PFF League

The Pakistan Football Federation League B Division (Urdu: پاکستان فٹ بال فیڈریشن لیگ; abbreviated: PFFL) is a Pakistani professional league for men's football departments and clubs which are in the Pakistan football league system, and is the country's second-tier competition. Contested by 18 departments and clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the top-tier Pakistan Premier League.

PFFL B Division
Organising bodyPakistan Football Federation
Founded2004 (2004)
CountryPakistan
ConfederationAFC
Number of teams18
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toPakistan Premier League
Domestic cup(s)PFF National Challenge Cup
Current championsBaloch Quetta (club phase)
Masha United (departmental phase)
(2020)
Most championshipsPakistan Railways (2 titles)
TV partnersPTV Sports
Geo Super
Current: 2020

Each season, the two top-finishing teams from the PFFL's club phase and the departmental phase are automatically promoted to the Pakistan Premier League, and the winner of the final between club phase and departmental phase is crowned as the PFF League champion.

Pakistan Railways is the only club to have won the PFF League two times - their first in 2005–06 and the second in 2013–14. Current champions, Pakistan Navy are the only club to gain promotion to Pakistan Premier League after just one season in the PFF League, as they were relegated at the end of 2013–14 and won the PFF League in 2014–15. Baloch Quetta (club phase) and Masha United (departmental phase) are the current champions.

History

PFF League was founded in the 2004 to serve as the second division for the newly re-branded Pakistan Premier League. The league's name was originally planned as 'National League Division B'.

Its inaugural season was won by National Bank and Pakistan Public Works Department were the runners-up. Baloch Quetta is the team that has spent the most time in the PFF League, a total of 9 nine seasons.

In February 2020, after six years, Pakistan Football Federation announced the 2020 edition of the PFF League to be held across 4 cities (Quetta, Faisalabad, Karachi, and Lahore).

In 2021, the Pakistan Football Federation signed a partnership with Global Soccer Ventures to launch the Pakistan Football League (PFL), a franchised based football league which will be the main and sole professional football league of Pakistan and will be the country's first tier professional football league within the Pakistan football league system - the PFL will be independent of the semi-professional PPL (current Tier 1) and PFFL (current Tier 2).[1]

Promotion

The teams which win the PFF League are promoted to the Pakistan Premier League, the first division of Pakistani football.

Structure of the league

The league comprises more than 10 teams with club teams playing in the club leg while the departmental clubs which play through department phase group stages. Winner from both the phases earns promotion to upcoming season of Pakistan Premier League and face each other in the finals to determine the winner of PFF League.

Names
Season Name
2004–2007 PFF National League
2007–present PFF League

2020 clubs
Team Location
Aqua Pure Water FC Lahore
Atletico Academy Lahore Lahore
Gwadar Port Authority Gwadar
Hazara Coal Karachi
Insaf Afghan Goods Lahore
Jeay Laal Thatta
Karachi United Karachi
Lyallpur Faisalabad
Masha United Faisalabad
PACA Chaman
Pakistan Police Quetta
Pakistan Railways Lahore
Pakistan Steel Karachi
Sindh Government Press Karachi
Social Welfare Karachi
Wohaib Lahore
Young Ittefaq Chaman

Results

Champions and runners-up
Season Champions Score Runner-up
2004–05[2] National Bank 1–1[lower-alpha 1] Pakistan Public Works Department
2005–06[3] Pakistan Railways 1–0 K-Electric
2006[4] Pakistan Television 4–0 PMC Athletico Faisalabad
2007–08[5] Pak Elektron 1–1[lower-alpha 2] Pakistan Steel
2008–09[6] Baloch Nushki 1–0 Pakistan Air Force
2009–10[7] Sui Southern Gas 1–0 Young Blood
2010[8] Pakistan Police 2–1 Muslim
2011[9] Zarai Taraqiati 3–1 Wohaib
2012[10] Pak Afghan Clearing 0–0 (4–3p) Lyallpur
2013[11] Pakistan Railways 2–0 Baloch Quetta
2014[12] Pakistan Navy 1–0 Baloch Nushki
Qualified
2020[13] Baloch Quetta, Masha United, Karachi United, Gwadar Port Authority

Relegated teams (from PPL to PFFL)
Season Clubs
2004–05 Allied Bank (48)[lower-alpha 3], Young XI DIK (25), Mauripiur Baloch (22), Baloch Quetta (20), Naka Muhammaden (15), Mardan (10)
2005–06 Panther Club (20), Pakistan Public Works Department (12)
2006–07 Habib Bank (12)[lower-alpha 4], Pakistan Telecommunication (0)[lower-alpha 5]
2007–08 Pakistan Railways (19), Wohaib (8)
2008–09 Pakistan Steel (26), Pakistan Television (5)
2009–10 PMC Athletico (21), Baloch Nushki (8)
2010–11 Sui Southern Gas (20), Young Blood (18)
2011–12 Pakistan Police (24), Pak Elektron (8)
2012–13 PMC Athletico (25), Wohaib (8)
2013–14 Habib Bank (35), Pakistan Navy (35), Lyallpur (26), Pak Afghan Clearing (24), Baloch Nushki (20), Zarai Tarqiati (17)
2014–15 Pakistan Railways (10), Baloch Quetta (4)
2018–19 Karachi Port Trust (18), Baloch Nushki (6), Ashraf Sugar Mills (0)[lower-alpha 6], Pakistan Airlines (0)[lower-alpha 7]

Notes
  1. National Bank declared winners on league position.
  2. Pak Elektron declared winners on league position.
  3. Originally, Panther Club finished in the relegation zone 12th and Allied Bank finished 8th, four places above relegation, but Allied Bank were to be dissolved after the end of the season therefore they got relegated in place of Panther Club as Panther were the best placed team in the relegation zone.
  4. The Pakistan Football Federation expanded the 2007–08 Pakistan Premier League from 14 to 16 teams, therefore Habib Bank was saved from relegation, even though they finished in the relegation zone
  5. Pakistan Telecommunication was dissolved by the parent organisation PTCL, therefore they got relegated without playing a game.
  6. Ashraf Sugar Mills withdrew from league after playing 10 games, therefore all of their matches results were annulled and got relegated.
  7. Pakistan Airlines withdrew from league and got relegated.

References
  1. Dawn.com (2021-08-03). "PFF signs deal to launch 'Pakistan's first franchise-based domestic league'". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  2. "Pakistan Second Level 2004". RSSSF. 1 November 2005. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  3. "Pakistan Second Level 2005". RSSSF. 5 September 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  4. "Pakistan Second Level 2006". RSSSF. 2 August 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  5. "Pakistan Second Level 2007". RSSSF. 31 July 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  6. "Pakistan Second Level 2008". RSSSF. 16 July 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  7. "Pakistan Second Level 2009". RSSSF. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  8. "Pakistan Second Level 2010". RSSSF. 10 January 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  9. "Category: PFF League 2011–12". Football Pakistan. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  10. "Category: PFF League 2012–13". Football Pakistan. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  11. "2ND DIVISION". Soccerway. 28 December 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  12. "B Division". Football Pakistan. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  13. Editorial Staff. "PFF League begins 10 March – FootballPakistan.com (FPDC)". Retrieved 2020-03-02.
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