TheCypriot Second Division (Greek:Πρωτάθλημα Β΄ Κατηγορίας) is the second highestfootball division of theCypriot football league system.

Administered by theCyprus Football Association, it is contested by 16 teams, with the top three teams beingpromoted to theCypriot First Division and the last three teams beingrelegated to theCypriot Third Division.

The Cypriot Second Division started unofficially the 1934–35 football season as the second level of the Cypriot football (Cyprus Football Association founded in 1934). The competition consisted of teams that didn't participate in Cypriot First Division and the reserve teams of the Cypriot First Division clubs.^[1][2] In the reserve teams were allowed to participate only players that had no more than three caps with their team in First Division.^[2] The reserve teams won all the titles of the unofficial period.^[1][2]

The first official second division championship was held in the 1953–54 season, after the unification ofCypriot Football, without the presence of the reserve teams. From that season, the reserve teams were participate in the new Reserve Teams Championship.^[1][3][4][5]

Almost every team that participated and still participate in theCypriot First Division had also participated in the Second Division, with only exceptions to beAPOEL andOmonia.Pezoporikos Larnaca andTrust were also two teams that never played to Second Division but both do not exist anymore.Çetinkaya Türk also never participated in Second Division but the team withdrew fromCFA in 1954. Many teams with multiple participations in the Cypriot First Division had also played in the Second Division, likeAEL Limassol,Nea Salamis Famagusta,Apollon Limassol,Olympiakos Nicosia,AEK Larnaca,Enosis Neon Paralimni andEPA Larnaca.^[1]

Anorthosis Famagusta also participated in the Second Division during 1945–46 season (unofficial competition), because they withdrew fromCFA eight years earlier and disbanded their football team. After their reform and their re-integration in the CFA, they were forced to play in the Second Division in order to be promoted to the First Division.^[1][2][6] It was the only time from the unofficial period of the competition that a team promoted from the Second Division to the First Division.

Since1952–53 season, the second Division teams took part in theCypriot Cup, except of the1963–64 season. In some seasons during the 1960s and 1970s only the leading teams of the Second Division took part (some times only the champion) in the competition. From1975–76 season all the teams of the Cypriot Second Division take part in the Cypriot Cup. No Second Division team ever reach the final but they qualified for the semi-finals four times (Nea Salamis Famagusta in1953–54,Orfeas Nicosia in1983–84,PAEEK in1984–85 andAEP Paphos in2005–06).

The structure of the championship was changed some times. From1953–54 until1967–68 the championship was split to two or three geographical groups, depending fromDistricts of Cyprus each participated team came from. The winners of each group were playing against each other in the final phase of the competition and the winner were the champions of the Second Division.^[1]

The championship was held for the first time as a single division in the1968–69 season. All the teams played against each other twice, once at their home and once away. The team with the most points at the end of the season crowned champions. This is the league's current format until present time. Exceptions were:

1. The1974–75 season, due to theTurkish invasion of Cyprus which forced many teams that had their headquarters to the north Cyprus to be closed temporarily or permanently, CFA decided to have aSpecial mixed championship of Second & Third Division. In this championship could participate all the teams of the Second andThird Division. Participation was optional. The championship had two geographical groups. The winners of each group were playing against each other in the final phase and the winners were the champions of the league. The winner was considered as the 1974–75 Cypriot Second Division champions.
2. The1994–95 season, the league consisted of three rounds. In the first two rounds all teams played against each other twice, once at their home and once away. The home teams for the third round matches were determined based on their league table position after the end of the second round.
3. The2009–10,2010–11,2011–12 and2012–13 seasons, each team played against each other twice, once at home and once away. After these matches, the first four teams qualified for the Promotion Group. At the Promotion Group every team played each other twice, once at home and once away. The teams with the best records were promoted to First Division. Regular season records were carried over without any modifications.
4. The2013–14 season, the league was split into a two tier system, Group B1 and Group B2 with 8 teams participating in each division. All the teams played (of each group) against each other four times, twice at home and twice away. The first two teams of Group B1 were promoted to the Cypriot First Division, while the first two teams of Group B2 were promoted to Group B1. The last four teams of Group B1 were relegated to Group B2, while the last four teams of Group B2 were relegated to the Cypriot Third Division. However, after the end of the season Cyprus Football Association merged the two groups, creating a unified Second Division. So all the teams that were relegated from B1 to B2 and the teams that promoted from B2 to B1 participated in the new unified Second Division. The two groups were not at the same level, as Group B1 was above Group B2. Second Division Champions of that season was considered the winner of Group B1.

Sixteen clubs are competing in the league, playing each other twice, once at home and once away for a total of 30 games per team. The champion and the second place team are promoted to theCypriot First Division and the bottom four are relegated to theCypriot Third Division.

The points system of the Cypriot Second Division changed three times during the years:From1953–54 until1959–60 season, teams were awarded two points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a defeat. From1960–61 until1969–70 season, teams were awarded three points for a win, two points for a draw and one point for a defeat. From1970–71 until1990–91 season, teams were awarded two points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a defeat. Since1991–92 season (until present time), teams are awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a defeat.

The 16 teams which participate in the 2025-26 Cypriot Second Division are:^[7]

The table presents the winners of the competition during the period 1935–1953, in which the competition was unofficial. During that period, the league consisted of the reserve teams of theCypriot First Division clubs (which won all the titles) and other teams that didn't participate in the First Division.^[1][8]

The period 1941–1944 the championship was not held due toWorld War II. Many Cypriots were volunteer enlisted in the Greek and English army, and also formed a Cypriot constitution. Most teams have undertaken national project by collecting money and clothing to be sent to Greece in order to assist the Greek people and the army. Moreover, many Greek refugees fled to Cyprus. Due to the prevailed war conditions the CFA decided to suspend all the competitions.^[9][10]

The table presents all the winners since the 1953–54 season, in which the competition started officially.^[1][8]

The number of the participated teams and the number of the teams that were promoted to theCypriot First Division was changed many times during the years. In some seasons no team was promoted, in other seasons only the champion was promoted and some other seasons were promoted the first two or the first three teams. In some seasons, play-offs between a First Division and a Second Division team were held with the winner participating in the next season's First Division and the losing team in the Second Division.^[14]

So far, 87 teams participated in the Cypriot Second Division since 1953–54 (including the2017–18 season).^[15]

¹The team has 15 participations as PAEK, 3 participations as PAEK/AEK and 28 participations as PAEEK.
²The team has some participations as Enosis-Keravnos.
³The team has 3 participations as APEP Limassol and 18 participations as APEP Pitsilias.

League or status at 2017–18:

• Football in Cyprus
• Cypriot football league system
• Cypriot First Division
• Cypriot Third Division
• STOK Elite Division
• Cypriot Cup

• Στεφανίδης, Γιώργος (2013-09-23)."ΡΕΤΡΟ – Η ιστορία της Β' Κατηγορίας" (in Greek).Haravgi. Archived fromthe original on 2014-06-06.
• Στεφανίδης, Γιώργος (2013-09-23)."Η ιστορία της Β' Κατηγορίας"(PDF).Haravgi (in Greek). p. 22. Archived from the original on 2016-03-25.
• "Cyprus – List of Second Level Champions".RSSSF. Retrieved2015-11-04.
• Gavreilides, Michalis; Papamoiseos, Stelios (2001).Ένας αιώνας Κυπριακό ποδόσφαιρο [One century Cypriot football] (in Greek). Nicosia: The writer.ISBN 9963-8720-1-8.
• Meletiou, Giorgos (2011).Κυπριακό ποδόσφαιρο 1900–1960 [Cypriot Football 1900–1960] (in Greek). Nicosia: Power Publishing.ISBN 978-9963-688-87-6.

• Cyprus Football Association

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