# Second Football League (Croatia)

The Croatian Second Football League (Croatian: Druga nogometna liga), commonly Druga NL or 2. NL, is the third tier of the Croatian football league system. The league was established in 1991, following the dissolution of the Yugoslav League. It is operated by the Croatian Football Federation.
It was previously known as the Third Football League, but was renamed with the other leagues for the start of the 2022–23 season.

## Rules

As of 2018, at least three players under 21 years of age must play in each match, and only two foreign nationals are permitted to play for each team.

## Format

Since its inception in 1992, the league has changed formats several times. In its inaugural season, the league had four divisions (North, Center, South and West). In the 1992–93 season, a fifth division was added (East). The five-group league continued until the 2006–07 season when the league was re-organised and reduced to three geographical divisions with 18 clubs in each group.
As of 2018, teams are promoted only if they have a valid license to the 2.HNL. For example, NK Vinogradar won the 2017, 2018 and 2019 west division, but were denied promotion since they did not apply for a license.
From the season 2022–23 onward, it is a unified league just as the top two tiers.

## Champions
### 1998–2022

Key
| † | Club gained promotion to the unified 2. HNL |
| $^N$ | Club gained promotion to 2. HNL North |
| $^S$ | Club gained promotion to 2. HNL South |
| Season | Division Center | Division West | Division East | Division South | Division North | Also promoted |
| 1998–99 | PIK Vrbovec † | Pomorac Kostrena † | Marsonia † | Mosor † | Čazmatrans † | - |
| 1999–00 | TŠK Topolovac † | Žminj † | Papuk † | Hrvatski Vitez | Koprivnica † | - |
| 2000–01 | Trnje $^S$ | Uljanik Pula $^S$ | Metalac Osijek $^N$ | GOŠK Dubrovnik $^S$ | Podravac $^N$ | - |
| 2001–02 | Napredak VM | Opatija | Dilj $^N$ | Primorac Stobreč | Mladost Prelog | - |
| 2002–03 | Segesta $^S$ | Žminj | Slavonija Požega $^N$ | Mosor | Virovitica $^N$ | - |
| 2003–04 | Naftaš $^S$ | Draga | Višnjevac | Mosor $^S$ | Bjelovar $^N$ | - |
| 2004–05 | Karlovac $^S$ | Istra Pula | Graničar $^N$ | Konavljanin | Mladost Molve $^N$ | - |
| 2005–06 | Moslavina † | Jadran Poreč | Croatia Đakovo | GOŠK Dubrovnik | Suhopolje | - |
| 2006–07 | - | Vinogradar † | Slavonac CO † | Trogir † | - | Segesta |
| 2007–08 | - | Karlovac † | Suhopolje † | Hrvace | - | Lokomotiva, Međimurje, Junak Sinj |
| 2008–09 | - | Rudeš † | Grafičar Vodovod | RNK Split † | - | Lučko, Vukovar '91 |
| 2009–10 | - | Gorica † | Lipik | Dugopolje † | - | HAŠK, MV Croatia |
| 2010–11 | - | Radnik Sesvete † | Podravina | Raštane | - | - |
| 2011–12 | - | Zelina † | BSK Bijelo Brdo | Raštane | Mladost Ždralovi | Primorac 1929 |
| 2012–13 | Segesta † | Grobničan | Slavonija | Val | Mladost Ždralovi | - |
| 2013–14 | Maksimir | Opatija | BSK Bijelo Brdo | Imotski † | Međimurje | Bistra † |
| 2014–15 | - | Dinamo II † | Slavija | Šibenik † | - | - |
| 2015–16 | - | Novigrad † | Međimurje | Solin † | - | - |
| 2016–17 | - | Vinogradar | Međimurje | Hajduk II † | - | Varaždin † Kustošija † |
| 2017–18 | - | Vinogradar | Osijek II † | Croatia Zmijavci | - | BSK Bijelo Brdo † Međimurje † Zadar † |
| 2018–19 | - | Vinogradar | Cibalia † | Junak Sinj | - | Dubrava † Orijent 1919 † Croatia Zmijavci † |
| 2019–20 | Vinogradar | Opatija † | Marsonia | Junak Sinj † | Mladost Ždralovi | - |
| 2020–21 | Jarun Zagreb † | Crikvenica | Belišće | Neretvanac | Mladost Ždralovi | - |
| 2021–22 | Zagorec Krapina | Crikvenica | Vukovar 1991 † | Jadran LP | Polet | - |

### 2022–present

| Season | Divisions | Division winners | Clubs promoted to 1. NL | Top scorer | Goals |
| 2022–23 | 16 clubs | Sesvete | Sesvete Zrinski Jurjevac | Nikola Marić | 22 |