The Zhejiang Football Super League (ZSL) is a league of football teams from Zhejiang, China. Formed in 2003, the leagues sits at level 5–6 on the pyramid system. There are 8 teams in 2 divisions separately. It is a feeder to the CMCL.
| Founded | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Country | China |
| Divisions | 2 |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Level on pyramid | 5 (Division A) 6 (Division B) |
| Promotion to | CMCL |
| Current champions | Lishui Kehang (1st title) |
| Most championships | Ningbo Daxie Jindao (5 titles) |
| Current: 2023 Zhejiang Football Super League | |
The league organised by the Zhejiang Football Association, is the top league of Zhejiang Province.
Format
editThe ZSL is divided into 2 divisions of 8 teams each, starting from season 2020.
Teams in Division A play each other twice in the league (home and away), receiving three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned ZSL Division A champions. There is no established format for the Division B, and the tournament system is temporarily used for season 2020 and 2021.
Promotion and relegation
editCMCL / Division A
editThe champions of Division A may qualify for the CMCL.
Division A / Division B
editThe champions of Division B are directly promoted to the Division A, swapping places with the bottom club of Division A. The club finishing 2nd in Division B, and the 7th placed team in Division A then enter the play-off to decide a place in next season.[1]
Division B / lower-level leagues
editPromotion places will only be awarded if a team withdraws from the Division B.
The other teams in the qualifying round come from the winning teams in the lower-level leagues (or recommended by lower-level FA), which are:
History
editZhejiang Football Cities Championships League
editCreated in 2003, Zhejiang Football Cities Championships League (ZCCL) is the first province-level association football league in Zhejiang, and its predecessor was the Zhejiang Football Association Cup (founded in the 1980s). The first season gathered 5 teams to participate, playing each other 2 ties, with Ningbo Xinyongjiang winning the first title. Because ZCCL had become an affiliated league to the Chinese Football Association Bing League by the time, the winning team qualified for that season's China Football Amateur League, but Hangzhou Sinobal took the entry instead of Ningbo Xinyongjiang.
After 13 years of development, by season 2015, the ZCCL had expanded to 14 member teams.
Name changing
editIn season 2006, the league changed its name to Zhejiang Football Super League.[2] The first season under current name, 11 teams gained entry, and Ningbo Yinbo won the championship. In season 2020, the league extended to 16 teams and split into 2 divisions.[3]
Member clubs
editThe clubs listed below have competed in the ZSL/ZCCL since it was created in 2003. Clubs currently playing in the league are shown in bold.
| Club | Affiliated FA | Total seasons | Position in 2020 | First season in ZSL/ZCCL | Last season in ZSL/ZCCL | First season of current
spell in top division of ZSL/ZCCL |
Total titles of top division of ZSL/ZCCL | Last title of top division of ZSL/ZCCL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ningbo Daxie Jindao | Ningbo | 8 | 3rd, ZSL Division A | 2011 | - | 2014 | 5 | 2019 |
| Yiwu Lejian | Jinhua | 8 | 8th, ZSL Division A | 2008 (as Yiwu Tumu Construction) | - | 2019 | 0 | - |
| Jinhua Huayue | Jinhua | 6 | 6th, ZSL Division A | 2016 (as Jinhua Zhongchou) | - | 2016 (as Jinhua Zhongchou) | 0 | - |
| Hangzhou Qiantang | Hangzhou | 5 | 2nd, ZSL Division A | 2012 (as Hangzhou Zhipu) | - | 2020 | 0 | - |
| Huzhou LOHAS | Huzhou | 6 | 1st, ZSL Division A | 2016 | - | 2016 | 1 | 2020 |
| Wenzhou Ohyeah | Wenzhou | 5 | 4th, ZSL Division A | 2016 (as Wenzhou Ouyan) | - | 2018 (as Wenzhou Ouyan) | 0 | - |
| Jiaxing Qinghe | Jiaxing | 6 | 7th, ZSL Division A | 2016 | - | 2016 | 0 | - |
| Hangzhou Mengdingtang | Hangzhou | 2 | 4th, ZSL Division B | 2020 | - | - | 0 | - |
| Zhoushan Merdeka | Zhoushan | 4 | 5th, ZSL Division B | 2018 | - | - | 0 | - |
| Huzhou Meiqi | Huzhou | 2 | 7th, ZSL Division B | 2020 | - | - | 0 | - |
| Haining Morris | Jiaxing | 2 | 2nd, ZSL Division B | 2020 | - | - | 0 | - |
| Lishui Red Wing | Lishui | 3 | 1st, ZSL Division B | 2019 | - | - | 0 | - |
| Quzhou Xin'an | Quzhou | 6 | 3rd, ZSL Division B | 2016 | - | - | 0 | - |
| Ningbo Shoufa | Ningbo | 1 | 2nd, Ningbo Super League | 2021 | - | 2021 | 0 | - |
| Pinghu Qihang | Jiaxing | 1 | - | 2021 | - | 2021 | 0 | - |
| Shaoxing Shangyu Pterosaur | Shaoxing | 4 | 5th, ZSL Division A | 2017 (as Shaoxing Jiayu Yilong) | 2021 | - | 0 | - |
| Zhejiang Xinxiucheng | Jiaxing | 1 | 6th, ZSL Division B | 2020 | 2020 | - | 0 | - |
| Taizhou Tasan | Taizhou | 2 | 8th, ZSL Division B | 2019 | 2020 | - | 0 | - |
| Hangzhou Wuyue Qiantang | Hangzhou | 2 | - | 2017 | 2018 | - | 2 | 2018 |
| Taizhou Hehe | Taizhou | 1 | - | 2018 | 2019 | - | 0 | - |
| Haining 99 | Jiaxing | 3 | - | 2012 (as Haining 1999 Ausen) | 2018 | - | 0 | - |
| Zhoushan Aoxiang | Zhoushan | 1 | unfinished, Zhoushan League One
(season 2019–20) |
2017 | 2017 | - | 0 | - |
| Lishui Lexiang | Lishui | 2 | - | 2017 | 2018 | - | 0 | - |
| Zhoushan Tianrui Brothers | Zhoushan | 1 | - | 2016 | 2016 | - | 0 | - |
| Lishui Jifeng | Lishui | 1 | - | 2016 | 2016 | - | 0 | - |
| Shangyu FA | Shaoxing | 2 | - | 2016 | 2017 | - | 0 | - |
| Taizhou Ostrich | Taizhou | 2 | - | 2016 | 2017 | - | 0 | - |
| Cangnan 8090 | Wenzhou | 1 | - | 2017 | 2017 | - | 0 | - |
| Ningbo Xinyongjiang | Ningbo | 2 | - | 2003 | 2005 | - | 1 | 2003 |
| Hangzhou Sinobal | Hangzhou | 8 | - | 2004 | 2012 | - | 3 | 2008 |
| Taizhou Naidi | Taizhou | 1 | - | 2005 | 2005 | - | 1 | 2005 |
| Ningbo Hongao | Ningbo | 2 | - | 2007 | 2008 | - | 1 | 2007 |
| Jiaxing Milo | Jiaxing | 1 | - | 2009 | 2009 | - | 1 | 2009 |
| Ningbo Baoxing | Ningbo | 1 | - | 2010 | 2010 | - | 1 | 2010 |
| Ninghai Feixiang | Ningbo | 1 | - | 2012 | 2012 | - | 1 | 2012 |
| Lishui FA | Lishui | 1 | - | 2013 | 2013 | - | 1 | 2013 |
| Taizhou Delijia | Taizhou | 2 | - | 2003 | 2004 | - | 0 | - |
| Shaoxing Pagoda Brand | Shaoxing | 2 | - | 2003 | 2006 | - | 0 | - |
| Zhoushan Zhoufeng | Zhoushan | 10 | - | 2003 | 2014 | - | 0 | - |
| Shaoxing Tiangong | Shaoxing | 1 | - | 2005 | 2005 | - | 0 | - |
| Wenzhou Tongji | Wenzhou | 1 | - | 2005 | 2005 | - | 0 | - |
| Shaoxing Jiayu | Shaoxing | 2 | - | 2008 | 2009 | - | 0 | - |
| Taizhou Wangye | Taizhou | 3 | - | 2006 | 2008 | - | 0 | - |
| Haining Leather City | Jiaxing | 2 | - | 2006 | 2008 | - | 0 | - |
| Lishui Jinyun Tianshi Orthopaedic | Lishui | 1 | - | 2006 | 2006 | - | 0 | - |
| Yiwu F.C. | Jinhua | 1 | - | 2006 | 2006 | - | 0 | - |
| Wenzhou Baoshiniao | Wenzhou | 1 | - | 2007 | 2007 | - | 0 | - |
| Wenzhou Lingxi Shengyu | Wenzhou | 2 | - | 2008 | 2013 | - | 0 | - |
| Ningbo Jinhui | Ningbo | 1 | - | 2008 | 2008 | - | 0 | - |
| Hangzhou Zhanshi Orthopaedics Tanghu | Hangzhou | 1 | - | 2009 | 2009 | - | 0 | - |
| Wenzhou Longgang | Wenzhou | 3 | - | 2009 | 2015 | - | 0 | - |
| Wenzhou Yongjia Zhongnan | Wenzhou | 1 | - | 2010 | 2010 | - | 0 | - |
| Yueqing Beibaixiang | Wenzhou | 2 | - | 2011 | 2013 | - | 0 | - |
| Jinhua Letian | Jinhua | 1 | - | 2011 | 2011 | - | 0 | - |
| Yiwu Huishang B&J | Jinhua | 2 | - | 2011 | 2012 | - | 0 | - |
| Yuyao Eyuyao | Ningbo | 1 | - | 2012 | 2012 | - | 0 | - |
| Yongkang Haina | Wenzhou | 1 | - | 2012 | 2012 | - | 0 | - |
| Ningbo Youdao DP | Ningbo | 2 | - | 2013 (as Ningbo DP Just) | 2014 | - | 0 | - |
| Quzhou Huateng | Quzhou | 2 | - | 2013 | 2014 | - | 0 | - |
| Hangzhou Mengde | Hangzhou | 1 | - | 2014 | 2014 | - | 0 | - |
| Wenzhou Xuanda Xinglong | Wenzhou | 1 | - | 2014 | 2014 | - | 0 | - |
| Lishui Zhonghang | Lishui | 1 | - | 2014 | 2014 | - | 0 | - |
| Wenzhou Jiayun | Wenzhou | 1 | - | 2014 | 2014 | - | 0 | - |
| Yiwu Red Ants | Jinhua | 2 | - | 2014 | 2015 | - | 0 | - |
| Lishui Qingtian Huawei | Lishui | 1 | - | 2014 | 2014 | - | 0 | - |
| Taizhou Wuai | Taizhou | 1 | - | 2015 | 2015 | - | 0 | - |
| Haining Kerui | Jiaxing | 1 | - | 2015 | 2015 | - | 0 | - |
| Huzhou Welldone | Huzhou | 1 | - | 2015 | 2015 | - | 0 | - |
| Quzhou Yifeng | Quzhou | 1 | - | 2015 | 2015 | - | 0 | - |
| Zhejiang Dacheng | Huzhou | 1 | - | 2015 | 2015 | - | 0 | - |
| Lishui Longquan Keda Lingzhi | Lishui | 1 | - | 2015 | 2015 | - | 0 | - |
| Huzhou Changxing Chilwee | Huzhou | 1 | - | 2015 | 2015 | - | 0 | - |