# Danish Women's 2nd Division

The Danish Women's 2nd Division (Danish: Danmarksturneringens 2. division i kvindefodbold, Kvinde-DM 2. division or Kvinde 2. division) is a semi-professional association football league for women and the third division in Denmark. It is organized by the Danish Football Association (DBU) as part of the nation-wide Danmarksturneringen i kvindefodbold (Kvinde-DM) and is positioned between the second-tier Kvinde 1. division and the fourth-tier Kvindeserien in the Danish football league system. All of the 2nd Division clubs qualify for the proper rounds of the DBU KvindePokalen. Contested by 14 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between the Kvinde 1. division and the Kvindeserien. At the conclusion of the regular fall season, the two group winners and four clubs from the second division qualify to the promotion play-offs in the spring season for four spots in the next season's second division, while four teams are relegated following the relegation play-offs.
Between 2021 and 2023 the winners of each relegation play-off group participated in a final to determine the winner of the 2nd Division. The highest level for reserve squads is the third tier.

## History

The decision to establish a nation-wide third-tier league as part of the Danmarksturneringen i kvindefodbold below the second-tier Kvinde 1. division was made in mid-November 2020 at the Board of Directors meeting of the Danish Football Association (DBU). It was following a recommendation from DBU's women's elite committee and preparatory work done over the last couple of years by a group under the Kvindedivisionsforeningen. The reasoning behind was that further the development of women's football in Denmark by continuously raise the level of the domestic tournaments, namely the second division, in order to benefit the women's national football team. It was decided that the inaugural format for the league would consist of a west and east division geographically divided with each seven teams, and be played in two stages, one qualifying stage in the fall season with the promotion and relegation play-offs held in the spring season. Starting with the 2023/24 season, the playoff final will no longer be played and has been removed from the rulebook. With the addition of the third nation-wide division in 2021–22 season, the highest level for reserve squads were downgraded from the second to the third tier, where an unlimited number of reserve squads would partake.
At the start of the 2023–24 season, Vildbjerg SF became the first club in the third tier of Danish women's football to be granted permission by the Danish FA to sign semi-professional contracts with their players. F.C. Copenhagen Women followed as the second team in the third tier to receive a license to sign player contracts, in the 2024–25 season. In their debut match of the 2024–25 season, on 17 August 2024 FC Copenhagen Women faced B.73 Slagelse at Vanløse Idrætspark in front of 5,165 spectators, setting a new record for the largest crowd attendance at a Danish women's club football game in the third tier.

## Winners of the 2nd Division
### Danmarksmesterskabet i 2. division i kvindefodbold finale (2021–2023)

| Season | Final Date | Winners (titles) | Result | Runners-up | Venue | Winning head coach(es) | Ref |
| 2021–22 | 18 June 2022 | Solrød FC (1) | w/o | IK Aalborg Freja | Solrød Idrætscenter, Solrød | Rasmus Skovby Jens Berglid Jesper Petersen | [11][12] [13][14] |
| 2022–23 | 16 June 2023 | Solrød FC (2) | 3–2 | Brabrand IF | Brabrand IF's Idrætsanlæg, Brabrand | Jesper Petersen Jan Kristensen | |

## Footnotes

* 1 2 The number of participants in the third division were set at fourteen teams, but for the 2021–22 season the number was lowered to thirteen, with one team (reserve team of Fortuna Hjørring) missing in the west division. The number of relegation spots at the end of the season was lowered to three. Also, Kolding IF's reserves withdrew before the start of the 2024–25 season.
* 1 2 3 Rasmus Skovby resigned as head coach on 31 December 2022, and was replaced by on Jens Berglid 1 January 2022, who signed a two-year deal. However, Jesper Petersen was announced as the new head coach on 9 March 2022 following the termination of Berglid's contract.
* 1 2 Jesper Petersen resigned effective immediately on 17 October 2022 with Jan Kristensen being assigned as the new head coach on 26 October 2022.