The Seconda Categoria is the 8th level (since 2014–15) in the

Italian football league system The Italian football league system, also known as the Italian football pyramid, refers to the hierarchically interconnected league system for association football in Italy. It consists of nine national and regional tournaments, the first three b ...

. Each individual league winner within the Seconda Categoria level progresses to their closest regional league in the

Prima Categoria The Prima Categoria is the seventh level (since 2014–15) in the Italian football league system and is organized by the National Amateur League by the Regional Committees. Each individual league winner within the Prima Categoria level progress ...

level. Depending on each league's local rules, a number of teams each year are relegated from each league, to the 9th level of Italian football, the Terza Categoria. This level of Italian football is completely amateur and is run on a regional level by a Regional Committee (Comitato Regionale). The top-placed teams in each group move to the

, while the last-place finisher drops to the Terza Categoria. Play-offs and play-outs are expected to be held, usually on the condition that there are no gaps of no more than 7 points. In all Seconda Categoria matches, except in cases of absolute necessity, the competent technical body of the Italian Referees Association, often the OTS, designates only the referee. The role of assistant referee is covered by a member of each of the clubs participating in the match. Only in some events and tournaments, especially the semi-finals and finals, does the competent technical body also designate the federal assistants and, sometimes, even the fourth official. Feedback

History

In the past, from 1904 since 1912, had been the 2nd level of Italian local regional tournaments in which main teams used to field apprentices and reserves. New teams entering F.I.F. (Italian Football Federation, was the old name of

Italian Football Federation The Italian Football Federation (, ; FIGC ), known colloquially as (), is the governing body of football in Italy. It is based in Rome and Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano, the technical department is in Coverciano, Florence. It manages a ...

(F.I.G.C.) until 1909) were added to this championships. In February 1912 in Turin some F.I.G.C. Federal counsellors started elaborating a new rule introducing promotions and relegations from Seconda Categoria to

. This new rule was set during the July 1912 federal annual meeting so that this category changed name into

Promozione The Promozione (, "promotion") is the sixth level in the Italian football league system. Each individual league winner within the Promozione level progresses to their closest regional league in the Eccellenza level. Depending on each league's ...

because winning teams were awarded "promotion" to upper level. This category name too was given to the second level of youth tournaments in 1919 when created by a new local and independent federation called U.L.I.C. (Unione Libera Italiana del Calcio) which was set in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

in 1917. Later entered the main Italian federation system F.I.G.C. in 1927 and had been in use up to 1947 at local committees. Despite Regional F.I.G.C. championships and tournaments U.L.I.C. was birth date limited (not yet 21 years' old). Unused for a long time by the F.I.G.C. just because most of lower federal categories got another name (Division), got back in 1959 because of birth of the "Amateur League" (Italian:

Lega Nazionale Dilettanti The Lega Nazionale Dilettanti (National Amateur League) is the league which rules amateur football of Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in Italy. Founded in 1959 in Rome, it has many leagues inside: a national league, the Inter-regional Committ ...

) and all "Divisions" (Divisioni in Italian) were converted into "Categories" (Categorie in Italian) and First Division (

Prima Divisione Prima Divisione (''First Division'') was the name of the first level of the Italian Football Championship from 1921 to 1926. The competition was initially founded in opposition to the FIGC by the richest clubs of Northern Italy, which disagreed the ...

) become Seconda Categoria. With the reform of the

Lega Pro The Lega Italiano Calcio Professionistico (Italian for Professional Football Italian League), commonly known as Lega Pro (Pro League), is the governing body that runs the third tier of professional football competitions in Italy, the Serie C. I ...

before the 2014–2015 season in which the

Lega Pro Prima Divisione Serie C1 was the third highest football league in Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into ...

and

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Serie C2 was the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. History Before the 1978–79 season, there were only three professional football leagues in Italy, the third being Serie C. The league menaging ...

were unified restoring Serie C as the new third national level, the championship became the eighth national level, but remained the fourth highest regional competition.

History

See also