What promotion is in football and how you go up
Promotion means moving from one division to the one immediately above at the end of the season, by winning the league or by winning an extra tie such as the play-off.
In the lower leagues going up a division is the aim of the whole season. The champion goes up directly and, depending on the format, a second promotion place is settled in a separate tie or tournament.
In ELDT the champion of every league goes straight up to the division above. From Season 3 (7 January 2027), in every 16-club league the runner-up plays a promotion play-off against one of the sides that finished 9th to 12th in the league above. If he wins, the two clubs swap divisions.
Promotion does not only bring a harder league: it also brings bigger prize money per position and more fans per win. On top of that, going up adds 10% to the fanbase, once per season.
See it in the game: the manager's guide.
Related terms
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See also: online football manager · guides on the blog