The Spanish basketball league system is a series of connected competitions for professional basketball clubs in Spain. The system has a hierarchical format with a promotion and relegation system between competitions at different levels.
Men There are currently four different nation-wide leagues in the system - the 1st tier Liga ACB, the 2nd tier Primera FEB, the 3rd tier Segunda FEB, and the 4th tier Tercera FEB.
Liga ACB is organized by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (Basketball Clubs Association), which is a private organization. LEB leagues and Liga EBA are organized by the Spanish Basketball Federation while the lower tiers are organized by the regional federations.
Levels For the 2018–19 season, the Spanish basketball league system is as follows:
LevelLeague1Liga ACB(18 teams)(previously Liga Nacional)2Primera FEBFormerly LEB Oro(18 teams)3Segunda FEBFormerly LEB Plata(24 teams)4Tercera FEB Group AFormerly Liga EBA (2 sub-groups of 14 teams each)Tercera FEB Group BFormerly Liga EBA (16 teams)Tercera FEB Group CFormerly Liga EBA (2 sub-groups of 14 teams each)Tercera FEB Group DFormerly Liga EBA (2 sub-groups of 10 teams each)Tercera FEB Group EFormerly Liga EBA (16 teams)5Primera División(15 groups, one for each autonomous community except Basque Country, La Rioja, and Navarra, who share the same group; in Catalonia, known as Copa Catalunya)Regional and lower divisions
Lower divisions For the 2015–16 season, the lower divisions for each of the Autonomous Communities is as follows:
CommunityLevel 5Level 6Level 7Level 8Level 9 Andalusia1ª División(2 groups of 10 teams)Provincial leagues Aragon1ª División(8 teams)1ª Aragonesa(8 teams)2ª Aragonesa(28 teams)3ª Aragonesa(3 groups of 7 teams)Provincial leagues Asturias1ª División(11 teams)1ª Autonómica(12 teams)2ª Autonómica(9 teams)3ª Autonómica(10 teams)None Balearic Islands1ª División(11 teams)Insular leagues Basque Country1ª División(14 teams)2ª División(14 teams)Provincial leagues La Rioja2ª Interautonómica(14 teams)Sénior Masculina(9 teams)None Navarre1ª Autonómica(11 teams)2ª Autonómica(12 teams)None Canary Islands1ª División(9 teams)Provincial and insular leagues Cantabria1ª División(8 teams)1ª Autonómica(8 teams)2ª Autonómica(7 teams)None Castile and León1ª División(9 teams)Provincial leagues Castile-La Mancha1ª División(2 groups of 8 teams)Provincial leagues CataloniaCopa Catalunya(2 groups of 14 teams)CC 1ª Categoria(3 groups of 16 teams)CC 2ª Categoria(4 groups of 16 teams)CC 3ª Categoria(8 groups of 16 teams)Provincial leagues Community of Madrid1ª División(24 teams)1ª Autonómica A(24 teams)1ª Autonómica B(24 teams)2ª AutonómicaLocal leagues Extremadura1ª División(7 teams)Provincial leagues Galicia1ª División(17 teams in 2 groups)2ª División(2 groups of 7 teams)3ª División(79 teams in 10 groups)None Region of Murcia1ª División(12 teams)1ª Autonómica(8 teams)2ª Autonómica(8 teams)None Valencian Community1ª División(2 groups of 12 teams)Sénior Autonómico(3 groups of 14 teams)Sénior Preferente(55 teams in 4 groups)1ª Zonal(69 teams in 5 groups)2ª Zonal(72 teams in 6 groups)
Evolution of the Spanish basketball league system Tier\Years 1957–78 1978–83 1983–88 1988–94 1994–96 1996–2000 2000–07 2007–09 2009– 1 1ª División ACB 2 2ª División 1ª División B 1ª División EBA LEB LEB Oro 3 3ª División 2ª División EBA LEB 2 LEB Plata 4 Lower 3ª División LowerLower Lower 2ª División EBA LEB Bronce EBA 5 Lower Lower 1ª División EBA 1ª División 6 Lower 1ª División Lower 7 Lower
Other competitions Spanish King's Cup Spanish Supercup
Women Since the 2001–02 season, there are currently different competitions on the pyramid.
Liga Femenina de Baloncesto, organized by the Spanish Basketball Federation and composed by 14 teams. Liga Femenina 2, composed by 28 teams divided into two groups and also organized by the Spanish Basketball Federation. Primera División Femenina, where teams are divided into several inter-Regional groups. This competition is co-organized by the Regional Federations. Regional Leagues.
LevelLeague1Liga Femenina(14 teams)2Liga Femenina 2 Group A(14 teams)Liga Femenina 2 Group B(14 teams)31ª División Group A 1ª División Group B 1ª División Group C 1ª División Group D 1ª División Group E 4Regional divisions
References and notes
External links ACB League Official Website Spanish Basketball Federation