Dutch football league system

The Dutch football league system consists of two fully professional leagues (Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie), one semi-professional level (Tweede Divisie) and seven levels of amateur football leagues, the highest of which is called Derde Divisie, formerly Topklasse. All the leagues are connected by a promotion and relegation system, but in order to be promoted to the Eerste Divisie a club has to submit a solid business plan to be approved by the Royal Dutch Football Association, as well as meet certain stadium demands, and some other demands that the football association stated for all the teams in the top two leagues. That way it was possible that the IJsselmeervogels won the 2010–11 Topklasse, but was not promoted, because they did not want to be bound to these demands. FC Oss was promoted instead. The Football Association obliges every team from the two fully professional leagues to contract 16 players full-time, in order to keep these leagues fully professional. In 2016 Tweede Divisie was reintroduced as a semi-professional level and placed between the Eerste Divisie and the Derde Divisie.[1]

Before the introduction of the Derde Divisie

While they are largely interconnected by way of relegations and promotions, until 2010 it was not possible to be relegated to the Hoofdklasse from the second professional league. In order for an amateur club to be promoted to the professional leagues, it had to submit a solid business plan, as well as meet certain stadium demands, and the demands that the Football Association stated for all the teams in the top two leagues. Because the teams in the Hoofdklasse were becoming more and more semi-professional, and more and more teams were making the step to fully professional football, it was decided to form a new level between the Hoofdklasse and the Eerste Divisie, then called the Topklasse consisting of a group for Saturday and a group for Sunday, starting from the seasons 2010/2011 to 2015/2016. The Eerste Divisie, consisting of twenty teams back then was reduced to 18 teams, with the two teams that finished last in the 2009–10 Eerste Divisie relegating to the new level. Because of the bankruptcy of HFC Haarlem, the Netherlands' oldest football club, only FC Oss was relegated. After the first season FC Oss promoted back to the Eerste Divisie because Topklasse-champion IJsselmeervogels refused to meet the football association's demands. Almere City FC should have been relegated that season, but stayed in the Eerste Divisie because of the bankruptcy of RBC Roosendaal. This results in the fact that in the current competition there's no mixing anymore between the teams that were competing in the Eerste Divisie and Hoofklasse before the introduction of the Topklasse and later, the reintroduction of the Tweede Divisie and renaming of the Topklasse as Derde Divisie.

Men

Level

Level Name

League(s)/Division(s)

1

Eredivisie

Eredivisie
18 clubs

2

Eerste Divisie

Eerste Divisie
20 clubs

3

Tweede Divisie

Tweede Divisie
18 clubs

4

Derde Divisie

Saturday Group
18 clubs

Sunday Group
18 clubs

5

Hoofdklasse

Saturday A
16 clubs

Saturday B
16 clubs

Sunday A
16 clubs

Sunday B
16 clubs

6 Eerste Klasse West I West II South I South II East North
Sat.1A

14 clubs

 Sun.1A

14 clubs

 Sat.1B

14 clubs

 Sun.1B

14 clubs

 Sat.1C

14 clubs

 Sun.1C

14 clubs

 Sun.1D

14 clubs

 Sat.1D

14 clubs

 Sun.1E

14 clubs

 Sat.1E

14 clubs

 Sun.1F

14 clubs

7 Tweede Klasse West I West II South I South II East North
2 Groups 2 Groups 2 Groups 2 Groups 4 Groups 4 Groups
8 Derde Klasse West I West II South I South II East North
4 Groups 4 Groups 4 Groups 2 Groups 8 Groups 8 Groups
9 Vierde Klasse West I West II South I South II East North
15 Groups 9 Groups 12 Groups 8 Groups 12 Groups 8 Groups
10 Vijfde Klasse West I West II South I South II East North
5 Groups 4 Groups 9 Groups 8 Groups 11 Groups

[2]

Professional leagues

Semi-professional league

Until 1971, when it was discontinued, a Tweede Divisie (English: Second Division) also existed, comparable to the former Topklasse. The champion of the Eerste Divisie is promoted directly to the Eredivisie, the team finishing lowest in the Eredivisie is relegated to the Eerste Divisie. the teams finishing 16th and 17th in the Eredivisie compete in promotion and relegation play-offs with 8 teams from the Eerste Divisie, in which the teams from the Eredivisie and the four best teams from the Eerste Divisie play two rounds, and the other four teams play three rounds. The Tweede Divisie was reintroduced in 2016, decrementing the Topklasse and lower leagues by a level in the pyramid.[1]

Amateur leagues

The highest league is called Derde Divisie (formerly Topklasse), which is then followed by six numbered amateur leagues. Since 2016, reserve teams participate in these leagues, as they no longer have leagues of their own.

Women

Until 2007 the Hoofdklasse was the top division. From 2007 the Eredivisie was the top division until 2011 when the BeNe League was created. In 2011/12 the topklasse was created above the Hoofklasse. Since 2015 the Eredivisie again is the top level league, as the BeNe League was ended. The Hoofdklasse plays its matches on two different days per division.

Level

League(s)/Division(s)

1

Eredivisie
7 clubs

2

Topklasse
12 clubs

3

Hoofdklasse Saturday
12 clubs

Hoofdklasse Sunday
12 clubs

4

Eerste Klasse
Group A 12 clubs

Eerste Klasse
Group B 12 clubs

Eerste Klasse
Group C 12 clubs

Eerste Klasse
Group D 12 clubs

5+

 regional leagues

References

  1. 1 2 "Plannen tweede divisie gaan door" [Plans for a new Tweede Divisie starting 2016/2017]. NOS.nl (in Dutch). 2 December 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  2. ↑ Competitions for 2015–16 (Dutch) HollandseVelden.nl

External links

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