División de Honor Juvenil de Fútbol

The División de Honor Juvenil is the top level of the Spanish football league system for youth players 18 years old and under. The División de Honor is administered by the RFEF through the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Aficionado (LNFA). FC Barcelona Juvenil A are the current champions after winning the championship in 2010-11 season.

Format

The División de Honor begins the first weekend in September and ends in April or May. The División de Honor's season is similar to the senior players' La Liga playing a double round-robin points based system. There are seven groups of 16 teams. The teams with the most points in each group are declared champion of its group and advance to the Copa de Campeones Juvenil de Fútbol. The last 4 placed teams (13th-16th) of each group are relegated to the Liga Nacional.

History

Created in 1986, the División de Honor Sub-19 was originally a national league with 16 teams. However, traveling across the country caused financial hardships for some clubs. Real Valladolid (in 1993), and Las Palmas and Espanyol (in 1994) dropped out of the league. Real Madrid withdrew from the league in 1994 when their second reserve team Real Madrid C kept their status in the Segunda División B. 15 teams played in 1994-95 and the league was disbanded. In 1995, the RFEF reorganized the División de Honor into a six regional based groups and created a new tournament to crown the overall youth champion of Spain.

Teams 2008-09 season

Main article: División de Honor Juvenil Groups and Teams

Copa de Campeones de Juvenil

Main article: Copa de Campeones Juvenil de Fútbol

The Copa de Campeones is a two phrase tournament that starts a week after the end of the División de Honor held at a site selected by the RFEF. The first phrase is played in two mini-leagues of three teams; each team plays the other two in its group in a 90 minute match. The two group winners meet in the Final.

Campeonato de España de Juveniles

Main article: Copa del Rey Juvenil de Fútbol

History

Established in 1950, the Campeonato de España was Spain's top tournament for youth teams for over thirty years. Barcelona won the first cup, Copa de Su Excelencia Generalísimo or Copa del Generalísimo and has won the most Spanish Cups.Since 1976, teams are playing for the Copa de Su Majestad El Rey Don Juan Carlos I or Copa del Rey.

Format

Since 1995, the Campeonato de España/Copa del Rey started a week after the Copa de Campeones and is played in four rounds. 16 División de Honor teams qualify; one team from the Canarias group and the top three from the other five groups. The first round, Quarterfinal and Semifinal are played in two legs and the Final is one match at a neutral site.

Restructuring

2005-06

For the 2005-06 season, the RFEF reorganized Grupo IV of División de Honor as the Andaluza Group similar to the Canarias have in Grupo VI. Teams from the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla also included.

2006-07

For the 2006-07 season, the RFEF added another 16-team regional group.

Copa de Campeones

The seven group winners will be drawn into Group A with three teams or Group B with four. Group A will retain the traditional schedule: Day 1=A1 vs A3; Day 2=A2 vs loser Day 1/A3 if tied; Day 3=A2 vs winner Day 1/A1 if tied. Group B will be a knockout tournament: Day 1=B1 vs B2 & B3 vs B4; Day 2=no matches; Day 3=B1/B2 winner vs B3/B4 winner. Day 4=Final

Campeonato de España/Copa del Rey

• 16 teams qualify:
  • 7 group winners
  • 7 group runners-up
  • 2 best third place

2011-12

Copa de Campeones

The seven group winners and the best runner-up will be drawn into two groups of four teams. Both groups will a knockout tournament: Day 1= Quarterfinal:Team1 vs Team2 & Team3 vs Team4; Day 2=no matches; Day 3= Semifinal:T1/T2 winner vs T3/T4 winner; Day 4&5=no matches; Day 6= Final: Group A winner vs Group B winner.

Each team nominates an 18-man roster. There are no replacements for sickness or injury even if it is a goalkeeper.

External links

• Group 1 — Group 2 —Group 3 — Group 4 —Group 5 — Group 6 —Group 7