Bulgarian football league system
# Bulgarian football league system

The Bulgarian football league system or the Bulgarian football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in Bulgaria. The system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels, and allows even the smallest club to dream of rising to the very top of the system.

## History

The first organised national tournament was founded in 1924. It was called the National championship (Bulgarian: Държавно първенство). The teams taking part in the tournament were separated in different regional divisions and the winners of each division then played for the Championship title via play-offs.

In 1948, A Republican Football Group (Bulgarian: „А“ Републиканска футболна група) was founded, a new national top division. The second level of the football league system - the B Republican Football Group (Bulgarian: „Б“ Републиканска футболна група) was founded two years later. The lower levels of the pyramid - V Republican Football Group (Bulgarian: „В“ Републиканска футболна група) and below - were structured in 1959.

This system (with minor changes during the years) existed until 2000. Then experimentally a new Bulgarian Premier Football League (Bulgarian: Висша лига по футбол) was founded replacing A Football Group. B Football Group was replaced by the new Bulgarian First Football League (Bulgarian: Първа лига по футбол). But these changes lasted for just three years - in 2003 the old A and B Football Groups were restored at the top of the football pyramid.

From 2016, the top level league name was changed to First Professional Football League and B Group name to Second Professional Football League.

## Structure

Currently the Bulgarian football league system consists of 55 different divisions forming 5 levels of the pyramid:

| Level | League/Group | League/Group | League/Group | League/Group |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Professional Leagues | Professional Leagues | Professional Leagues | Professional Leagues |
| 1 | First League 16 clubs ↓ 2 relegation spots + 1 relegation playoff spot | First League 16 clubs ↓ 2 relegation spots + 1 relegation playoff spot | First League 16 clubs ↓ 2 relegation spots + 1 relegation playoff spot | First League 16 clubs ↓ 2 relegation spots + 1 relegation playoff spot |
| 2 | Second League 18 clubs ↑ 2 promotion spot + 1 promotion playoff spots ↓ 4 relegation spots | Second League 18 clubs ↑ 2 promotion spot + 1 promotion playoff spots ↓ 4 relegation spots | Second League 18 clubs ↑ 2 promotion spot + 1 promotion playoff spots ↓ 4 relegation spots | Second League 18 clubs ↑ 2 promotion spot + 1 promotion playoff spots ↓ 4 relegation spots |
| | Non-professional Leagues | Non-professional Leagues | Non-professional Leagues | Non-professional Leagues |
| 3 | North-East Third League 15 clubs ↑ 1 promotion spot ↓ 1 relegation spot + 2 relegation playoff spots | North-West Third League 16 clubs ↑ 1 promotion spot ↓ 1 relegation spot + 3 relegation playoff spots | South-East Third League 20 clubs ↑ 1 promotion spot ↓ 2 relegation spots + 3 relegation playoff spots | South-West Third League 22 clubs ↑ 1 promotion spot ↓ 2 to 5 relegation spots |
| 4 | A OFGs (A OFGs - A Oblast Football Groups) 39 in total (all divisions run in parallel): A OFG Blagoevgrad Struma A OFG Blagoevgrad Bistritsa A OFG Blagoevgrad Mesta A OFG Burgas A OFG Varna A OFG Veliko Tarnovo A OFG Vidin A OFG Vratsa A OFG Gabrovo West A OFG Gabrovo East A OFG Dobrich West A OFG Dobrich East A OFG Kardzhali A OFG Kyustendil Osogovo A OFG Kyustendil Rila A OFG Lovech A OFG Montana A OFG Pazardzhik A OFG Pernik North A OFG Pernik South A OFG Pleven A OFG Plovdiv A OFG Razgrad A OFG Rousse West A OFG Rousse East A OFG Silistra A OFG Sliven A OFG Smolyan A OFG Sofia (capital) North A OFG Sofia (capital) South A OFG Sofia West A OFG Sofia East A OFG Stara Zagora A OFG Targovishte East A OFG Targovishte Middle A OFG Targovishte West A OFG Haskovo A OFG Shumen A OFG Yambol | A OFGs (A OFGs - A Oblast Football Groups) 39 in total (all divisions run in parallel): A OFG Blagoevgrad Struma A OFG Blagoevgrad Bistritsa A OFG Blagoevgrad Mesta A OFG Burgas A OFG Varna A OFG Veliko Tarnovo A OFG Vidin A OFG Vratsa A OFG Gabrovo West A OFG Gabrovo East A OFG Dobrich West A OFG Dobrich East A OFG Kardzhali A OFG Kyustendil Osogovo A OFG Kyustendil Rila A OFG Lovech A OFG Montana A OFG Pazardzhik A OFG Pernik North A OFG Pernik South A OFG Pleven A OFG Plovdiv A OFG Razgrad A OFG Rousse West A OFG Rousse East A OFG Silistra A OFG Sliven A OFG Smolyan A OFG Sofia (capital) North A OFG Sofia (capital) South A OFG Sofia West A OFG Sofia East A OFG Stara Zagora A OFG Targovishte East A OFG Targovishte Middle A OFG Targovishte West A OFG Haskovo A OFG Shumen A OFG Yambol | A OFGs (A OFGs - A Oblast Football Groups) 39 in total (all divisions run in parallel): A OFG Blagoevgrad Struma A OFG Blagoevgrad Bistritsa A OFG Blagoevgrad Mesta A OFG Burgas A OFG Varna A OFG Veliko Tarnovo A OFG Vidin A OFG Vratsa A OFG Gabrovo West A OFG Gabrovo East A OFG Dobrich West A OFG Dobrich East A OFG Kardzhali A OFG Kyustendil Osogovo A OFG Kyustendil Rila A OFG Lovech A OFG Montana A OFG Pazardzhik A OFG Pernik North A OFG Pernik South A OFG Pleven A OFG Plovdiv A OFG Razgrad A OFG Rousse West A OFG Rousse East A OFG Silistra A OFG Sliven A OFG Smolyan A OFG Sofia (capital) North A OFG Sofia (capital) South A OFG Sofia West A OFG Sofia East A OFG Stara Zagora A OFG Targovishte East A OFG Targovishte Middle A OFG Targovishte West A OFG Haskovo A OFG Shumen A OFG Yambol | A OFGs (A OFGs - A Oblast Football Groups) 39 in total (all divisions run in parallel): A OFG Blagoevgrad Struma A OFG Blagoevgrad Bistritsa A OFG Blagoevgrad Mesta A OFG Burgas A OFG Varna A OFG Veliko Tarnovo A OFG Vidin A OFG Vratsa A OFG Gabrovo West A OFG Gabrovo East A OFG Dobrich West A OFG Dobrich East A OFG Kardzhali A OFG Kyustendil Osogovo A OFG Kyustendil Rila A OFG Lovech A OFG Montana A OFG Pazardzhik A OFG Pernik North A OFG Pernik South A OFG Pleven A OFG Plovdiv A OFG Razgrad A OFG Rousse West A OFG Rousse East A OFG Silistra A OFG Sliven A OFG Smolyan A OFG Sofia (capital) North A OFG Sofia (capital) South A OFG Sofia West A OFG Sofia East A OFG Stara Zagora A OFG Targovishte East A OFG Targovishte Middle A OFG Targovishte West A OFG Haskovo A OFG Shumen A OFG Yambol |
| 5 | B OFGs (B OFGs - B Oblast Football Groups) 10 in total (all divisions run in parallel): B OFG Burgas North B OFG Burgas South B OFG Veliko Tarnovo B OFG Pazardzhik North B OFG Pazardzhik South B OFG Pleven West B OFG Pleven East B OFG Plovdiv North B OFG Plovdiv Centre B OFG Plovdiv South | B OFGs (B OFGs - B Oblast Football Groups) 10 in total (all divisions run in parallel): B OFG Burgas North B OFG Burgas South B OFG Veliko Tarnovo B OFG Pazardzhik North B OFG Pazardzhik South B OFG Pleven West B OFG Pleven East B OFG Plovdiv North B OFG Plovdiv Centre B OFG Plovdiv South | B OFGs (B OFGs - B Oblast Football Groups) 10 in total (all divisions run in parallel): B OFG Burgas North B OFG Burgas South B OFG Veliko Tarnovo B OFG Pazardzhik North B OFG Pazardzhik South B OFG Pleven West B OFG Pleven East B OFG Plovdiv North B OFG Plovdiv Centre B OFG Plovdiv South | B OFGs (B OFGs - B Oblast Football Groups) 10 in total (all divisions run in parallel): B OFG Burgas North B OFG Burgas South B OFG Veliko Tarnovo B OFG Pazardzhik North B OFG Pazardzhik South B OFG Pleven West B OFG Pleven East B OFG Plovdiv North B OFG Plovdiv Centre B OFG Plovdiv South |
