Norwegian First Division

1. divisjon (often referred to as OBOS-ligaen for sponsorship reasons) is the second-highest level of the Norwegian football league system. Each year, the top finishing teams in the 1. divisjon are promoted to the Eliteserien, and the lowest finishing teams are relegated to 2. divisjon.

This article is about the current Norwegian second-tier football league. For the first-tier league previously known as 1. divisjon, see Eliteserien.

1. divisjon
Founded1948
2015–present (as OBOS-ligaen)
2014 (as 1. divisjon)
2005–2013 (as Adeccoligaen)
1991–2004 (as 1. divisjon)
1963–1990 (as 2. divisjon)
1948–1951 (as 1. divisjon)
CountryNorway
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams16
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toEliteserien
Relegation to2. divisjon
Domestic cup(s)Norwegian Cup
Current championsAalesund (1st title)
(2019)
Most championshipsHamKam, Lyn and Sogndal (6 titles)
TV partnersDiscovery Networks Norway
WebsiteFotball.no
2020 1. divisjon
Norwegian football
league structure
Eliteserien (Tier 1)
1. divisjon (Tier 2)
2. divisjon (Tier 3)
3. divisjon (Tier 4)
4. divisjon (Tier 5)
5. divisjon (Tier 6)
6. divisjon (Tier 7)
7. divisjon (Tier 8)
8. divisjon (Tier 9)
9. divisjon (Tier 10)

1. divisjon was previously known as 2. divisjon (1963–1990) and replaced regional league Landsdelsserien (1951–1962) after the latter was dissolved after the 1961–62 season. The second tier was also prior to Landsdelsserien known as 1. divisjon (1948–1951). Formally, it was a semi-professional league.[1] The tier has been restructured many times and consists of 16 teams at present.

History

Between 1963 and 1990, the second highest level in Norwegian football was named 2. divisjon. In 1991, due to rebranding of the top flight level in 1990, it was renamed to its initial name; 1. divisjon. 1. divisjon has been the name of this level ever since, except for periods when the league has had a sponsor-affiliated name. Between 2005 and 2013 the level was known as Adeccoligaen and from 2015 to 2020 the name is OBOS-ligaen.

Format

Previous

In the 1997 season, 1. divisjon merged from two divisions consisting of 12 teams each, to only one with 14 teams. In the 2001 season, 1. divisjon expanded from 14 to 16 teams. Only two teams were relegated in the 2000 season. In 2009, the number of teams in Eliteserien expanded from 14 to 16. Therefore, only one team was relegated to 1. divisjon, whilst three teams were promoted to Tippeligaen.[2]

Current

Since 2012 four teams, finishing 3rd to 6th, has qualified for promotion play-offs. In the 2017 season the relegation format was changed. The previous format where four teams were relegated was replaced with a format with two relegation spots and one relegation play-off spot.

The league is contested by 16 teams. During the course of a season, each club plays the others twice, home and away, for a total of 30 games for each club, and a total of 240 games in a season. The season starts in April and lasts until early November. The top two teams will be promoted to Eliteserien, while the teams placed from third to sixth place will play a promotion-playoff against each other to earn the right to play a two-legged game against the 14th-placed team in Eliteserien to win promotion. The bottom two teams will be relegated to the 2. divisjon known as PostNord-ligaen, and the team in 14th place will play a two-legged playoff against the play-off winner among the two-second-placed teams in 2. divisjon.[3]

Changes in competition format
From To Group(s) Teams Match-weeks Season Start Season End Dir. promoted Promotion play-off spots
1948–49 1950–51 11 83–84 10–14 Autumn Spring none 11
1951–52 1960–61 7 54 12–14 2 5
1961–62 55 18–21
1963 1971 2 16 14 Spring Autumn 2 none
1972 1975 2 + 2 districts 35–36 10–14 3
1976 2 + 1 district 28 14–18
1977 1978 30 18
1979 1993 2 24 22 2
1994 4 none
1995 1996 2 2
1997 2000 1 14 26 1
2001 2007 16 30
2008 3
2009 2010 2 3
2011 none
2012 Present 4

Clubs

Current members
Locations of the teams in the 2019 1. divisjon

The following 16 clubs are competing in the 2019 1. divisjon, nine of which are located in Eastern Norway, four are from Western Norway, two are from Southern Norway and one is from north of the Arctic Circle:

Source:[4]

Club Finishing position last season Location Stadium Capacity
Aalesund 3rd Ålesund Color Line Stadion 10,778
HamKam 9th Hamar Briskeby Arena 7,800
Jerv 13th Grimstad Levermyr Stadion 3,300
KFUM 2nd in 2. divisjon gr. 2 (promoted via play-offs) Oslo KFUM Arena 1,500
Kongsvinger 8th Kongsvinger Gjemselund Stadion 5,824
Nest-Sotra 6th Sotra Ågotnes Stadion 1,200
Raufoss 1st in 2. divisjon gr. 1 (promoted) Raufoss Nammo Stadion 2,500
Sandefjord 16th in Eliteserien (relegated) Sandefjord Komplett Arena 6,582
Sandnes Ulf 10th Sandnes Sandnes Stadion 4,969
Skeid 1st in 2. divisjon gr. 2 (promoted) Oslo Nordre Åsen 264
Sogndal 4th Sogndal Fosshaugane Campus 5,622
Start 15th in Eliteserien (relegated) Kristiansand Sør Arena 14,563
Strømmen 11th Strømmen Strømmen Stadion 1,850
Tromsdalen 7th Tromsdalen Alfheim Stadion 1,695
Ullensaker/Kisa 5th Jessheim Jessheim Stadion 3,500

Sponsorship

Ahead of the 2015 season, a six-year deal was agreed with the housing cooperative OBOS. In the period from 2015 to 2020, 1. divisjon will be named OBOS-ligaen.[5]

Period Sponsor Name
1948–1951No sponsor1. divisjon
1951–1962Landsdelsserien
1963–19902. divisjon
1991–20041. divisjon
2005–2013AdeccoAdeccoligaen
2014No sponsor1. divisjon
2015–OBOSOBOS-ligaen

1. divisjon has a number of official partners and suppliers. The official ball supplier for the league is Umbro who on 20 February 2020 signed the first ever contract to deliver official balls for OBOS-ligaen.[6] The two-year deal began from the start of the 2020 season.

Statistics
Further information: List of teams promoted from the 1. divisjon and predecessors

From 1963 to 1990, the second tier in Norwegian football was named 2. divisjon. Until 1996, the 1. divisjon teams was split in two groups. This statistics shows the winning cubs, runners-ups, play-off teams, top goal scorer and the league's average attendances starting with the first one-group 1. divisjon season in 1997. Teams in bold won the promotion play-offs and were promoted to Eliteserien.

Season Winner Runners-up Promotion play-offs Top scorer Avg. att.
2019 Aalesund Sandefjord Start, KFUM Oslo, Kongsvinger and Sogndal 19 – Pontus Engblom (Sandefjord) 1 434
2018 Viking Mjøndalen Aalesund, Sogndal, Ullensaker/Kisa and Nest-Sotra 21 – Tommy Høiland (Viking) 1 711
2017 Bodø/Glimt Start Mjøndalen, Ranheim, Sandnes Ulf and Ullensaker/Kisa 28 – Kristian Fardal Opseth (Bodø/Glimt) 1 422
2016 Kristiansund Sandefjord Jerv, Sandnes Ulf, Kongsvinger and Mjøndalen 26 – Pontus Engblom (Sandnes Ulf) 1 495
2015 Sogndal Brann Kristiansund, Hødd, Jerv and Ranheim 17 – Pontus Engblom (Sandnes Ulf) and Robert Stene (Ranheim) 1 998
2014 Sandefjord Tromsø Mjøndalen, Kristiansund, Bærum and Fredrikstad 19 – Pål Alexander Kirkevold (Sandefjord) 1 376
2013 Bodø/Glimt Stabæk Hødd, Ranheim, Hamarkameratene and Mjøndalen 18 – Jo Sondre Aas (Ranheim) 1 453
2012 Start Sarpsborg 08 Sandefjord, Mjøndalen, Bodø/Glimt and Ullensaker/Kisa 20 – Martin Wiig (Sarpsborg 08) 1 330
2011 Hønefoss BK Sandnes Ulf NFF removed the play-offs ahead of the season 18 – Vegard Braaten (Alta) 1 186
2010 Sogndal Sarpsborg 08 Fredrikstad, Løv-Ham and Ranheim 17 – Marius Helle (Bryne) 1 544
2009 Haugesund Hønefoss Kongsvinger, Sogndal and Sarpsborg 08 24 – Thomas Sørum (Haugesund) 1 271
2008 Odd Grenland Sandefjord (2nd) and Start (3rd)[7] Sogndal 22 – Péter Kóvacs (Odd Grenland) 1 984
2007 Molde Hamarkameratene Bodø/Glimt 23 – Kenneth Kvalheim (Notodden) 1 726
2006 Strømsgodset Aalesund Bryne 19 – Mattias Andersson (Strømsgodset) 1 981
2005 Stabæk Sandefjord Moss 27 – Daniel Nannskog (Stabæk) 1 388
2004 Start Aalesund Kongsvinger 18 – Paul Oyuga (Bryne) 1 696
2003 Hamarkameratene Fredrikstad Sandefjord 19 – Markus Ringberg (Fredrikstad) 1 656
2002 Tromsø Aalesund Sandefjord 18 – Morten Gamst Pedersen (Tromsø) 1 174
2001 Vålerenga Start Hamarkameratene 18 – Bala Garba (Haugesund) and Marino Rahmberg (Raufoss) 1 490
2000 Lyn Strømsgodset Sogndal 25 – Jostein Flo (Strømsgodset) 775
1999 Haugesund Bryne Start 17 – Anders Blomquist (Haugesund) 1 033
1998 Odd Grenland Skeid Kjelsås 18 – Caleb Francis (Bryne) 741
1997 Vålerenga Moss Eik-Tønsberg 16 – Espen Musæus (Vålerenga) 1 169
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References
  1. http://ekstranett.fotball.no/Documents/Kampdelegater/2010/Turneringsbestemmelser%20%20Adeccoligaen%202013.pdf%5B%5D
  2. "Tippeligaen utvides til 16 lag". Football Association of Norway (in Norwegian). 8 March 2008. Archived from the original on 4 August 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  3. "2014 Bestemmelser om KM, opp- og nedrykk" [Rules for promotion and relegation, 2014] (PDF). Football Association of Norway. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  4. Lars Aarhus. "First division 2018". RSSSF Norway. Archived from the original on 5 December 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  5. "PM: 1. divisjon blir OBOS-ligaen" [Press release: 1. divisjon becomes the OBOS league]. ToppFotball.no (in Norwegian). Norsk Toppfotball. 15 January 2015. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  6. "OBOS-ligaen får offisiell ligaball". eurosport.no (in Norwegian). Eurosport. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  7. Both teams promoted directly because of the Tippeligaen extension to 16 teams in the 2009 season
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