Swiss Promotion League

The Promotion League, named the Hoval Promotion League for sponsorship reasons, is the third tier of the Swiss football league system. Eighteen clubs compete in the league, playing each other twice over the course of the season. The champions are promoted to the second tier, the Challenge League, while the bottom two teams are relegated to the 1. Liga.

Promotion League
Founded2012 (2012)
CountrySwitzerland
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams18
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toChallenge League
Relegation to1st League Classic
Domestic cup(s)Swiss Cup
International cup(s)UEFA Europa League (via Swiss Cup)
Current championsLuzern II
(2022–23)
Websitematchcenter.el-pl.ch
Current: 2023–24 Swiss Promotion League

The league forms the semi-professional bridge to amateur football.[1]

Overview

Eighteen teams play each other twice, once home and once away, for a total of 34 games. The season begins in August and ends in May, interrupted through a winter break from late November to early March. The team finishing in first place—subject to license requirements of professional football—will be promoted to the division above, in turn the last-placed team of the second division will be relegated for the following season. Similarly, the bottom two teams are relegated to the fourth tier and replaced respectively.[2]

It is the highest league in Switzerland that permits participation of reserve teams.

History

The league was introduced as the 1. Liga Promotion beginning with the 2012–13 season as part of a restructuring that saw the Challenge League reduced from 16 to 10 teams. This was done to decrease the competitive gap between it and the Super League by converting it to a purely professional league. The Promotion League would therefore serve as the semi-professional link to amateur football.[3] The 1. Liga was consequently renamed to 1. Liga Classic, before reverting again in 2013 when the former adopted its current name. For its maiden season, six teams were relegated from the Challenge League, while the rest joined from the division below.[4][5] In March 2020, the ongoing season was canceled after 17 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020–21 season suspended until further notice.[6][7]

The league was expanded to 18 teams for the 2022–23 season and the number of allowed U21 teams is unrestricted.[8]

Participating clubs
Location of the 2023–24 Promotion League teams

Current clubs in 2023–24

League champions

The following teams have won the league:[9]

Season Club
2012–13 FC Schaffhausen
2013–14 FC Le Mont
2014–15 Neuchâtel Xamax
2015–16 Servette Genève
2016–17 FC Rapperswil-Jona
2017–18 SC Kriens
2018–19 FC Stade Lausanne Ouchy
2019–20 None[lower-alpha 1]
2020–21 Yverdon-Sport FC
2021–22 AC Bellinzona[lower-alpha 2]
2022–23 Luzern II
2023–24 TBD
  1. The 2019–20 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  2. Breitenrain was refused a license and withdrew its appeal alongside the license application. License holder and second-placed AC Bellinzona was promoted instead, but FC Breitenrain Bern was runner-up and AC Bellinzona crowned champions.

References
  1. "Wettspielreglement der Ersten Liga (WR)" (PDF) (in Swiss High German).
  2. "Schweiz » Promotion League 2015/2016 » 30. Spieltag" [Switzerland: 1. Liga Promotion »2015–16]. weltfussball.de (in German). Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  3. "Die Dreiviertelfrage". Walliser Bote (in German). 6 May 2011.
  4. "Promotion League: Neuer Name". Walliser Bote (in German). 28 October 2013.
  5. "Challenge League wird reduziert". fussball.ch (in German). 12 November 2010.
  6. "Verbot von Kontaktsportarten - Promotion League und 1. Liga unterbrechen Saison". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 28 October 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  7. "Erste Liga - Spielbetrieb". el-pl.ch. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  8. "Der SFV reformiert die Spielklassenstruktur und baut die Nachwuchsförderung weiter aus" (in German). SFV. 2021-11-29. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  9. "Schweiz » Promotion League » Siegerliste" [Switzerland: 1. Liga Promotion » List of champions]. weltfussball.de (in German). Retrieved 26 May 2016.
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