| Founded | 1975 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 2013 |
| Country | Scotland |
| Number of clubs | 10 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Promotion to | Scottish First Division |
| Relegation to | Scottish Third Division |
| Domestic cup(s) | Scottish Cup League Cup Challenge Cup |
| Last champions | Queen of the South (2012–13) |
TheScottish Football League Second Division was the third tier of theScottish football league system between 1975 and 2013.
The Second Division was created in 1975, as part of a wider reconstruction of theScottish Football League (SFL). Prior to 1975, the SFL had been split into two divisions (Division One and Division Two). The effect of the reconstruction was to split these two divisions into three, with the top flight named thePremier Division, second tier theFirst Division, and a new third tier was created known as the Second Division. A fourth tier, known as theThird Division, was created in 1994.
In 1998, the Premier Division clubs broke away from the SFL to form theScottish Premier League (SPL). The Second Division continued as before, but it was now the second level of the SFL. In 2013, the SFL and SPL merged to form theScottish Professional Football League (SPFL). The SPFL named its third tier asScottish League One, which effectively replaced the Second Division.
From 1994 until 2013, the Second Division consisted of ten teams. From 1994 to 2006, the top two teams were promoted to theFirst Division and the bottom two were relegated to theThird Division. From 2006 to 2013, the top team in the Second Division was promoted to theFirst Division, while the clubs in 2nd through 4th places entered an end of seasonplay-off with the 9th placed side in the First Division. The bottom club was automatically relegated to theThird Division and the 9th placed club entered an end of season play-off with the second, third and fourth placed clubs from the Third Division.
The teams played each other four times with three points for a victory and one point each for a drawn game. In the event of two teams finishing with the same number of points, the respective teams' position is decided ongoal difference. If goal difference is equal too, the team who has scored the most goals is placed higher.
Most players in the Second Division were part-time professionals.[citation needed]
b.^ Team failed to gain promotion via play-offs