Danish Football League System

Within men's association football, the top two professional levels contain one division each. Below this, the semi-professional and amateur levels have progressively more parallel divisions, which each cover progressively smaller geographic areas. The top four tiers are classed as nationwide, while the fifth tier and below are classed provincial leagues. Teams that finish at the top of their division at the end of each season can rise higher in the pyramid, while those that finish at the bottom find themselves sinking further down. In theory it is possible for even the lowest local amateur club to rise to the top of the system and become Danish football champions one day. The number of teams promoted and relegated between the divisions varies, and promotion to the upper levels of the pyramid is usually contingent on meeting additional criteria, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances.

The league system is held under the jurisdiction of the Danish FA (DBU), Divisionsforeningen (DF) and its six regional associations. The men's senior league system excludes parallel leagues such as the Reserveliga, which runs in conjunction with primarily the Superliga as a national youth developmental and reserve league. The pyramid for women's football in Denmark runs separately with fewer divisions and levels. The women's top-flight league is semi-professional and additional criteria apply, the higher the team is placed in the league system.

The Danish Workers’ Sport Association (DAI) and Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations (DGI) organize separate football tournaments at grassroots level or as fitness exercise for adults, with DAI previously having run a separate league system. Company football is also organised outside the influence of the national FA.

Men's league system

The Danish football league system is held under the jurisdiction of the national Danish Football Association (DBU) and its professional body Divisionsforeningen (DF), along with its six regional associations. On top of the hierarchical system sit the level one Superliga, level two 1. division, level three 2. division and the level four 3. division, collectively known as the Danmarksturneringen i fodbold (Herre-DM) and referred to as divisionerne, organised by the Divisionsforeningen. The top-flight league is professional, while the second-tier league consists primarily of professional and semi-professional teams, with the third-tier and fourth-tier being a semi-professional league consisting of primarily semi-professional and amateur teams with some professional teams. The four top levels then are followed by the level five Danmarksserien (Herre-DS), the lowest league classed as nationwide and the highest fully amateur league, operated by the Danish geographical boundaries.

The number of promotions and relegations between the highest regional leagues and below are dependent on the number of regional clubs relegated from the fourth tier. This also includes forced relegations of reserve teams, when the first team is being relegated to a lower level with their reserve team present. Reserve teams and mother clubs to superstructures are not allowed in the first three levels. The Reserveliga was created as a parallel competition outside of the league structure to run in conjunction with primarily the Superliga as a national youth developmental and reserve league. A separate league system exist, consisting of amateur clubs, and governed by the Dansk Arbejder Idrætsforbund (DAI).

The table below illustrates the current structure of the system. For each league, its official name in Danish and number of divisions and clubs is given. Each division promotes to the league(s) that lie directly above it and relegates to the league(s) that lie directly below it.