League System
The first level of the Russian league system is the 16-club Premier League. Below it are the First Division and Second Division, administered by the Professional Football League. The First Division consists of 22 clubs, and the Second Division is split geographically into five zones (West, Centre, South, Ural-Povolzhye, and East) with varying number of clubs. The total number of clubs in the Second Division is 73. After each season, top two clubs of the First Division replace bottom two clubs of the Premier League, and champions of each Second Division zone replace five bottom clubs of the First Division. A championship between youth teams of Premier League clubs also exists.
The Second Division is the lowest level of professional football in Russia. The next level of football is the Amateur Football League, which is split into ten zones: Northwest, Golden Ring, Moscow, Podmoskovye (Moscow region), Chernozemye (Black Earth region), South, Privolzhye (Volga region), Ural and West Siberia, Siberia, and Far East. After each season, the bottom finishers of each Second Division zone are relegated to the Amateur Football League, and the winners of each Amateur Football League are eligible for promotion to the Second Division, subject to meeting Professional Football League requirements.
Seven of the Amateur Football League zones are using one-tier system. The rest (Moscow, Podmoskovye, and Siberia) consist of two divisions with promotion and relegation. This means that a newly created team can enter the Russian league system at the fourth level and reach the Premier League in three years.
There are also championships of federal subjects. These competitions that are not part of the league system; clubs can enter the Amateur Football League without participation in them.
Read more about this topic: Football In Russia
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