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.

During season 2007/08 there are a total of 56 different divisions ("groups" as they are officially called) recognised and organised by the Bulgarian Football Union, the Bulgarian Professional Football League and the Bulgarian Amateur Football League.

History

The first organised national tournament was founded in 1924. It was called the National championship ( _bg. 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 ( _bg. „А“ Републиканска футболна група) was founded, a new national top division. The second level of the football league system - the B Republican Football Group ( _bg. „Б“ Републиканска футболна група) was founded two years later. The lower levels of the pyramid - V Republican Football Group ( _bg. „В“ Републиканска футболна група) and below - were structured in 1959.

This system (with minor changes during the years) existed until year 2000. Then experimentally a new Bulgarian Premier Football League ( _bg. Висша лига по футбол) was founded replacing A Football Group. B Football Group was replaced by the new Bulgarian First Football League ( _bg. 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.

The system

The Bulgarian football league system during season 2007/08 consists of 56 different divisions forming 5 levels of the system [ [http://www.bfunion.bg/get_file.php?file=./admin/files/1162478047Naredba.pdf Bulgarian Football Union Regulation on the Divisions and Cup Tournaments for Season 2006/07] , visited on 22.11.2007] [ [http://tournaments.bfunion.bg/index.php Bulgarian Football Union Information System] , visited on 22.11.2007] :

Level	Group(s)
1	A Football Group "16 teams"
2	West B Football Group "14 teams"		East B Football Group "14 teams"
3	North-West V Amateur Football Group "16 teams"	South-West V Amateur Football Group "20 teams"	North-East V Amateur Football Group "18 teams"	South-East V Amateur Football Group "18 teams"
4	Regional Football Groups (Oblast Football Groups - OFG) "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 София (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 Regional Football Groups (B Oblast Football Groups - OFG) "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

References

External links

* [http://www.bulgarian-football.com bulgarian-football.com] - information, results, fixtures and tables from all levels of Bulgarian club football
* [http://tournaments.bfunion.bg/index.php Bulgarian Football Union Information System] - includes information, results, fixtures and tables from the lower levels of Bulgarian club football (levels 3-5)