K League 2
The K League 2 is the men's second-highest division of the South Korean football league system. Established in 2013 as K League Challenge, it is contested by 17 professional clubs.
History
In 2011, the original K League announced a plan to begin a promotion and relegation system between the K League and a proposed second division. The K League then took steps to create the new second division, mainly with the addition of a split-system during the 2012 K-League season in which the bottom clubs were placed in a competition for safety with the last-placed club being relegated to the new second division.The second division was going to get the name of K League, and the original K League's name was changed to K League Classic along with the new logo. However, the change caused some degree of confusion and controversy, and on 11 March 2013 the official name was changed to K League Challenge. On 22 January 2018, its name was once again changed to K League 2.
In the 2014 season, two additional teams were relegated from the K League Classic, reducing the number of participating teams to ten. Furthermore, the promotion-relegation playoff system was expanded. The league champion earned automatic promotion, while the third and fourth-placed teams competed in a playoff. The winner of this match faced the second-placed team, and the victor of this fixture advanced to the promotion-relegation playoff against the 11th-placed team from the K League Classic.
In mid-2016, the city of Ansan announced the formation of a new professional football club, Ansan Greeners FC. The club's foundation involved acquiring the squad of Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Dolphins, a team with seven National League titles, and entering the league from the 2017 season. As a result of this development, Ansan Mugunghwa, which had previously represented Ansan, was dissolved at the conclusion of the 2016 season. Meanwhile, the police football team, which had served as the foundation for Ansan Mugunghwa, reached an agreement with the city of Asan to relocate and rebrand as Asan Mugunghwa.
Competition format
Regular season
The regular season consists of 34 rounds. Each team plays a total of 32 matches, playing every other team two times. As there is an odd number of teams in the league, one team rests each round. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points. In the case that teams are level on points, tie-breakers are applied in the following order:- Total goals scored
- Goal difference
- Total wins
- Head-to-head results
- Penalty points accrued