Country | Serbia |
---|---|
Confederation | UEFA |
Founded | 2004 |
Number of teams | 16 |
Level on pyramid | 2 |
Promotion to |
First League of Serbia and Montenegro (2004–06) Serbian SuperLiga (2006–) |
Relegation to | Serbian League |
Domestic cup(s) | Serbian Cup |
Current champions |
Napredak Kruševac (2015–16,2nd title) |
Most championships |
Mladost Lučani, Napredak Kruševac (2 titles) |
Website | prvaligasrbije.com |
2016–17 Serbian First League |
The Serbian First League (Serbian: Прва лига Србије / Prva liga Srbije) commonly known by the abbreviation of PLS, is the name for the second tier in Serbia's football league. The league was formed in 2004, following a reshuffle of the second tier Serbo-Montenegrin divisions. It is operated by the Football Association of Serbia.
The league is formed by 16 clubs which play all against one another twice, once at home, once away. The top two clubs are directly promoted to the Serbian SuperLiga, Third team going into the playoff, and playing against 14 teams from the Super League, while the bottom are relegated to the Serbian League. The Football Association of Serbia announced that in the 2015–16 Serbian First League 4 clubs will be relegated.
The Serbian First League is the successor of the Yugoslav Second League. With the break-up of SFR Yugoslavia in 1992, the clubs from the newly independent states of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia joined to their own newly formed leagues, while Serbia and Montenegro remained united and renamed into FR Yugoslavia with the clubs from both republics kept competing in the league. In 2003, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was renamed to Serbia and Montenegro and the football league followed suit. Finally, after Montenegrin independence in 2006, the Montenegrin clubs withdrew and formed their own league.
In 2004, a reshuffle of the second tier of the Serbo-Montenegrin football league system saw two parallel leagues set up, for each republic.
After Montenegro's independence, the Serbian First League kept the single league format readopted in 2004.
The following 16 clubs compete in the Serbian First League during the 2014–15 season.