| Confed: | UEFA |
| Founded: | |
| Teams: | 16 |
| Promotion: | Erovnuli Liga 2 |
| Relegation: | Liga 4 |
| Levels: | 3 |
| Domest Cup: | Georgian Cup |
| Champions: | Aragvi (1st title) (2023) |
| Website: | liga.gff.ge |
| Current: | 2024 Liga 3 |
Liga 3 (Georgian: ლიგა 3), organized by the Georgian Football Federation, is the third division of professional football in Georgia. Introduced for the 2017 season with the launch of the Erovnuli Liga, it is a rebrand of the former Meore Liga (the Second League).
The current holders are Aragvi.
There were 20 teams competing in the league in 2017. In 2019, when Liga 4 was formed, their number was reduced to ten,[1] although after two seasons GFF decided to extend the league to 14 at the expense of two bottom teams from the previous season and two second-placed clubs from Liga 4 While and Red Groups.[2] In 2022, the number of clubs was increased to 16.[3]
Seasons run based on Spring-Autumn system with each team playing an equal amount of home and away games against their league rivals.
The league operates based on a system of promotion and relegation. Starting from the 2022 season, champions and runners-up win automatic promotion to Erovnuli Liga 2, while the teams that finish in the third and fourth positions book a place in promotion play-off home and away games against respectively the 8th and 7th placed clubs of Liga 2. Three bottom teams are relegated to Liga 4.[4]
In case two or more clubs obtain the same number of points, their head-to-head records are next to be taken into consideration.
● 2017–18 = 20
● 2019–20 = 10
● 2021 = 14
● 2022–24 = 16
Sixteen teams will compete in Liga 3 for the 2024 season. Five of them, namely Borjomi, Guria, Merani Martvili, Merani Tbilisi and Zestaponi, have previously played in the top division. There are also two reserve teams of higher league members this season.
The clubs are listed below in alphabetical order.
| Clubs | Position last season | Location | Region | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd in Liga 4 | Adjara | |||
| 12th | Guria | |||
| 11th | Samtskhe-Javakheti | |||
| 3rd in Liga 4 | Kvemo Kartli | |||
| 1st in Liga 4 | Adjara | |||
| Gori | 8th | Shida Kartli | ||
| Guria | 9th | Guria | ||
| 7th | Tbilisi | |||
| 10th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi | ||
| 14th | Adjara | |||
| 9th in Liga 2 | Samegrelo-Z.Svaneti | |||
| 10th in Liga 2 | Tbilisi | Tbilisi | ||
| 5th | Imereti | |||
| 6th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi | ||
| 4th | Tbilisi | Tbilisi | ||
| 13th | Imereti |
Until January 2024 known as Irao
| Season | West | East | Center | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | Chikhura II | Sasco | — | |
| 2012–13 | Matchakhela | Kartli 2011 | — | |
| 2013–14 | Lazika | Borjomi | — | |
| 2014–15 | Imereti | Tskhumi | Liakhvi Tskhinvali | |
| 2015–16 | Sulori | Gardabani | Mark Stars | |
| 2016 | Betlemi ● Margveti ● Samegrelo | Algeti ● N.Dinamo ● Shevardeni ● Telavi | Gori |
| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Third place | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Shevardeni 1906 | Norchi Dinamo | Telavi | |
| 2018 | Zugdidi | Bakhmaro | Guria | |
| 2019 | Merani Martvili | Samgurali | Aragvi | |
| 2020 | Gareji | Kolkheti 1913 | Gori | |
| 2021 | Spaeri | Kolkheti 1913 | Tbilisi City | |
| 2022 | Dinamo Tbilisi-2 | Kolkheti 1913 | Aragvi | |
| 2023 | Aragvi | Shturmi | Rustavi | |
| 2024 | Gonio | ● TBD | ● TBD |
The number of relegated teams per each recent season varies due to the fact that the competition format is subject to frequent changes.
| Season | Clubs | |
|---|---|---|
| Odishi 1919 ● Chkherimela ● Liakhvi Tskhinvali ● Sapovnela | ||
| 2018 | ||
| 2019 | Borjomi ● Betlemi | |
| NONE | ||
| Magaroeli ● Didube | ||
| Tbilisi City* | ||
| Merani-2 ● Chikhura | ||
| TBD ● TBD ● Guria |
Including the 2024 season there have been 45 teams in total competing in this league since 2017. Gori are topping the list with an overall nine-year continuous tenure in the third tier, including all the eight seasons after its re-branding as Liga 3.
|
|
|
| Erovnuli Liga | 3 | ||
| Erovnuli Liga 2 | 7 | ||
| 16 | |||
| Liga 4 | 9 | ||
| Regionuli Liga | 3 | ||
| Defunct | 7 |