The football league system functions on the principle of a survival of the fittest. It has a process of filtering out the weaker teams at the end of the season, thereby resulting in vacant spots that are filled by the best performing teams from the immediate lower division in the hierarchical ladder.

The Serie A is at the zenith of the Italian football league system, and is widely considered as one of the best leagues in the world. The second tier of football clubs is called as the Serie B.

Every club will play the rest of the teams in their league twice, through a home and away format. At the end the season, the three teams that have secured the least number of points will be demoted to the lower division.  The top two teams from the second tier will gain an automatic promotion into the highest league in Italy. If the third difference between the third and fourth placed team is more than ten points, then the third placed team will earn an automatic promotion. However, if the difference is less than ten points, teams placed third to sixth in the league will have a playoff to determine who goes through to brush shoulders with the giants of football in the country.

Relegation from the second best league in the peninsula is slightly different when compared to the top tier. Four teams from the twenty two participants will fall prey to the axe that makes them land in the third division, which is the Lega Pro Prima Divisione. The bottom three clubs are automatically demoted to the third tier. If the team placed 18th is five or more points ahead of the 19th placed team, then the latter becomes the fourth and final team to lose its status as second division side. However, if the difference is less than five points, then a two legged playout will take place, with the losers being drowned into the Lega Pro, while the winners retain their status as a team in the second tier.

Last season, Torino, Reggina and Lecce were relegated to the Serie B. Bari and Parma were the teams from the Cadetti to achieve a direct promotion, while Livorno emerged triumphant in the playoff games to become the third team to gain a promotion.

At the bottom of the Serie B, Pisa, Avellino, and Treviso went down to the Lega Pro. Since only a point separated the 18th and 19th placed teams, Rimini and Ancona had to play each other for survival. The Dorici drew at home, and won the away leg at the Stadio Romeo Neri to ensure their status as a second tier club. The Biancorosso are now relegated to the third division.

Football Italiano