The Swiss football league system, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in Switzerland, with seven teams from Liechtenstein, and one each from exclaves of Germany and Italy, also competing. The system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels, allowing even the smallest club the possibility of ultimately rising to the very top of the system. The first two levels of the system are collectively called Swiss Football League.
Liechtenstein does not have its own national league, therefore its teams compete in the Swiss leagues; see List of association football clubs playing in the league of another country.
Level | Divisions | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Swiss Football Association | |||||||||||||||||||
Pro | Swiss Football League | ||||||||||||||||||
1 | Credit Suisse Super League 12 clubs | ||||||||||||||||||
2 | Dieci Challenge League 10 clubs | ||||||||||||||||||
First League | |||||||||||||||||||
3 | Promotion League 18 clubs | ||||||||||||||||||
4 | 1st League Classic 48 clubs divided into 3 groups | ||||||||||||||||||
Group 1 16 clubs | Group 2 16 clubs | Group 3 16 clubs | |||||||||||||||||
Amateur League | |||||||||||||||||||
! colspan="1" rowspan="2" width="4%" | 5 | 2nd League Interregional 64 clubs divided into 4 groups | |||||||||||||||||
Group 1 16 clubs | Group 2 16 clubs | Group 3 16 clubs | Group 4 16 clubs | ||||||||||||||||
Regional Association | |||||||||||||||||||
6 | 2. Liga 17 regional groups, 204 clubs | ||||||||||||||||||
7 | 3. Liga 46 regional groups, 563 clubs | ||||||||||||||||||
8 | 4. Liga 75 regional groups, 852 clubs | ||||||||||||||||||
9 | 5. Liga 67 regional groups, 685 clubs |
Up until and including the 2022–23 Swiss Super League the pyramid was set up as follows:
Level | Divisions | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Super League 10 clubs | ||||||
2 | Challenge League 10 clubs | ||||||
3 | Promotion League 16 clubs up to and including the 2021–22 season 18 clubs in the 2022–23 season | ||||||
4 | 1st League (Group 1) 14 clubs | 1st League (Group 2) 14 clubs | 1st League (Group 3) 14 clubs | ||||
5 | 2. Liga Interregional (Group 1) 14 clubs | 2. Liga Interregional (Group 2) 14 clubs | 2. Liga Interregional (Group 3) 14 clubs | 2. Liga Interregional (Group 4) 14 clubs | 2. Liga Interregional (Group 5) 14 clubs | 2. Liga Interregional (Group 6) 14 clubs | |
6 | 2. Liga 17 regional groups, 204 clubs | ||||||
7 | 3. Liga 46 regional groups, 563 clubs | ||||||
8 | 4. Liga 75 regional groups, 852 clubs | ||||||
9 | 5. Liga 67 regional groups, 685 clubs |