| Season | 2002–03 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Tiro Federal (1st divisional title) |
| Promoted | Tiro Federal |
| Relegated | 9 de Julio (R) Estudiantes (RC) Juventud Alianza Independiente (VO) |
| ← 2001–02 2003–04 → | |
The 2002–03 Argentine Torneo Argentino A was the eighth season of third division professional football in Argentina. A total of 20 teams competed; the champion was promoted to Primera B Nacional.
Club information
Zone A
| Club | City | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
 Aldosivi
|
Mar del Plata | José María Minella |
 Cipolletti
|
Cipolletti | La Visera de Cemento |
 Douglas Haig
|
Pergamino | Miguel Morales |
 Estudiantes
|
Río Cuarto | Ciudad de Río Cuarto |
 Villa Mitre
|
Bahía Blanca | El Fortín |
Zone B
| Club | City | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
 Independiente
|
Villa Obrera | La Boutique |
 Independiente Rivadavia
|
Mendoza | Bautista Gargantini |
 Juventud Alianza
|
Santa Lucía | Bosque del Bajo Grande |
 Juventud Unida Universitario
|
San Luis | Mario Diez |
 Luján de Cuyo
|
Luján de Cuyo | Jardín del Bajo |
Zone C
| Club | City | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
 9 de Julio
|
Rafaela | El Coloso |
 Ben Hur
|
Rafaela | Parque Barrio Ilolay |
 General Paz Juniors
|
Córdoba | General Paz Juniors |
| Racing
|
Córdoba | Miguel Sancho |
| Tiro Federal
|
Rosario | Fortín de Ludueña |
Zone D
| Club | City | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| 13 de Junio
|
Pirané | Pirané |
| Atlético Tucumán
|
Tucumán | Monumental José Fierro |
| Gimnasia y Tiro
|
Salta | Gigante del Norte |
 Ñuñorco
|
Monteros | Ñuñorco |
 Talleres
|
Perico | Plinio Zabala |
Apertura 2002
First stage
In every round the bye team played against the bye team of the other zone: Team from Zone A vs Team from Zone B and Team from Zone C vs Team from Zone D.
Zone A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cipolletti | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 11 | +6 | 18 | Final Stage |
| 2 | Douglas Haig | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 9 | +3 | 18 | |
| 3 | Aldosivi | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 13 | |
| 4 | Villa Mitre | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 17 | −2 | 13 | |
| 5 | Estudiantes (RC) | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 14 | −4 | 7 |
Zone B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juventud Unida Universitario | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 11 | +5 | 24 | Final Stage |
| 2 | Independiente Rivadavia | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 13 | +3 | 14 | |
| 3 | Luján de Cuyo | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 11 | +5 | 14 | |
| 4 | Independiente (VO) | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 16 | −4 | 9 | |
| 5 | Juventud Alianza | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 24 | −12 | 7 |
Zone C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tiro Federal | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 16 | 10 | +6 | 15 | Final Stage |
| 2 | Racing (C) | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 14 | |
| 3 | Ben Hur | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 17 | 11 | +6 | 14 | |
| 4 | General Paz Juniors | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 13 | −4 | 11 | |
| 5 | 9 de Julio (R) | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 15 | −5 | 10 |
Zone D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ñuñorco | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 10 | +7 | 21 | Final Stage |
| 2 | Atlético Tucumán | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 10 | +10 | 15 | |
| 3 | 13 de Junio (P) | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 19 | −8 | 14 | |
| 4 | Gimnasia y Tiro | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 14 | −3 | 9 | |
| 5 | Talleres (P) | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 17 | −10 | 7 |
Final stage
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||||||||
| C1 | Tiro Federal | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| D2 | Atlético Tucumán | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| C1 | Tiro Federal | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| C2 | Racing (C) | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| D1 | Ñuñorco | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| C2 | Racing (C) | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Douglas Haig | 0 | 1 | 1 (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| C2 | Racing (C) (p) | 1 | 0 | 1 (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| B1 | Juv. Unida Universitario | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Douglas Haig | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Douglas Haig | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| B2 | Independiente Rivadavia | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Cipolletti | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| B2 | Independiente Rivadavia | 4 | 4 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
- Note: The team in the first line plays at home the second leg.
Clausura 2003
First stage
In every round the bye team played against the bye team of the other zone: Team from Zone A vs Team from Zone B and Team from Zone C vs Team from Zone D.
Zone A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aldosivi | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 21 | 10 | +11 | 21 | Final Stage |
| 2 | Cipolletti | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 27 | 19 | +8 | 17 | |
| 3 | Douglas Haig | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 17 | −1 | 15 | |
| 4 | Villa Mitre | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 19 | −7 | 11 | |
| 5 | Estudiantes (RC) | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 19 | −9 | 10 |
Zone B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luján de Cuyo | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 7 | +10 | 20 | Final Stage |
| 2 | Juventud Alianza | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 14 | |
| 3 | Independiente Rivadavia | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 23 | −4 | 13 | Final Stage |
| 4 | Independiente (VO) | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 14 | −5 | 11 | |
| 5 | Juventud Unida Universitario | 10 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 17 | −8 | 4 |
Notes:
- Juventud Alianza was ineligible for the Final Stage, as it was involved in relegation.
Zone C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tiro Federal | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 13 | +12 | 20 | Final Stage |
| 2 | Racing (C) | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 11 | +3 | 17 | |
| 3 | Ben Hur | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 16 | +2 | 13 | |
| 4 | General Paz Juniors | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 17 | −3 | 13 | |
| 5 | 9 de Julio (R) | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 23 | −11 | 10 |
Zone D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlético Tucumán | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 11 | +7 | 16 | Final Stage |
| 2 | Talleres (P) | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 16 | |
| 3 | Gimnasia y Tiro | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 16 | −3 | 15 | |
| 4 | Ñuñorco | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 16 | −2 | 12 | |
| 5 | 13 de Junio (P) | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 15 | −6 | 10 |
Final stage
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||||||||
| C1 | Tiro Federal | 0 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| D2 | Talleres (P) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| C1 | Tiro Federal | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| C2 | Racing (C) | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| D1 | Atlético Tucumán | 1 | 2 | 3 (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| C2 | Racing (C) (p) | 2 | 1 | 3 (5) | ||||||||||||||||
| C1 | Tiro Federal | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| B1 | Luján de Cuyo | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| B1 | Luján de Cuyo | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Cipolletti | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Aldosivi | 1 | 2 | 3 (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| B1 | Luján de Cuyo (p) | 2 | 1 | 3 (4) | ||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Aldosivi | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| B2 | Independiente Rivadavia | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
- Note: The team in the first line plays at home the second leg.
Overall standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tiro Federal | 20 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 41 | 23 | +18 | 35 | |
| 2 | Cipolletti | 20 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 44 | 30 | +14 | 35 | |
| 3 | Luján de Cuyo | 20 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 33 | 18 | +15 | 34 | |
| 4 | Aldosivi | 20 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 36 | 25 | +11 | 34 | |
| 5 | Ñuñorco | 20 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 31 | 26 | +5 | 33 | |
| 6 | Douglas Haig | 20 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 28 | 26 | +2 | 33 | |
| 7 | Atlético Tucumán | 20 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 38 | 21 | +17 | 31 | |
| 8 | Racing (C) | 20 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 22 | 18 | +4 | 31 | |
| 9 | Juventud Unida Universitario | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 25 | 28 | −3 | 28 | |
| 10 | Ben Hur | 20 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 35 | 27 | +8 | 27 | |
| 11 | Independiente Rivadavia | 20 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 35 | 36 | −1 | 27 | |
| 12 | Gimnasia y Tiro | 20 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 30 | −6 | 24 | |
| 13 | General Paz Juniors | 20 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 23 | 30 | −7 | 24 | |
| 14 | Villa Mitre | 20 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 27 | 36 | −9 | 24 | |
| 15 | 13 de Junio (P) | 20 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 20 | 34 | −14 | 24 | |
| 16 | Talleres (P) | 20 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 25 | −8 | 23 | |
| 17 | Juventud Alianza | 20 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 31 | 37 | −6 | 21 | Relegation Playoff |
| 18 | Independiente (VO) | 20 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 21 | 30 | −9 | 20 | |
| 19 | 9 de Julio (R) | 20 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 22 | 39 | −17 | 19 | Torneo Argentino B |
| 20 | Estudiantes (RC) | 20 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 20 | 33 | −13 | 17 |
Championship final
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiro Federal | 2–1 | Racing (C) | 1–1 | 1–0 |
Promotion/relegation playoff B Nacional-Torneo Argentino A
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAI | 4–3 | Racing (C) | 1–1 | 3–2 |
- CAI remained in the Primera B Nacional by winning the playoff.
Relegation playoff
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relegation/promotion playoff 1 | ||||
| Unión (S) | 6–2 | Juventud Alianza | 5–0 | 1–2 |
| Relegation/promotion playoff 2 | ||||
| Gimnasia y Esgrima (M) | 4–3 | Independiente (VO) | 3–1 | 1–2 |
- Unión (S) was promoted to 2003–04 Torneo Argentino A by winning the playoff and Juventud Alianza was relegated to 2003–04 Torneo Argentino B.
- Gimnasia y Esgrima (M) was promoted to 2003–04 Torneo Argentino A by winning the playoff and Independiente (VO) was relegated to 2003–04 Torneo Argentino B.