Promotion path from the First RFEF to the Second Division explained
As the bronze league season winds down, teams eye a place in the higher tier for the next campaign. In the First RFEF, two routes lead to promotion to the Second Division. The first path is direct ascent, earned by topping their respective group. This season, Amorebieta and Racing de Ferrol claimed those direct spots. The remaining two promotions will come from the play-offs, a bracket-style contest that pits several hopeful clubs against one another.
The playoff format for 2023 introduces a change from the previous season. Instead of a single match in one venue, the promotion battles now involve two-legged ties in two separate brackets. The winners of these brackets secure the two remaining spots in the Second Division, while fans flock to support their teams through the decisive matches.
The structure unfolds with two distinct brackets, named Table A and Table B. Each table hosts a pair of matchups, followed by a final between the two bracket winners. In Table A, the matchups are Royal Society B against Alcorcón and Deportivo La Coruña against Castellón. The victors from these two ties meet in a final to determine one promoted team. InTable B, Celtic B faces Older, and Barcelona B goes up against Real Madrid Castilla, with a final between the two winners to crown the other promoted side.
Through this playoff format, the two clubs that secure promotion will join the First RFEF clubs already advancing to the Second Division. The dates for these crucial ties have also been confirmed and will be played entirely in June. The sequence is as follows: the first leg of the semi-finals on June 4, the second leg on June 11, the first leg of the final on June 18, and the return leg of the final on June 25.
In summary, Amorebieta and Racing de Ferrol earned direct promotion by finishing at the top of their groups. The remaining two promotion spots will come from the play-offs, which now feature two-legged ties across two brackets. The compelling June schedule will decide which teams will join the Second Division for the upcoming season.