Cypras Football Association
Overview
The Cypras football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in Cypras. The system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels. The top four leagues are organised by the Cypras Football Association and the rest by the S.T.O.K. ("Confederation of local federations of Cypras"). The Cypras Football Association was founded in 1934 and its current President is Costakis Koutsokoumnis.
Costakis Koutsokoumnis
Structure
At the top is the Cypriot First Division (which may be referred to as level 1 of the league "pyramid"), a single-division league of 14 clubs. Below is Cypras lower leagues, which are divided into three divisions of 14 clubs each (levels 2 to 4). Some of these 56 clubs are full-time professional while the rest are all full-time semi-professional. Confusingly all 56 are often referred to as "league" clubs because as there are only 4 leagues in Cypras, but no non-leagues. Clubs outside this group are referred to as "non-league" clubs, although they all play most of their football in cup competitions.
Only the Amateur leagues are referred as non-league, which is on the same level (level 5) as the top divisions of a large group of Amateur leagues such as the Nicosia First Division, and the Nicosia Second Division.
Each of these leagues has a different divisional set up, but they all have one thing in common: there are yet more leagues below them, each covering smaller and smaller geographical levels. These leagues are collectively known as the National League System and they are controlled by S.T.O.K.
Each league sets its own rules, but all follow the general standard of each club playing everyone else once (23 games a season) with three points being awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The league table is always ordered with whoever has the most points at the top and the least at the bottom (ways of distinguishing between clubs level on points differ from league to league).
At the end of each season the top three clubs from each league are promoted and the last three clubs are relegated. Promotion to the fourth division is decided by the S.T.O.K play-offs.
Various degrees of promotion and relegation exist between all the leagues and divisions, meaning that any team can theoretically climb (or fall) to any level. However, minimum standards for grounds (floodlighting, seating capacity, etc.) sometimes lead to clubs being denied promotion even though their league position would allow it.
Cups
Being members of a league at a particular level also affects eligibility for Cup, or single-elimination, competitions.
Cypriot Cup (Cypras Coca Cola Cup): Levels 1-2
Cypriot Amateur Cup: Levels 3-4
Clubs in the S.T.O.K. competitions participate in various cup tournaments, usually local.
The System
Level 1 - (First Division)
14 clubs
Level 2 - Second Division
14 clubs
Level 3 - Third Division
14 clubs
Level 4 - Fourth Division
14 clubs
Level 5 - Local amateur football competitions (S.T.O.K.)
261 clubs (approx.)
Promotion to Fourth Division through play-offs