2. Liga

The 2. Liga is the second-highest division of the Sæløsk football league system. While every club in Ligaen operates on a full-time professional basis, 2. Liga contains a mixture of professional and semi-professional clubs.

The division is contested by ten clubs and is administered directly by the Sæløernes Boldspil-Sammenslutning (SBS). The champion is promoted automatically to Ligaen, while the runner-up enters a play-off against the ninth-placed Ligaen club. At the other end of the table, the bottom club is relegated automatically to 3. Liga, and the ninth-placed club enters a play-off against the 3. Liga runner-up.

History

Early years

The competition was established in 1952 as the 1. Division, with eight clubs. It was the first nationwide competition below the Mesterrækken and created a second level within the Sæløsk football league system.

From 1952 through 1964, promotion was controlled through the Genvalgssystemet. The seven highest-placed Mesterrækken clubs voted on whether the lowest-placed top-flight club should be replaced by a leading 1. Division side. The arrangement offered little opportunity for upward movement, and only two clubs were promoted through re-election during this period.

The Genvalgssystemet was used for the final time following the 1964 season. Promotion became automatic in 1965, with the champion and runner-up promoted at the end of the season to fill the two additional places created by the expansion of the top division for 1966.

The creation of the third-tier 2. Division in 1966 also gave the 1. Division a regular source of promoted clubs, establishing it as the link between the upper and lower levels of the national pyramid.

The division expanded from eight to twelve clubs in 1982.

2. Liga

The competition was renamed 2. Liga in 1993 as part of a reorganization of the national league system. It was reduced to ten clubs and remained under the direct administration of the SBS. The reorganization also introduced two automatic promotion and relegation places between Ligaen and 2. Liga and between 2. Liga and 3. Liga.

As the Ligaen became fully professional, 2. Liga developed into a transitional division containing both full-time and semi-professional clubs. It has consequently served both as a route into professional football and as a destination for clubs unable to sustain themselves in the top flight.

A quadruple round-robin schedule was introduced in 2004, giving each club 36 league matches per season.

Introduction of the play-offs

In 2020, the previous two-up, two-down system was replaced by one automatic promotion place and one play-off place. The 2. Liga champion is promoted directly, while the runner-up faces the ninth-placed Ligaen club.

The same system applies between 2. Liga and 3. Liga. The bottom club is relegated automatically, while the ninth-placed club enters a play-off against the 3. Liga runner-up.

Competition format

The division consists of ten clubs. Each club plays every other team four times during the season, twice at home and twice away, for a total of 36 matches.

The club finishing first is declared 2. Liga champion and is promoted automatically to Ligaen. The second-placed club enters the promotion play-off against ninth place in Ligaen.

The tenth-placed club is relegated automatically to 3. Liga. The ninth-placed club enters a play-off against the 3. Liga runner-up to determine which club will compete in 2. Liga during the following season.

Teams

Current teams (2026)

Champions

1. Division - Genvalgssystemet Era (1952–1964)

1. Division (1965–1992)

2. Liga (1993–present)