Relegation in Laliga is simple at its core: the three teams that finish 18th, 19th and 20th in the final league table are relegated to Laliga HyperMotion. They are replaced the following season by three promoted clubs from Spain’s second division.
But the full system includes more than the bottom three. Points, head-to-head tiebreakers, the promotion playoff and the difference between automatic promotion and playoff promotion can all affect which clubs move between Spain’s top two divisions.
Updated September 3, 2026: This guide explains the current 2026/27 Laliga relegation and promotion structure. The basic three-team relegation format has been used in Spain’s top flight since 1999/2000.
How Does Relegation Work in Laliga?
At the end of a Laliga season, the clubs occupying the bottom three positions in the final table are relegated:
- 18th place — relegated
- 19th place — relegated
- 20th place — relegated
The teams finishing 1st through 17th remain in Laliga for the following season, assuming they continue to satisfy the competition’s registration and licensing requirements.
There is no relegation playoff for the 18th-placed Laliga team. Once the final standings are settled, the bottom three lose their place in Spain’s top division.
How Many Teams Get Relegated From Laliga?
Three teams are relegated from Laliga every season. With 20 clubs in the division, that means 15% of the league changes through relegation at the end of a normal season.
| Final Position | Outcome |
|---|---|
| 1st | Laliga champion |
| 2nd–17th | Remain in Laliga |
| 18th | Relegated to Laliga HyperMotion |
| 19th | Relegated to Laliga HyperMotion |
| 20th | Relegated to Laliga HyperMotion |
The relegation battle therefore usually centers on the race to finish 17th or higher. Seventeenth is the lowest guaranteed survival position.
You can follow the current battle using our Laliga standings, which tracks every club’s position throughout the season.
What Happens When Teams Finish Level on Points?
Laliga does not simply use overall goal difference as the first tiebreaker between two teams. Head-to-head results are given priority once the relevant teams have completed both league meetings.
For two clubs level on points, the first comparison is the goal difference from the league matches played directly between those two teams. If they still cannot be separated, the competition moves to wider league-based criteria such as overall goal difference and goals scored.
This can become extremely important near 17th and 18th place. A team can finish level on points with a relegation rival but survive because it holds the stronger head-to-head record.
What if three or more teams are tied?
When several clubs finish on the same number of points, the regulations use results between the tied clubs to create a mini-ranking before moving to broader goal-difference criteria if necessary.
That is why the relegation picture cannot always be judged from points and overall goal difference alone. Late in the season, the results of earlier head-to-head matches can become decisive.
How Are Points Awarded in Laliga?
The standings that determine relegation use the standard modern football points system:
| Match Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Win | 3 points |
| Draw | 1 point |
| Loss | 0 points |
Every club plays each of the other 19 teams twice — once at home and once away — for a total of 38 league matches. After Matchday 38, the final table determines the three relegated clubs.
For every upcoming round and confirmed kickoff, see our Laliga schedule.
Where Do Relegated Laliga Teams Go?
Clubs relegated from Laliga drop into Laliga HyperMotion, Spain’s second professional division, for the following season.
Relegation has major sporting and financial consequences. Clubs face a lower division, a different schedule and a new promotion race, while often needing to adjust their squad and budget after losing top-flight status.
A relegated club can return to Laliga as soon as the following season if it earns promotion from the second tier.
How Does Promotion to Laliga Work?
Three clubs are promoted from Laliga HyperMotion to replace the three relegated Laliga teams.
The promotion places are divided into two routes:
- 1st place in Laliga HyperMotion — automatic promotion
- 2nd place — automatic promotion
- 3rd to 6th — promotion playoff for the final place
This keeps the number of teams in Laliga at 20 from one season to the next: three clubs leave and three enter.
How Does the Laliga Promotion Playoff Work?
The clubs finishing 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th in Laliga HyperMotion enter a playoff for the third and final promotion place.
The semifinal pairings are:
- 3rd vs 6th
- 4th vs 5th
Each semifinal is played over two legs. The winners then meet in another two-legged tie to decide who earns promotion to Laliga.
The better regular-season finisher receives an important advantage. The second leg is played at the home ground of the team that finished higher in Laliga HyperMotion. If a playoff tie remains level after extra time, the better-placed regular-season team advances rather than the tie being decided by a penalty shootout under the current format.
Is There a Relegation Playoff in Laliga?
No. Laliga currently has no playoff between the 18th-placed top-flight club and a team from Laliga HyperMotion.
The bottom three in Laliga are relegated directly. The top two in the second division are promoted directly, while teams placed third through sixth compete only with each other for the final promotion position.
This differs from leagues in some European countries where a top-flight club can defend its place in a relegation playoff.
Can a Big Club Be Relegated From Laliga?
Yes. Club size, history and past trophies provide no protection from sporting relegation. Any team that finishes 18th, 19th or 20th can go down.
However, three historic clubs have never been relegated from the Spanish top flight since the national league began: Real Madrid, Barcelona and Athletic Club. Their uninterrupted top-flight status is one of Laliga’s most notable historical records.
Past champions are not automatically protected either. Former Laliga-winning clubs have experienced relegation at different points in their histories.
For the complete championship record, see our Laliga winners by year.
What Is the Relegation Zone?
The relegation zone is the bottom three places in the Laliga table — 18th, 19th and 20th.
During the season, being in the relegation zone does not mean a club is already relegated. Teams can move in and out of the bottom three as points are won and lost.
A club is only mathematically relegated when there is no longer any possible combination of remaining results that can move it above the survival line. Otherwise, relegation is finally confirmed after all 38 matches have been completed.
What Does “Mathematically Relegated” Mean?
A team is mathematically relegated when it can no longer finish outside the bottom three, even if it wins every remaining match.
For example, if an 18th-placed team is too far behind 17th to close the gap with the points still available, relegation is confirmed before the final matchday.
The opposite can also happen: a team can become mathematically safe before Matchday 38 if the clubs below it cannot collect enough points to overtake it.
Laliga Relegation Rules at a Glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How many teams are relegated? | 3 |
| Which positions go down? | 18th, 19th and 20th |
| Where are they relegated to? | Laliga HyperMotion |
| Lowest safe position | 17th |
| Number of teams promoted to Laliga | 3 |
| Automatic promotion places | 1st and 2nd in Laliga HyperMotion |
| Promotion playoff places | 3rd–6th |
| Top-flight relegation playoff? | No |
| Matches per Laliga club | 38 |
Rules note: Relegation and promotion criteria are set before each season by the relevant Spanish football authorities. This guide reflects the current structure for the 2026/27 season and should be reviewed if competition regulations change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Three teams are relegated from Laliga each season. The clubs finishing 18th, 19th and 20th drop to Laliga HyperMotion.
17th place is the lowest survival position. A club that finishes 17th remains in Laliga, while 18th, 19th and 20th are relegated.
For teams level on points, Laliga gives priority to head-to-head results before overall league goal difference once the relevant head-to-head matches have been completed.
No. The bottom three Laliga teams are relegated directly. There is no playoff in which the 18th-placed club can save its top-flight status.
Three teams are promoted from Laliga HyperMotion. The top two are promoted automatically, while teams finishing third through sixth compete for the final promotion place.
The third-placed team faces sixth and fourth faces fifth in two-legged semifinals. The winners then play a two-legged final for the last promotion place.
Yes. A club is mathematically relegated once it is impossible for it to finish 17th or higher based on the points still available.
No. Real Madrid and Barcelona have never been relegated from the Spanish top flight. Athletic Club also share that distinction.
