2019 Eliteserien Promotion/Relegation play-offs
# 2019 Eliteserien Promotion/Relegation play-offs

The 2019 Eliteserien Promotion/Relagetion play-offs was the 46th time a spot in the Eliteserien was decided by play-off matches between top tier and second level clubs. In the play-offs, five teams competed for one spot in the 2020 Eliteserien.

At the end of the 2019 season, Tromsø and Ranheim were relegated directly to 2020 1. divisjon, and were replaced by Aalesund and Sandefjord who were directly promoted.

## Format change

The 2019 season was marked by a change to the format of the qualification rounds for the 1. divisjon teams. In previous seasons, the first two knockout-rounds began with the four teams in the 1. divisjon playing single-legged rounds with home advantage for the best placed team: 3rd v 6th and 4th v 5th, and the winner then played each other to determine who would meet the Eliteserien club in the final. Following these changes, the first round would be played 5th v 6th, and the winner would advance to play away to 4th in the second round. The winner of the second round would advance to play away to 3rd in the third round. The winner of the third round would meet the 14th placed team in Eliteserien in a two-legged final.

## Background

The play-offs between Eliteserien and 1. divisjon have been held every year since 1972 with exceptions in 1994 and 2011. They take place for the two divisions following the conclusion of the regular season and are contested by the fourteenth-placed club in Eliteserien and the four clubs finishing below the automatic promotion places in the 1. divisjon. The fixtures are determined by final league position – the first round will be played 5th v 6th, and the winner will advance to play away to 4th in the second round. The winner of the second round will advance to play away to 3rd in the third round. The winner of the third round will meet the 14th placed team in Eliteserien in a two-legged final.

## Qualified teams

Five teams entered a play-off for the last Eliteserien spot for the 2020 season. These were:

* Lillestrøm (14th placed team in Eliteserien)
* Start (third placed team in the 1. divisjon)
* KFUM Oslo (fourth placed team in the 1. divisjon)
* Kongsvinger (fifth placed team in the 1. divisjon)
* Sogndal (sixth placed team in the 1. divisjon)

### Matches

The third to sixth-placed teams take part in the promotion play-offs; these are single leg knockout matches, three rounds involving 1. divisjon teams and a final between the winner of these rounds and the fourteenth-placed team in Eliteserien.

Final league position – 1. divisjon :

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | Start | 30 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 54 | 31 | +23 | 62 |
| 4 | KFUM | 30 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 58 | 42 | +16 | 48 |
| 5 | Kongsvinger | 30 | 14 | 4 | 12 | 37 | 36 | +1 | 46 |
| 6 | Sogndal | 30 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 51 | 38 | +13 | 45 |

**Final**

The 14th-placed team in Eliteserien, Lillestrøm, will play a two-legged play-off against Start, the winners of the 1. divisjon promotion play-offs, to decide who will play in the 2020 Eliteserien.

The tie ended with a 5–5 draw on aggregate, Start won on the away goals rule and retained promoted to Eliteserien.

## Bracket

| First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Final round | Final round | Final round |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | 3 | Start (a) | 2 |
| | | | | | | 3 | Start | 1 | 14 | Lillestrøm | 1 |
| | | | 4 | KFUM Oslo | 2 | 4 | KFUM Oslo | 0 | | | |
| 5 | Kongsvinger | 1 | 5 | Kongsvinger | 0 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Sogndal | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
