In
sports leagues,
promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between two divisions based on their performance for the completed
season. The best-ranked team or teams in the lower division are
promoted to the higher division for the next season, and the worst-ranked team or teams in the higher division are
relegated to the lower division for the next season. In some leagues,
playoffs or qualifying rounds are also used to determine rankings. This process can continue through
several levels of divisions, with teams being exchanged between levels 1 and 2, levels 2 and 3, levels 3 and 4, and so on. During the season, teams that are high enough in the
league table that they would qualify for promotion are sometimes said to be in the
promotion zone, and those at the bottom are in the
relegation zone (or, colloquially, the
drop zone or
facing the drop).