Iraqi First Division League
The Iraqi First Division League is a football league that is the third tier of the Iraqi football league system. The league consists of 26 teams and was founded in 1974. The number of clubs in the league have varied throughout history for various reasons.[1] The top two teams are promoted directly to the Iraqi Premier Division League, while 10 teams are relegated directly to the Iraqi Second Division League. The league is governed by the Iraq Football Association (IFA),[2] and may be introduced into the top tiers of Iraqi football that are governed by the Iraqi Pro League Association in the future.
| Founded | 1974 |
|---|---|
| Country | Iraq |
| Number of teams | 26 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Promotion to | Iraqi Premier Division League |
| Relegation to | Iraqi Second Division League |
| Domestic cup(s) | Iraq FA Cup |
| International cup(s) | AFC Champions League Two (via Iraq FA Cup) |
| Current champions | Al-Karma (2022–23) |
| Current: 2023–24 Iraqi First Division League | |
In the 2022–23 season, Al-Karma won the championship title after defeating Ghaz Al-Shamal 4–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw in the final match.[3]
Competition name
| Period | Name |
|---|---|
| 1974–1995 | National Clubs Third Division |
| 1995–1999 | Second Division League |
| 1999–2000 | Third Division League |
| 2000–2002 | Second Division League |
| 2002–2003 | Third Division League |
| 2003–2023 | Second Division League |
| 2023–present | First Division League |
Competition format (2022–23)
Schedule
The Iraqi First Division League starts with 125 clubs and ends with four qualified clubs according to three rounds.
| Round | Stage | Participating teams | Qualified teams | Qualify for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | In-governorates qualifiers | 125 | 53 | In-territories qualifiers |
| 2nd | In-territories qualifiers | 53 | 12 | Final qualifiers |
| 3rd | Final qualifiers | 12 | 4 | Promotion to the Iraqi Premier Division League |
First round
The competition begins with regional leagues, where the 125 clubs are divided into 16 groups depending on the location, except for the groups of Dohuk and Erbil, each group representing the governorate to which these clubs belong and is located within its borders.
| Rank | Governorates | Participating teams | Winners teams | Relegated teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dohuk | 1 | ||
| 2 | Nineveh | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 3 | Erbil | 2 | ||
| 4 | Kirkuk | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| 5 | Sulaymaniyah | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 6 | Saladin | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| 7 | Al-Anbar | 10 | 3 | 2 |
| 8 | Baghdad | 18 | 10 | 4 |
| 9 | Diyala | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 10 | Karbalaa | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 11 | Babil | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 12 | Wasit | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 13 | Najaf | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 14 | Al-Qādisiyyah | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 15 | Maysan | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 16 | Muthanna | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 17 | Dhi Qar | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 18 | Basra | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| TOTALS | 125 | 53 | 25 | |
Second round
The 53 teams coming from the first round are all divided into five groups by location, and these groups have sub-groups. The first from each group is considered a winner, the winning teams advance directly to the third round.
| Rank | Groups | Governorates | Participating teams | Totals teams | Winners teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Group | Dohuk | 1 | 12 | 3 |
| Nineveh | 4 | ||||
| Erbil | 2 | ||||
| Kirkuk | 3 | ||||
| Sulaymaniyah | 2 | ||||
| 2 | Western Group | Saladin | 3 | 9 | 2 |
| Al-Anbar | 3 | ||||
| Diyala | 3 | ||||
| 3 | Baghdad Group | Baghdad | 10 | 10 | 2 |
| 4 | Central Euphrates Group | Karbalaa | 2 | 9 | 2 |
| Babil | 2 | ||||
| Al-Najaf | 1 | ||||
| Al-Qādisiyyah | 2 | ||||
| Al-Muthanna | 2 | ||||
| 5 | Southern Group | Wasit | 4 | 13 | 3 |
| Maysan | 2 | ||||
| Dhi Qar | 3 | ||||
| Basra | 4 | ||||
| TOTALS | 53 | 12 | |||
Final round
The twelve qualified teams have been divided into two groups, and the first two teams from each group will be promoted to Iraqi Premier Division League. The winner of Group 1 meets the winner of Group 2 in a final match to determine the league champion.
See also
References
- "دوري الدرجة الثانية" (in Arabic). Iraq Football Association.
- "لجنة مسابقات اتحاد الكرة العراقي تحدّد موعد انطلاق دوري الدرجة الثانية" (in Arabic). Al-Mutalee. 26 October 2021.
- "الاتصالات بطلاً لدوري الدرجة الثانية بكرة القدم بعد انتصاره على فريق الحويجة في المباراة النهائية". ipoa.me (in Arabic). June 21, 2022.