{{Infobox football league | name = Promotion League | logo = | pixels = | country = Switzerland | confed = UEFA | founded = {{start date and age|2012}} as ''1. Liga Promotion'' <br> {{start date and age|2014}} as ''Promotion League'' | teams = 18 | promotion = Challenge League | relegation = 1st League Classic | levels = 3 | domest_cup = Swiss Cup | champions = SC Kriens (2nd title) | most successful club = Rapperswil-Jona, Kriens (2 titles) | season = 2025–26 | website = {{URL|https://matchcenter.el-pl.ch}} | current = 2025–26 Promotion League }}
The '''Promotion League''', named the '''Hoval Promotion League''' for sponsorship reasons, is the third tier of the Swiss football league system. Eighteen clubs compete in the league, playing each other twice over course of the season. The champions are promoted to the second tier, the Challenge League, while the bottom two teams are relegated to the 1st League Classic.
The league forms the semi-professional bridge to amateur football.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wettspielreglement der Ersten Liga (WR)|url=https://www.el-pl.ch/PortalData/3/Resources//Wettspielreglement_Erste_Liga_06.11.2021.pdf|language=de-ch}}</ref>
== Overview == Eighteen teams play each other twice, once home and once away, for a total of 34 games. The season begins in August and ends in May, interrupted through a winter break from late November to early March.
The team finishing in first place—subject to license requirements of professional football—will be promoted to the division above, in turn the last-placed team of the second division will be relegated for the following season. Similarly, the bottom two teams are relegated to the fourth tier and replaced respectively.<ref name="Welt">{{cite web | url =http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/sui-1-liga-promotion-2015-2016-spieltag/30/| title =Schweiz » Promotion League 2015/2016 » 30. Spieltag| language = de | website = weltfussball.de | access-date = 26 May 2016|trans-title=Switzerland: 1. Liga Promotion »2015–16}}</ref>
It is the highest league in Switzerland that permits participation of reserve teams.
==History== The league was introduced as the ''1. Liga Promotion'' beginning with the 2012–13 season as part of a restructuring that saw the Challenge League reduced from 16 to 10 teams. This was done to decrease the competitive gap between it and the Super League by converting it to a purely professional league. The Promotion League would therefore serve as the semi-professional link to amateur football.<ref>{{Cite news|date=6 May 2011|title=Die Dreiviertelfrage|language=de|work=Walliser Bote|url=https://www.e-newspaperarchives.ch/?a=d&d=WAB20110506-01.2.18.2}}</ref> The 1. Liga was consequently renamed to ''1. Liga Classic'', before reverting again in 2013 when the former adopted its current name. For its maiden season, six teams were relegated from the Challenge League, while the rest joined from the division below.<ref>{{Cite news|date=28 October 2013|title=Promotion League: Neuer Name|language=de|work=Walliser Bote|url=https://www.e-newspaperarchives.ch/?a=d&d=WAB20131028-01.2.18.45}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=12 November 2010|title=Challenge League wird reduziert|url=http://www.fussball.ch/Challenge+League+wird+reduziert/464546/detail.htm|website=fussball.ch|language=de}}</ref> In March 2020, the ongoing season was canceled after 17 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020–21 season suspended until further notice.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=28 October 2020|title=Verbot von Kontaktsportarten - Promotion League und 1. Liga unterbrechen Saison|url=https://www.srf.ch/sport/fussball/super-league/verbot-von-kontaktsportarten-promotion-league-und-1-liga-unterbrechen-saison|access-date=14 December 2020|website=Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF)|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Erste Liga - Spielbetrieb|url=https://www.el-pl.ch/de/erste-liga/erste-liga-promotion/spielbetrieb-erste-liga-promotion.aspx/oid-3/s-2020/|access-date=14 December 2020|website=el-pl.ch}}</ref>
The league was expanded to 18 teams for the 2022–23 season and the number of allowed U21 teams is unrestricted.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.football.ch/sfv/news-seite/der-sfv-reformiert-die-spielklassenstruktur-und-baut-die-nachwuchsfoerderung-weiter-aus.aspx|publisher=SFV|title=Der SFV reformiert die Spielklassenstruktur und baut die Nachwuchsförderung weiter aus|date=2021-11-29|accessdate=2022-07-25|language=de}}</ref>
== Clubs == === Current season === {{Main|2025–26 Promotion League}} {{Location map+|Switzerland|width=700|caption=Location of the 2025–26 Promotion League teams|places= {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Basel II</small>|lat=47.541535 |long=7.619791 |position=top}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Bavois</small>|lat=46.689430472079295 |long=6.559641664429733 |position=top}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Biel-Bienne</small>|lat=47.151906 |long=7.277363|position=right}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Breitenrain</small>|lat=46.940345418405364 |long=7.47920100679243 |position=top}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Bulle</small>|lat=46.61544610941847 |long=7.067073169406566 |position=top}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Brühl</small>|lat=47.43379475885758 |long=9.405994379090119 |position=top}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Cham</small>|lat=47.19719018842418 |long=8.457761939410295 |position=right}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Grand-Saconnex</small>|lat=46.233333 |long=6.116667 |position=bottom}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Kreuzlingen</small>|lat=47.633333 |long=9.166667 |position=bottom}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Kriens</small>|lat=47.029615 |long=8.287796 |position=top}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Lausanne-Sport II</small>|lat=46.519962 |long=6.633597 |position=left}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Lugano II</small>|lat=46.003678 |long=8.951052 |position=left}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Luzern II</small>|lat=47.05 |long=8.3 |position=bottom}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Paradiso</small>|lat=45.99072 |long=8.94526 |position=right}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Schaffhausen</small>|lat_deg=47|lat_min=42|lon_deg=08|lon_min=38|position=left}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Vevey-Sports</small>|lat=46.4692 |long=6.8472|position=right}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Young Boys II</small>|lat=46.962778 |long=7.465|position=bottom}} {{Location map~|Switzerland|label=<small>Zürich II</small>|lat=47.38288099963855 |long= 8.503759150239535 |position=right}} }}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! style="width:400px;"|Club ! Canton ! style="width:400px;"|Location ! style="width:400px;"|Stadium ! Capacity |- |FC Basel II |align=center|{{flagicon|Basel-Stadt}} |Basel |Stadion Rankhof <br> Youth Campus Basel | align="center" |7,000 <br> 1,000 |- |FC Bavois |align=center|{{flagicon|Vaud}} |Bavois |Stade de Peupliers | align="center" |1,000 |- |FC Biel-Bienne |rowspan=2 align=center|{{flagicon|Bern}} |Biel/Bienne |Tissot Arena | align="center" |5,200 |- |FC Breitenrain Bern |Bern |Spitalacker | align="center" |1,500 |- |SC Brühl |align=center|{{flagicon|St. Gallen}} |St. Gallen |Paul-Grüninger-Stadion | align="center" |4,200 |- |FC Bulle |align=center|{{flagicon|Fribourg}} |Bulle |Stade de Bouleyres | align="center" |5,000 |- |SC Cham |align=center|{{flagicon|Zug}} |Cham |Stadion Eizmoos | align="center" |1,800 |- |FC Grand-Saconnex |align=center|{{flagicon|Geneva}} |Le Grand-Saconnex |Stade du Blanché | align="center" |1,000 |- |FC Kreuzlingen |align=center|{{flagicon|Thurgau}} |Kreuzlingen |EC Technik Remu Arena | align="center" |1,200 |- |SC Kriens |align=center|{{flagicon|Lucerne}} |Kriens |Stadion Kleinfeld | align="center" |5,360 |- |FC Lausanne-Sport II |align=center|{{flagicon|Vaud}} |Lausanne |Stade du Bois-Gentil | align="center" |3,500 |- |FC Lugano II |align=center|{{flagicon|Ticino}} |Lugano |Cornaredo Stadium | align="center" |6,330 |- |FC Luzern II |align=center|{{flagicon|Lucerne}} |Lucerne |Swissporarena <br> Allmend Sud | align="center" |16,800 <br> 2,000 |- |FC Paradiso |align=center|{{flagicon|Ticino}} |Paradiso |Campo Pian Scairolo | align="center" |1,000 |- |FC Schaffhausen |align=center|{{flagicon|Schaffhausen}} |Schaffhausen |Berformance Arena | align="center" |8,200 |- |Vevey-Sports |align=center|{{flagicon|Vaud}} |Vevey |Stade de Copet | align="center" |5,000 |- |BSC Young Boys II |align=center|{{flagicon|Bern}} |Bern |Stadion Wankdorf | align="center" |32,000 |- |FC Zürich II |align=center|{{flagicon|Zurich}} |Zurich |Sportplatz Heerenschürli | align="center" |1,120 |}
== League champions == The following teams have won the league:<ref>{{cite web | url =http://www.weltfussball.de/sieger/sui-promotion-league/| title =Schweiz » Promotion League » Siegerliste| language = de | website= weltfussball.de | access-date = 11 June 2025|trans-title=Switzerland: Promotion League » List of champions}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- align="center" style="background:#dfdfdf" !width="80"| Season !width="200"| Club |- |colspan="2" align=center|As '''1. Liga Promotion''' |- |2012–13 |FC Schaffhausen |- |2013–14 |FC Le Mont |- |colspan="2" align=center|As '''Promotion League''' |- |2014–15 |Neuchâtel Xamax |- |2015–16 |Servette FC |- |2016–17 |FC Rapperswil-Jona |- |2017–18 |SC Kriens |- |2018–19 |Stade Lausanne Ouchy |- |2019–20 |None<ref group=lower-alpha name=a/> |- |2020–21 |Yverdon-Sport FC |- |2021–22 |AC Bellinzona<ref group=lower-alpha name=b/> |- |2022–23 |FC Luzern II<ref group=lower-alpha name=c/> |- |2023–24 |Étoile Carouge FC |- |2024–25 |FC Rapperswil-Jona |- |2025–26 |SC Kriens |} {{Reflist|group=lower-alpha|refs=<ref name=a>The 2019–20 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</ref><ref name=b>Breitenrain was refused a license and withdrew its appeal alongside the license application. License holder and second-placed AC Bellinzona was promoted instead, but FC Breitenrain Bern was runner-up and AC Bellinzona crowned champions.</ref><ref name=c>FC Luzern II was originally promotion but reserve team ineligible for promotion. License holder, second and third place Stade Nyonnais and FC Baden was promoted instead.</ref>}}
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website|http://www.football.ch/}} * [https://int.soccerway.com/national/switzerland/1-liga-promotion/ 1. Liga Promotion tables & results at soccerway.com]
{{Swiss Promotion League}} {{Football in Switzerland}} {{UEFA third leagues}}
3 Category:Sports leagues established in 2012 Category:2012 establishments in Switzerland Swiss Category:Professional sports leagues in Switzerland