A...
beat R.O.C. de Charleroi-MarchienneR.O.C. de Charleroi-MarchienneRoyal Olympic Club de Charleroi-Marchienne is a Belgian association football club from the city of Charleroi, Hainaut. As of 2010, they play in Belgian Third Division B.-History:...
(1-0) - 2007: K.F.C. Verbroedering GeelK.F.C. Verbroedering GeelK.F.C. Verbroedering Geel was a Belgian association football club, from the city of Geel in Antwerp .-History:The club was born in 1912 and registered in 1924 to the Belgian Football Association receiving the matricule n° 395. It played for the first time in the second division in 1985–86...
beat U.R. Namur (3-0 aggregate score) - 2008: U.R. Namur beat C.S. ViséC.S. ViséCercle Sportif Visé is a Belgian football club from the city of Visé in the province of Liège. They are playing in the Belgian second division. The club plays its home matches at Stade de la Rue de Mons in Visé. They are nicknamed Les Oies , after the city of Visé nickname.-History:The club was...
(0-0 aggregate score, 6-5 after penalty shootout) - 2009: Royal Boussu Dour Borinage beat K.V. Woluwe-Zaventem (5-1 aggregate score)
- 2010: K Rupel Boom FC beat URS du Centre (5-4 aggregate score)