Uzbekistan Pro League
Uzbekistan Pro League is a professional football league in Uzbekistan, and currently the second level after the Uzbekistan Super League.
The second-tier football competition in Uzbekistan was called the Uzbekistan First League from its establishment in 1992 until 2017. In 2018, following the reform of the national championships by the Uzbekistan Professional Football League, the Uzbekistan First League was renamed the Uzbekistan Pro League. Uzbekistan Pro League tournaments are organized by Uzbekistan Professional Football League.
The winner and runner-up of Uzbekistan Pro League gain direct promotion to the Uzbekistan Super League, while the third-placed club in the Pro League participates in a playoff match against the team that finished 12th in the Super League. According to Uzbekistan Professional Football League Competition Regulations, this playoff match is held at the home ground of the Pro League team. At the end of the season, the club that finishes last in the Pro League is relegated to the Uzbekistan First League for the following season.
Pro League participants also compete annually in the Uzbekistan Cup and the Uzbekistan League Cup.
History
Uzbekistan Football Championship has been held since 1992. The composition and number of teams in the competition have changed over time. In the inaugural season of the championship, 16 teams participated. At the end of the league tournament, "Shifokor" from Gulistan and "Politodel-Ruor" from Tashkent region earned promotion to the Higher League. The number of participants in the competition varied from year to year. In the 1995 season, the league was divided into eastern and western regions for the first time, and the top-ranked teams from each region were combined in the second stage. A total of 26 teams participated throughout the league season. The 1997 season went down in history as the year with the highest number of participating teams in league history. In that season, 27 teams competed in the league.In 2018, 16 teams participated in the Uzbekistan Pro League in a two-stage system, home and away. In 2019, the Uzbekistan Pro League was divided into leagues A and B, with 24 clubs playing in a 4-round system. From 2020, the division of the Uzbekistan Pro League into leagues A and B was terminated and transformed into a single league consisting of 10 teams, and the Uzbekistan First League was established in place of the B League. In 2024, the number of participating teams in the Pro League was 6. In 2025, 6 teams will also participate.
On 21 November 2017 according to the UzPFL management decision the Uzbekistan First League was officially renamed to Uzbekistan Pro League starting from the 2018 season. The league has been reduced from 18 to 16 teams.
Structure of the league
Regular season
The regulations changed depending on the number of participating teams in each league season. The updated preliminary regulations were first announced in 2017. The number of participants in the 2024 Uzbekistan Super League was reduced to 8 teams, and changes to the regulations were announced. According to the regulations, the clubs that take first and second places will receive a direct ticket to the Uzbekistan Super League. The team that finishes eighth at the end of the season in the LI will be relegated to the First League.Teams get three points for a win and one point for a draw. Points are not awarded for defeat. The teams are ranked by total points. If the teams have equal points, the rules apply in the following order:
- by the results of the mutual match;
- by the results of points earned in matches;
- by the difference in goals scored and conceded in matches;
- by the difference in goals scored and conceded in all matches;
- by the number of goals scored in all matches;
- by the number of goals scored in the opponent's field in all matches;
- by the number of wins achieved in all matches;
- by the inverse of the number of defeats in all matches;
- by the number of away victories achieved in all matches;
- by the inverse of the number of home defeats in all matches.
In 2018 in the Pro League Uzbekistan involved 16 teams in a double round system, home and away. The winner of the Uzbekistan Pro League receives the permit in the Uzbekistan Super League, and the club took second place in the Pro League gets a place in the play-offs, consisting of two matches where his opponent will be the Super League club, who took there the penultimate eleventh place. The winner of the playoffs gets a chance in Super League Uzbekistan, and the losing club will start the new season in the Pro League Uzbekistan. The clubs finishing in last place in the Pro League, will start the season in the Uzbekistan Pro-B League — the third level and the importance of football in the country.
Playoffs
At the end of the league season, the teams that took third and fourth places will play playoff matches for a spot in the Uzbekistan Super League with the teams that took 12th and 13th places in the 2024 Uzbekistan Super League.Coaches of promoted teams
| Season | Team | Coach |
| 1992 | Shifokor Guliston | Riza Mallaev |
| 1992 | Politotdel | Vladimir Bondarenko |
| 1993 | FK Atlaschi | Aleksey Stepanov |
| 1993 | Surkhon Termez | Batyr Kashkenbaev |
| 1994 | Mash'al Mubarek | Boris Serostanov |
| 1994 | FK Samarqand-Dinamo | Rustam Istamov |
| 1995 | Dinamo Urganch | Bahodyr Mirzaev |
| 1995 | FK Kosonsoy | Vladimir Desyatchikov |
| 1996 | Zarafshan Navoi | Usmon Asqaraliev |
| 1996 | Chilonzor Tashkent | Rauf Inileev |
| 1997 | Temiryo'lchi Qo'qon | Bakhrom Khakimov |
| 1997 | Metallurg Bekabad | Yakov Kaprov |
| 1998 | Yangiyer | Bakhrom Davlatov |
| 1998 | FK Samarqand-Dinamo | Berador Abduraimov |
| 1999 | Semurg Angren | Rafael Fabarisov |
| 1999 | Kimyogar Chirchiq | Alexander Ivankov |
| 1999 | Qizilqum Zarafshon | Vladimir Desyatchikov |
| 1999 | Aral Nukus | Quvvat Tureev |
| 2000 | Akademiya Tashkent | Vladimir Zhukovkiy |
| 2001 | Temiryo'lchi Qo'qon | Avhat Abdulin |
| 2001 | Mash'al Mubarek | Bakhtiyor Babaev |
| Season | Team | Coach |
| 2002 | FK Guliston | Vladimir Zhukovkiy |
| 2002 | Sementchi Kuvasoy | Tokhir Kapadze |
| 2003 | Sogdiana Jizzakh | Suyun Murtazaev |
| 2003 | Lokomotiv Tashkent | Andrey Miklyaev |
| 2004 | Shurtan Guzar | Shamil Tolibov |
| 2004 | Topalang Sariosiyo | Vladimir Bordyuzha |
| 2005 | FK Andijan | Islam Akhmedov |
| 2005 | Xorazm FK Urganch | Quvvat Tureev |
| 2006 | Kuruvchi | Khikmat Irgashev |
| 2006 | Vobkent FK | Genadiy Kochnev |
| 2007 | Sogdiana Jizzakh | Furqat Esanbaev |
| 2007 | Uz-Dong-Ju Andijon | Islam Akhmedov |
| 2008 | Xorazm FK Urganch | Valijon Sultanov |
| 2008 | Dustlik Jizzakh | Sirojiddin Ergashev |
| 2009 | Bunyodkor Qo'qon 1912 | |
| 2009 | Mash'al-Sport | |
| 2010 | FK Buxoro | Genadiy Kochnev |
| 2010 | Sogdiana Jizzakh | |
| 2011 | Lokomotiv Tashkent | Rustam Muqimov |
| 2011 | FK Guliston | Alexandr Lushin |