| Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie B | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | LNPB |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Lega Calcio |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Milan |
Region served | Italy |
| Products | Serie B Campionato Primavera 2 |
| Membership | 20 clubs |
President | Mauro Balata |
Parent organization | FIGC |
| Website | LegaB.it |
The Lega Nazionale Professionisti B (Italian for National Professionals League B), commonly known asLNPB orLega B[1] (B League), is the governing body that runs the second tier of professionalfootball competitions in Italy, theSerie B. It was previously known asLega Nazionale Professionisti Serie B or justLega Serie B.
It was founded on 7 July 2010,[2] following a split betweenSerie A and Serie B clubs, which led to the dissolution of theLega Calcio and creation of two new leagues, theLega Serie A and Lega Serie B respectively.[3] Since April 2011, Lega Serie B has joined theEuropean Professional Football Leagues association.[4]
There are 20 clubs in Serie B since 2019, restoring the situation which existed before 2003. They were 22 during the first eight years of the Lega B. During the course of a season (generally from August to May) each club plays the others twice (a double round robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 38 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw; no points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points; the club with the most points is crowned champion at the end of each season. If two teams are equal on points, they're ranked by points scored in head-to-head matches, then bygoal difference in said games, then by goal difference in all games and then by total numbers of goals scored. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. However, if following the application of the above-mentioned tiebreaker criteria there is still a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to the play–offs, positions will be decided by drawing of lots.[5] The two higher placed teams, plus the winner of play-offs involving the third to sixth placed clubs, arepromoted to theSerie A, while the bottom three teams from Serie A are relegated in their stead. At the lower end of the table, the three bottom clubs, along with the loser of play-offs involving the 16th and 17th placed teams, are relegated to theSerie C, with four sides from said league joining Serie B in their place.[5]
The Lega Serie B clubs participate in theCoppa Italia, which is organized by theLega Serie A.
Youth teams of Lega Serie B clubs can play in theCampionato Primavera 2 and theCoppa Italia Primavera, which are organized by the Lega Serie B andLega Serie A respectively. However, they can join theCampionato Primavera 1, as the Serie A teams can join the Primavera 2, under an ordinary system of promotions and relegations, and the same thing can happen with theLega Pro’s teams playing theCampionato Primavera 3.
