Astograthian Second Division

The Astograthian Second Division (Astograthian: Taldo Biharran [ˈtaldo bihaˈran]) is the second-highest tier of professional football in Astograth, after the First Division. It is contested annually by 24 teams, with the top two teams earning automatic promotion to the First Division and the four lowest teams relegated to the Second Division B. Teams that finish third, fourth, fifth and sixth qualify for a play-off series to determine the third team promoted to the First Division. The top three teams in the Second Division's final league table qualify for the IFCF Liga B Champions Trophy.

Competition Format
The competition format follows the usual double round-robin format. During the course of a season, which is year-long, each club plays every other club twice, once at home and once away, for a total of 42 games. Teams receive three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, with the highest-ranked club at the end of the season crowned champion. If points are equal between two or more clubs, the rules are:


 * If all clubs involved have played each other twice:
 * If the tie is between two clubs, then the tie is broken using the head-to-head goal difference (without the away goals rule)
 * If the tie is between more than two clubs, then the tie is broken, using the games the clubs have played against each other:
 * a) head-to-head points
 * b) head-to-head goal difference
 * c) head-to-head goals scored
 * If two legged games between all clubs involved have not been played, or the tie is not broken by the rules above, it is broken using total goal difference.
 * If the tie is still not broken, it is to be resolved with a tie-break match at the neutral ground of Grand Duke's Stadium in Rumiatzi. The Second Division has yet to be decided in such a way.

The two top-placed clubs in the Second Division are automatically promoted to the First Division and qualify for the IFCF Liga B Champions Trophy. The next four top-placed clubs are placed into a promotion play-off series, wherein third place is paired with sixth-placed and fourth with fifth; the winners of both two-legged ties meet in the promotion series final at Grand Duke's Stadium in Rumiatzi, with the winners earning promotion to the First Division. The third-placed team in the league table qualifies for the Liga B Champions Trophy regardless of their results in the play-offs. The four lowest-placed clubs are relegated to the Second Division B, replaced by the two group winners of that division and the two winners of the Second Division B play-offs.

Below is a record of how many teams played in each season throughout the league's history: