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The following is a list of association football leagues which do not or did not have a promotion and relegation process.
Leagues within the scope of this list are:
- Top-tier football leagues with no relegation system
- In countries without lower-tier leagues
- In countries with lower-tier leagues not integrated to the top-tier league; closed model
- Recognized Division II or lower leagues without promotion and relegation.
Excluded are:
- Any Division II or lower leagues with promotion but without relegation
Leagues
Current
Top tier leagues
League | Country | Confederation | First season | Without relegation since |
---|---|---|---|---|
A-League Men | Australia, New Zealand | AFC / OFC | 2005–06 | 2005 |
A-League Women | Australia, New Zealand | AFC / OFC | 2008–09 | 2008 |
Canadian Premier League | Canada | CONCACAF | 2019 | 2019 |
Gibraltar National League | Gibraltar | UEFA | 2019–20 | 2019–20 |
Liga MX | Mexico | CONCACAF | 1943 | 2019-20 |
New Zealand National League | New Zealand | OFC | 2021 | 2021 |
Papua New Guinea National Soccer League | Papua New Guinea | OFC | 2006 | 2006 |
Philippine Football League | Philippines | AFC | 2017 | 2017 |
PFF Women's League | Philippines | AFC | 2016–17 | 2016–17 |
Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio | San Marino | UEFA | 1985–86 | 1995–96 |
Singapore Premier League | Singapore | AFC | 1996 | 1996 |
Sri Lanka Super League | Sri Lanka | AFC | 2021 | 2021 |
Major League Soccer | United States, Canada | CONCACAF | 1996 | 1996 |
National Women's Soccer League | United States | CONCACAF | 2013 | 2013 |
USL Super League | United States | CONCACAF | 2024–25 | 2024–25 |
Notes
- Gibraltar Second Division was dissolved at the end of 2018–19 season; all remaining teams were included in the new Gibraltar National League.
- Ascenso MX was dissolved at the end of 2019–20 season, introducing the new Liga de Expansión MX.
- Serie A2, the second-tier of Sanmarinese football was dissolved at the end of 1994–95 season; all teams were included in the new Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio.
- ^ The NWSL and USL Super League are both officially sanctioned as top-level women's leagues.
Lower division leagues
League | Division | Country | Confederation | First season | Without promotion since |
Next highest league | Relegation to |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Premier Leagues | 2 | Australia | AFC | 2005–06 | 2005 | A-League Men | Various (State-level leagues) |
USL Championship | 2 | United States | CONCACAF | 2017 | 2017 | Major League Soccer | None |
Liga de Expansión MX | 2 | Mexico | CONCACAF | 2020–21 | 2020–21 | Liga MX | Serie A |
MLS Next Pro | 3 | United States Canada |
CONCACAF | 2022 | 2022 | USL Championship | None |
National Independent Soccer Association | 3 | United States | CONCACAF | 2019–20 | 2019–20 | USL Championship | None |
USL League One | 3 | United States | CONCACAF | 2019 | 2019 | USL Championship | None |
- Established in 2011 as USL Pro; rebranded as United Soccer League (USL) in 2015 and the USL Championship in 2019.
- The USL Championship featured teams from Canada as late as 2019, but all teams since that season have been US-based.
- First season as second-level league.
- Ascenso MX was dissolved at the end of 2019–20 season, introducing the new Liga de Expansión MX.
Defunct or inactive
Top tier leagues
League | Country | Confederation | First season | Last season | Years without relegation |
Relegation to |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Soccer League | Australia | OFC | 1977 | 2003–04 | 1977–2004 | None (underperforming clubs were de facto relegated to the state leagues but there was no set criterion for relegation) |
Philippine Premier League | Philippines | AFC | 2019 | 2019 | 2019 | None |
United Football League | Philippines | AFC | 2010 | 2016 | 2016 | United Football League Division 2 (2010–2015) |
North American Soccer League (1968–84) | United States Canada |
CONCACAF | 1968 | 1984 | 1968–1984 | None |
Women's Professional Soccer | United States | CONCACAF | 2009 | 2011 | 2009–2011 | None |
Women's United Soccer Association | United States | CONCACAF | 2001 | 2003 | 2001–2003 | None |
BeNe League | Belgium Netherlands |
UEFA | 2012-13 | 2014-15 | 2012-2015 | None |
Chinese Women's Super League (1997-2010) National Women's Football League (2011-2014) |
China | AFC | 1997 | 2014 | 1997-2013 | National Women's Football League (Early years) |
Lower division leagues
League | Division | Country | Confederation | First season | Last season | Years without promotion |
Next highest league |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North American Soccer League | 2 | United States Puerto Rico |
CONCACAF | 2011 | 2017 | 2011–2017 | Major League Soccer |
USSF Division 2 Professional League | 2 | United States Canada Puerto Rico |
CONCACAF | 2010 | 2010 | Major League Soccer | |
USL Pro / United Soccer League | 3 | United States Canada |
CONCACAF | 2011 | 2016 | 2011–2016 | North American Soccer League |
- The USL organization dropped "Pro" from the league branding in advance of the 2015 season.
- Last season as third-level league. In 2017, the USL was granted second-division status alongside the NASL; it became the sole second-level league in 2018 and was renamed the USL Championship in 2019.
References
- Thomas, Josh (29 March 2018). "Neil Kilkenny calls for promotion and relegation in the A-League". Goal. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
- ^ Marshall, Tom (17 April 2020). "Mexico's Liga MX suspends promotion-relegation for next five years". ESPN. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- "New Zealand Football National Competitions Review September 2015" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 November 2018.
- "Sri Lanka takes first steps towards establishing professional league". FIFA. 17 February 2022.
- Pitt-Brooke, Jack (3 March 2018). "MLS stands alone as a closed shop in the world of football. Meet the two men trying to change that". The Independent. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
- Guerrero, Bob (13 January 2016). "What to expect in Philippine football in 2016". Rappler. Retrieved 13 January 2016.