Bosnian football league system
Encyclopedia
The Bosnian football league system is a series of connected leagues
for football
clubs in Bosnia and Herzegovina
. This system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation
between leagues at different levels. The top division is organized by Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina
, the second and third level by entity associations, and lower levels by cantonal or regional associations.
is at the top of the structure. It is the top flight in Bosnian club football and has 16 teams. The League champion is also the champion of Bosnia and Herzegovina and it gets the right to play in the UEFA Champions League
qualifying rounds. The bottom two teams of the table are relegated to the second level of competition.
The second tier is divided into two leagues - First league of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and First league of Republika Srpska
, both containing 16 clubs. Relegated teams from the Premier league are demoted to the second level competition for the next season. Geographical location is the criteria for the decision in which one of these two leagues they will play. Winner of the league is promoted to Premier League, and bottom teams are relegated. The number of relegated teams depends on how many teams are entering from the Premier League and the Third Divisions.
Third level football is even more dispersed. Each league is associated with a different geographical area. In Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
, there are four second divisions, and in Republika Srpska
three second divisions
. Same principle of promotion and relegation is used, so the league winners are promoted to the appropriate second level league, and clubs at the bottom of the table are relegated to lower levels.
In Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are ten cantons
, most of them having their own leagues, organized by cantonal football associations. Depending on how many clubs they have, cantons can have one or more leagues. In Republika Srpska, there are no cantons, but six football regions, each having a league. The First cantonal leagues in the Federation and regional leagues in Republika Srpska comprisethe fourth level of club football.
Further down, there are big differences in organization. Some cantons (with big number of clubs) have second leagues. If there are clubs not associated with any of these leagues, municipality or intermunicipality leagues are organized.
Some cantons use qualifications as a cantonal cup as well. There is also a cup competition in Republika Srpska.
League system
A league system is a hierarchy of leagues in a sport, usually with a system of promotion and relegation between consecutive levels of the hierarchy. They are often called pyramids due to their tendency to split into an increasing number of regional divisions the further down the pyramid one descends...
for 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...
clubs in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. This system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
between leagues at different levels. The top division is organized by Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Football Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina |football]] in Bosnia and Herzegovina based in Sarajevo.It operates the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team, the Bosnia and Herzegovina national under-21 football team, Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, the second and third level by entity associations, and lower levels by cantonal or regional associations.
Structure
Premier League of Bosnia and HerzegovinaPremier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the top football league in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the country's most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs with last two teams relegated at the end of every season....
is at the top of the structure. It is the top flight in Bosnian club football and has 16 teams. The League champion is also the champion of Bosnia and Herzegovina and it gets the right to play in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualifying rounds. The bottom two teams of the table are relegated to the second level of competition.
The second tier is divided into two leagues - First league of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and First league of Republika Srpska
First League of the Republika Srpska
First League of the Republika Srpska is a second level football competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since there were three different football championships in country, organized on ethnic principles, the "First League of the Republika Srpska" was the top flight in Republika Srpska before 2002....
, both containing 16 clubs. Relegated teams from the Premier league are demoted to the second level competition for the next season. Geographical location is the criteria for the decision in which one of these two leagues they will play. Winner of the league is promoted to Premier League, and bottom teams are relegated. The number of relegated teams depends on how many teams are entering from the Premier League and the Third Divisions.
Third level football is even more dispersed. Each league is associated with a different geographical area. In Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two political entities that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The two entities are delineated by the Inter-Entity Boundary Line...
, there are four second divisions, and in Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
three second divisions
Druga Liga Republike Srpske
Second league of Republika Srpska is a third level football league competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is divided into three leagues, based on geographical areas. The winner of each league gets promoted to the First league of Republika Srpska...
. Same principle of promotion and relegation is used, so the league winners are promoted to the appropriate second level league, and clubs at the bottom of the table are relegated to lower levels.
In Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are ten cantons
Cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The 10 cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina serve as the second-level units of local autonomy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the two political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
, most of them having their own leagues, organized by cantonal football associations. Depending on how many clubs they have, cantons can have one or more leagues. In Republika Srpska, there are no cantons, but six football regions, each having a league. The First cantonal leagues in the Federation and regional leagues in Republika Srpska comprisethe fourth level of club football.
Further down, there are big differences in organization. Some cantons (with big number of clubs) have second leagues. If there are clubs not associated with any of these leagues, municipality or intermunicipality leagues are organized.
System
Level |
League(s)/Division(s) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the top football league in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the country's most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs with last two teams relegated at the end of every season.... 16 clubs |
||||||
2 |
First league of the Federation of B-H 16 clubs |
First league of Republika Srpska First League of the Republika Srpska First League of the Republika Srpska is a second level football competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since there were three different football championships in country, organized on ethnic principles, the "First League of the Republika Srpska" was the top flight in Republika Srpska before 2002.... 16 clubs |
|||||
3 |
Second league of the FBH - North 16 clubs |
Second league of the FBH - Center 16 clubs |
Second league of the FBH - South 16 clubs |
Second league of the FBH - West 16 clubs |
Second league of RS - West 16 clubs |
Second league of RS - Center 16 clubs |
Second league of RS - South 14 clubs |
4 |
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: League of Sarajevo Canton First league of Tuzla Canton League of Zenica-Doboj Canton League of Una-Sana Canton League of Hercegovina-Neretva Canton Intercantonal league Livno Canton/West Herzegovina Canton First League of Posavina Canton League of Central Bosnia Canton League of Bosnian Podrinje Canton Republika Srpska: Regional league Prijedor Regional league Gradiška Regional league Banja Luka Regional league Doboj Regional league Bijeljina Regional league Istočno Sarajevo |
||||||
- |
Other leagues: First league of Brčko District Second league of Tuzla Canton - West Second league of Tuzla Canton - North Second League of Tuzla Canton - South Intermunicipality league Gradiška Intermunicipality league Banja Luka Intermunicipality league Prijedor Intermunicipality league Doboj Intermunicipality league Lukavac/Srebrenik First municipality league Bijeljina Second municipality league Bijeljina Municipality league Prnjavor Municipality league Ugljevik Municipality league Zavidovići Second league of Brčko District |
||||||
Cup competition
The Cup starts in spring, when lower league teams are playing qualification games. At the beginning the competition is organized by cantonal and regional football associations. By September every canton or region will have representatives in the first round (Last 32) of the Bosnian Cup. Sixteen clubs from qualifying and sixteen Premier League clubs will enter a draw. Only one leg is played in the first round, and two legs in later stages. The Final is also being played over two legs, although the Football Association changes this rule often. Sometimes, only one leg is played in Sarajevo, on Koševo Stadium.Some cantons use qualifications as a cantonal cup as well. There is also a cup competition in Republika Srpska.