III liga (Trzecia liga, ), currently named Betclic III liga due to its sponsorship by Betclic, is a Polish football league that sits in the fourth tier of the Polish football league system. Until the end of the 2007–08 season, III liga referred to a league at the third tier (now called II liga) but this was changed with the formation of the Ekstraklasa as the top level league in Poland.
Groups of III liga are divided based on administrative division of Poland. Top teams of III liga are promoted to II liga and bottom teams are relegated to IV liga.
History The current fourth tier of the Polish national league system was established on 19 February 2000, under the name IV liga. Previously, the fourth tier of competition was held under many different names depending on the region, including macro-regional league, macro-regional class, inter-voivodeship league, district league, among others.
In August 2000, the first official season of new fourth tier commenced with teams spread across 21 territorial groups. In five voivodeships (Lower Silesia, Lesser Poland, Masovia, Silesia and Greater Poland), the competition was divided into two groups, the winners of which met in a two-legged play-off for the championship and promotion to the third tier. In the remaining 11 voivodeships, only one group was held, the winner of which automatically earning promoted to a higher division. In subsequent editions, the number of groups was gradually reduced and the number of teams in each of them was limited. In 2001, both Lower Silesian groups were merged, in 2002 - the Masovian ones, and in 2006, the Lesser Poland groups. In 2007, the fourth tier consisted of 18 regional groups. In 14 voivodeships, the games were played with a single-group system, and in two voivodeships, with a two-group system.
Starting from the 2008–09 season, the league was renamed to III liga, and reduced to 8 groups. The winners of each group (in the case of voivodeships with two groups, the winners of the play-offs between the winners of both groups) formed four play-off pairs, winners of which were promoted to the II liga.
The latest restructure came in effect ahead of the 2016–17 season, with the numbers of teams reduced to 72 across four groups.
Current format For the 2024–25 season, seventy-two clubs participate. The clubs are split into four parallel groups of 18 with their group affiliation being based on the regional location. The competition is played in a round-robin format, with each team facing others in their respective group twice, at home and away. The champions of each group achieve automatic promotion to the II liga, while the second-placed teams first face each other in a play-off, the winners of which qualify for a promotion/relegation play-off against 13th and 14th-placed II liga teams. The bottom four teams in each group are relegated to the IV liga, though the number of relegated teams may increase depending on territorial affiliation of the teams demoted from the II liga.
Clubs
The following 72 clubs are competing in the III liga for the 2026–27 season. Group I Group II Group III Group IV Jagiellonia Białystok II KS CK Troszyn KTS Weszło Lechia Tomaszów Mazowiecki ŁKS Łomża ŁKS Łódź II Mazovia Mińsk Mazowiecki Mławianka Mława Olimpia Elbląg Olimpia Zambrów Pelikan Łowicz Polonia Lidzbark Warmiński Świt Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki Warta Sieradz Widzew Łódź II Wigry Suwałki Wisła Płock II Ząbkovia Ząbki Bałtyk Koszalin Błękitni Stargard Chemik Bydgoszcz Elana Toruń Flota Świnoujście Gedania Gdańsk Grom Nowy Staw KKS 1925 Kalisz Kluczevia Stargard Kotwica Kórnik Lech Poznań II Lipno Stęszew Noteć Czarnków Polonia Środa Wielkopolska Unia Swarzędz Victoria Września Wda Świecie Wikęd Luzino Barycz Sułów Carina Gubin Górnik Polkowice Karkonosze Jelenia Góra KS Goczałkowice-Zdrój Miedź Legnica II MKS Kluczbork Odra Bytom Odrzański Polonia Nysa Raków Częstochowa II ROW 1964 Rybnik Sparta Katowice Stal Brzeg Stilon Gorzów Wielkopolski Ślęza Wrocław Warta Gorzów Wielkopolski Zagłębie Lubin II Zagłębie Sosnowiec AKS 1947 Busko-Zdrój Chełmianka Chełm Czarni Połaniec Hetman Zamość JKS Jarosław Korona Kielce II KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski Moravia Morawica Naprzód Jędrzejów Podlasie Biała Podlaska Pogoń-Sokół Lubaczów Siarka Tarnobrzeg Sokół Kolbuszowa Dolna Star Starachowice Wieczysta Kraków II Wisła Kraków II Wisłoka Dębica Wiślanie Skawina
Champions of the Polish fourth level Season Group I Group II Group III Group IV 2016–17 Drwęca Nowe Miasto Lubawskie Gwardia Koszalin GKS Jastrzębie Garbarnia Kraków 2017–18 Widzew Łódź Elana Toruń Skra Częstochowa Resovia 2018–19 Legionovia Legionowo Lech Poznań II Górnik Polkowice Stal Rzeszów 2019–20 Sokół Ostróda KKS 1925 Kalisz Śląsk Wrocław II Motor Lublin 2020–21 Pogoń Grodzisk Mazowiecki Radunia Stężyca Ruch Chorzów Wisła Puławy 2021–22 Polonia Warsaw Kotwica Kołobrzeg Zagłębie Lubin II Siarka Tarnobrzeg 2022–23 ŁKS Łódź II Olimpia Grudziądz Polonia Bytom Stal Stalowa Wola 2023–24 Pogoń Grodzisk Mazowiecki Świt Szczecin Rekord Bielsko-Biała Wieczysta Kraków 2024–25 Unia Skierniewice Sokół Kleczew Śląsk Wrocław II Sandecja Nowy Sącz 2025–26 Legia Warsaw II Zawisza Bydgoszcz Lechia Zielona Góra Avia Świdnik
Groups
Seasons 2000–01 — 2007–08 18–21 parallel divisions as IV liga (one or two in each of 16 Voivodeship) 2000–01 season – 21 groups 2001–02 season – 20 groups 2002–03 season – 19 groups 2003–04 season – 19 groups 2004–05 season – 19 groups 2005–06 season – 19 groups 2006–07 season – 18 groups 2007–08 season – 18 groups
Seasons 2008–09 — 2015–16 8 parallel divisions as III liga.Groups Group A (Łódź – Masovian) Group B (Podlaskie – Warmian-Masurian) Group C (Kuyavian-Pomeranian – Greater Poland) Group D (Pomeranian – West Pomeranian) Group E (Lower Silesian – Lubusz) Group F (Opole – Silesian) Group G (Świętokrzyskie – Lesser Poland) Group H (Lublin – Podkarpackie)
Seasons 2016–17 and onwards 4 parallel divisions as III liga.Groups Group I (Łódź – Masovian – Podlaskie – Warmian-Masurian) Group II (Kuyavian-Pomeranian – Greater Poland – Pomeranian – West Pomeranian) Group III (Lower Silesian – Lubusz – Opole – Silesian) Group IV (Świętokrzyskie – Lesser Poland – Lublin – Podkarpackie)
References