The Austrian Landesliga (German: Landesliga, lit. 'State League') refers to a set of nine parallel football leagues that constitute the fourth tier of the Austrian football league system. Each of Austria's nine federal states (Bundesländer) maintains its own Landesliga, which is governed by the respective state football association (Landesfussballverband).
Structure and Overview
There are nine distinct Landesligas, one for each Austrian state:
- Burgenlandliga (Burgenland)
- Kärntner Liga (Carinthia)
- Niederösterreichische Landesliga (Lower Austria)
- Oberösterreich-Liga (Upper Austria)
- Salzburger Liga (Salzburg)
- Steirische Landesliga (Styria)
- Tiroler Liga (Tyrol)
- Vorarlbergliga (Vorarlberg)
- Wiener Stadtliga (Vienna)
Above the Landesligas are the three regional leagues (Regionalliga Ost, Regionalliga Mitte, and Regionalliga West), which form the third tier of Austrian football. Below the Landesligas are various state-specific lower divisions, typically known as Oberliga, Gebietsliga, or 1. Klasse, depending on the federal state.
Promotion and Relegation
- Promotion: The champions of each Landesliga are eligible for promotion to one of the three Regionalligas. The specific Regionalliga they promote to depends on their geographic location (e.g., Burgenland, Lower Austria, and Vienna champions typically promote to Regionalliga Ost).
- Relegation: The bottom teams of each Landesliga are relegated to the highest division of their respective district or regional league within that state's football hierarchy. The number of teams relegated can vary based on the number of teams promoting from below and the number of teams relegated from the Regionalliga above.
The Landesligas serve as a crucial amateur level, providing a significant step for clubs aiming to progress into semi-professional or professional football while also offering a competitive environment for local clubs within each state.