Championnat National

The Championnat de France National, commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Contested by 20 clubs, the Championnat National operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Ligue 2 and the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football. Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 38 games each totalling 380 games in the season. Most games are played on Fridays and Saturdays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. Play is regularly suspended the last weekend before Christmas for two weeks before returning in the second week of January.
National was founded in 1993 by the French Football Federation and serves as a base league for clubs on the brink of becoming professional or falling to the amateur levels. The league is annually composed of professional, semi-professional, and amateur football clubs. The current champions are Créteil. The matches in the league attract on average between 2,500 and 6,000 spectators per match.
==Competition format==
There are 20 clubs in the Championnat National. During the course of a season, usually from August to May, each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 38 games. 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, then goal difference, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion and promoted to Ligue 2. If points are equal, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship or for relegation, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. The second and third-place finisher are also promoted to the second division, while the four lowest placed teams are relegated to the Championnat de France amateur and the four winners of the four groups from the Championnat de France amateur are promoted in their place.
==Clubs==
===Members for 2013–14===
The following 18 clubs will compete in the Championnat National during the 2013–14 season.
Club 	Positionin 2012–13 	Founded	First season ofcurrent spell inNational
Amiens 	0049th 	1901 	2012–13
Boulogne 	00413th 	1898 	2012–13
Bourg-Péronnas 	00415th 	1942 	2012-13
Carquefou 	0046th 	1942 	2012–13
Colmar 	YYY11th 	1920 	2010–11
Colomiers 	YYYCFA Group C: 1st	1932 	2013–14
Dunkerque 	004CFA Group A: 1st	1919 	2013–14
Fréjus 	0044th 	2009 	2009–10
Gazélec Ajaccio 	004Ligue 2: 20th 	1910 	2013–14
Vendée Poiré-sur-Vie	0047th 	1954 	2011–12
Luzenac 	01012th 	1936 	2009–10
Orléans 	0108th 	1920 	2010–11
Paris 	01017th 	1969 	2006-07
Red Star 	00414th 	1897 	2011–12
Strasbourg 	010CFA Group B: 1st	1906 	2013–14
Uzès Pont du Gard 	01016th 	2005 	2012-13
Vannes 	01010th 	1998 	2011–12
Vendée Luçon 	010CFA Group D: 1st	1924 	2013–14
== Honours ==
=== Championnat National (1993–94, 1996–97) ===
* 1994. LB Châteauroux
* 1995. FC Lorient
* 1996. Sporting Toulon Var
* 1997. Nîmes Olympique
=== Champions (since 1997–98) ===
Season 	Winner 	Runner-up
1997–98	AC Ajaccio 	Sedan
1998–99	Louhans-Cuiseaux	Créteil
1999-00	Beauvais 	Martigues
2000–01	Grenoble 	Amiens
2001–02	Clermont 	Reims
2002–03	Besançon 	Angers
2003–04	Reims 	Brest
2004–05	Valenciennes 	Valence
2005–06	Niort 	Tours
2006–07	Clermont 	Boulogne
2007–08	Vannes 	Tours
2008–09	Istres 	Laval
2009–10	Evian 	Reims
2010–11	Bastia 	Amiens
2011–12	Nîmes 	Niort
2012–13	Créteil 	Metz
==External links==
* Official Site
Category:Championnat National
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