If you’re a fan of European soccer, you will have noticed that they do things a little differently than we do them here in the United States.
One of the starkest contrasts between major European leagues and the MLS is the promotion and relegation system.
So, in this article, we explain – what does ‘relegated’ mean in soccer? – and help you understand what this system is and why it is used.
So, what does ‘relegated’ mean in soccer?
To get relegated in soccer means that your team is moved down a division. This happens as a result of the number of points that you accumulate in a season. The two or three teams with the lowest number of points at the end of the campaign will be relegated and replaced with teams from the league below.
How do you get relegated from a soccer league?
Your team’s final standings in the league table will determine whether or not you get relegated. For example, in the EPL, the teams that finish in the bottom three positions are relegated to the Championship.
Throughout the season, the bottom three is referred to as the relegation zone, and teams move in and out of it as they enter good and bad spells of form.
In other words, you will be relegated from your division if you’re not as good as the other teams in the league. Over the course of the season, the three teams with the fewest number of points will suffer relegation.
That being said, every league has its own rules in relation to relegation. Some leagues relegate two teams automatically, while a third might enter a playoff with a team in the division below.
But regardless of how it works in practice, you will be relegated from a soccer league if you fail to win enough points throughout the regular season.
Is relegation a bad thing?
In professional soccer, relegation is undoubtedly a bad thing. Primarily, it costs professional soccer teams a lot of money and prestige to get relegated from the top division.
For instance, the cost of getting relegated from the Premier League is estimated to be GBP£50 million per club! That’s a remarkable amount of money.
But in addition to losing out financially, relegated teams often lose their best players to their competitors.
A great example occurred this week. Following Burnley’s relegation from the EPL, their star goalie and England international Nick Pope completed his transfer to Newcastle United.
Some squads also lose their managers and coaching staff as wholesale changes often occur after relegation.
In contrast, relegations in junior and amateur soccer are not always a bad thing. This is particularly true when teams have been placed in the wrong leagues based on their skill level.
Following a grueling season competing against players who are just better than you, it can be refreshing to move down a league and enjoy playing against players at your own level.
But this example aside, relegation is typically seen as a bad thing in soccer, particularly in the professional game.
How many teams get relegated each year?
The number of teams to be relegated each year depends on the rules and regulations of the league. In most major European leagues, three teams get relegated from the top division to the league below each year.
As mentioned already, some leagues even have a relegation playoff, which offers fans a little more excitement.
Where this occurs, the team that finishes in the final relegation place will playoff with a team from the league below. Then, the winner of that one-off match will have the opportunity to compete in the higher league the following season.
The Scottish Premier League currently has a relegation playoff at the end of the season, and it’s a great way to bring things to a close.
Can you get relegated from the MLS?
Teams do not currently get relegated from the MLS, but it is something that has been widely debated in recent years.
The reason for this is that teams that compete in the MLS have a protected and fixed membership of the league, meaning there’s no precedent for relegation.
MLS franchises don’t have anywhere to drop into if they were relegated, as there is no feeder league to the MLS.
The unique format of Major League Soccer makes it interesting for fans in a different way, and the seasonal playoffs are much more comprehensive than they are in European soccer.
Still, lots of people believe that the MLS would be more competitive at the lower end of the table if relegation was a possibility, but it’s unlikely to be introduced in the American game anytime soon.
What happens after relegation?
If your team finishes the season in the relegation zone, they will be demoted to the league below. Therefore, when the next season starts, you will compete against an entirely new league of teams.
At least, in theory, the following season should be easier for your team, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Following a relegation, players and coaches often leave, and there’s a general lack of harmony at the club.
What’s more, it takes new signings a while to settle into the new team, which means that relegated teams don’t always bounce back up to the top league at the first time of asking.
In fact, it’s not uncommon for teams to suffer further relegations, particularly when the club is poorly run and organized from the top down.
What does ‘promoted’ mean in soccer?
In soccer, you achieve a promotion by winning your league, playoffs, or by finishing in the so-called promotion zone. In some leagues, the top two teams are promoted automatically, while the third team to move up a league is the playoff winner.
This is how things work in the English system, as the top two teams in the Championship automatically qualify for the PL, while the third team to go up must win the playoffs.
Of course, it’s not possible to win a promotion from every league. The top leagues in each country have nowhere to promote their teams!
After the whole European Super League drama, lots of clubs have questioned whether or not a league for the top clubs in Europe would be a good thing, but most fans are against the idea.
So, you can only get promoted from feeder leagues where a promotion and relegation system is in place.
Five tips to stop your team from getting relegated
If you play in a local league and promotion and relegation are possible, you need to do what you can to stay afloat! So, here are our top tips on how to avoid relegation with your team.
Adopt a defensive approach
One of the main reasons that you’re at the bottom of the league is that you concede too many goals. So, adopting a defensive approach to matches is a smart move.
You can employ tactics like parking the bus, which provides you with a much better chance of keeping your opponents at bay.
Change your formation
The way you set up for a soccer match will affect the outcome. But it’s certainly not easy to get your formation right.
We put together a piece on the best formations for weak teams that you will find super helpful, as it explains how you can set your team up to stop leaking so many goals.
Practice set plays
All soccer teams need to spend time out on the training field, but when you’re in the relegation zone, you need to work even harder to turn things around.
One of the best ways to improve your on-field results is to practice set plays – both attacking and defending them.
This will provide you with more goalscoring opportunities, and it will also help you keep things a little tighter at the back.
Recruit some new players
In spite of all of your best efforts on the training field, you might not be quite good enough to stave off relegation.
Therefore, adding one or two highly-skilled players to your roster can lift the entire team and turn things around.
At the local level, ask some of your friends to get involved or post on social media that your team is looking for new players.
Try something new
Our final tip is a simple one. The simple act of trying something new can make all the difference in soccer.
For instance, you could change the duration, location, or even format of your practice sessions, to try and motivate your players.
You could even arrange a team bonding session to take some of the heat off your players. While it might sound simple, trying something new and getting your team out of its rut can be an incredibly effective way to improve results and fight off relegation.
Recap: What does relegated mean in soccer?
In summary, to get relegated in soccer means that you finish toward the bottom of the league and will play the next season in a lower division.
In America, we don’t use the relegation system in the MLS, but all major leagues in Europe have relegation zones.
So, if the team that you follow is facing relegation, they will have to do everything they can to turn things around and keep their heads above the water!