Egyptian Third Division
The Egyptian Third Division is an Egyptian professional football league that represented the third tier of the Egyptian [football league system] until 2023. It is administered by the Egyptian Football Association. It is below the Egyptian Second Division, and above the regional league Egyptian Fourth Division; the lowest football league in the country.
The league was reformed in 1977, and consists of multiple groups covering different parts of Egypt, with the winner of each group either gaining automatic promotion to the next level, or earning a place in the promotion play-offs, depending on the number of groups and teams participating.
Following the creation of the Egyptian [Second Division A|Second Division A] and Second Division B, the Third Division will be downgraded to level 4 on the pyramid starting from the 2023–24 season.
League format
The number of participating teams differs from a season to another, but the format is always the same. Teams are divided into multiple groups, usually from 12 to 14, with each group containing a different number of clubs, according to their geographical location. Teams finishing first in each group either gain automatic promotion, or enter a promotion play-off phase, to determine the promoted teams to the next level; while the lowest or the two lowest-ranked teams in each group relegate to the Egyptian Fourth Division.For the 2022–23 season, a total of 142 teams participated in the competition, divided into 13 groups, with the first team from all groups qualifying for the promotion play-offs
Like other divisions in Egypt, it will take place annually, beginning in September or October, and ending in June of the following year. Teams play each other twice, home and away. All teams are eligible to participate in the Egypt Cup, in case they pay the entrance fee.