Iraqi football league system
The Iraqi football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in Iraq. The system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels, allowing even the smallest club the theoretical possibility of ultimately rising to the very top of the system. There are more than 5 individual leagues, containing more than 26 divisions. It is run by the Iraq Football Association (IFA). History. Up until 1973, leagues in Iraq were played at a regional level. The Central FA League , the Basra League and the Kirkuk League were all founded in 1948, while the Mosul League was founded in 1950. The first nationwide league to be held in the country was in the 1973–74 season when the National League was formed, with Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya being crowned champions. The IFA then decided to replace the competition with a new National League of Clubs which would only be open to clubs and not institute-representative teams. About the system. The system consists of a pyramid of leagues, bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. A certain number of  the most successful clubs in each league can rise to a higher league, whilst those that finish the season at the bottom of their league can find themselves sinking down a level. In addition to sporting performance, promotion is usually contingent on meeting criteria set by the higher league, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances. In theory, it is possible for a lowly local amateur club to achieve annual promotions and within a few years rise to the pinnacle of the Iraq game and become champions of the Premier League. While this may be unlikely in practice (at the very  least, in the short run), there certainly is significant movement within the pyramid. Structure. At the top is the single division of the Premier League (level 1, which is often referred to as the "top-flight"), containing 20 clubs, all of which, up to the 2014–15 season, Division One (level 2) which consists of 24 clubs, Division Two (level 3) and Division Three (level 4) Both consists of TBD clubs, and Regional Leagues (level 5) consists of TBD clubs. The 20 clubs in the Premier League and 24 clubs in the Division One are all full-time professional clubs, while  Division Two and Division Three consist of semi-professional clubs. On the other hand, the teams competing in the Regional Leages are amateurs. Cup eligibility. Being members of a league at a particular level also affects eligibility for Cup, or single-elimination, competitions. The system. Level one in the pyramid, the top division of Iraq football, is run by the Premier League (which gives its name to the competition in that division), the winners of which are regarded as the champions of Iraq and the contenders have access to the Asian premier football competition, AFC Champions League. Level 1 to  4 are operated by the Iraq Football Association while level 5 is orgnized by Regional associations.