🗺️ League structure and progression

Footium is built around a football pyramid. Every club competes in a league, every league sits within a division, and your results decide whether you climb, survive or drop. Understanding the structure helps you plan your season, squad building, academy strategy, rewards expectations and FC income.

League format

Each Footium league contains 12 teams. During a season, every club plays every other club twice, which creates a 22-match season. One match is played per day during the season. This gives Footium a steady rhythm: prepare, play, review, then prepare again.

Because there are 22 matches, consistency matters more than a single result. You can recover from a poor start, but ignoring line-ups, condition, suspensions or chemistry for several days can quickly pull you into trouble. Promotion and relegation are decided over the full campaign.

Divisions and the pyramid

Footium’s football pyramid works similarly to non-league football structures in England, where divisions split into more leagues as you move down. Division 1 has one league of 12 teams. As you move down the pyramid, the number of leagues and teams within a division increases.

Division 1 is the top level. There is no promotion from Division 1 because it is the peak of the pyramid. Winning there is one of the biggest achievements in Footium. Division 8 is currently the bottom level, so there is no relegation from Division 8. This makes Division 8 a useful place for newer managers to learn tactics, squad management and live match decisions without the risk of dropping further.

Promotion and relegation

At the end of each season, the top two clubs in each league are promoted to the division above, unless they are already in Division 1. The bottom four clubs are relegated to the division below, unless they are already in Division 8.

This creates pressure throughout the table. If you are near the top, every point can decide promotion. If you are mid-table, results still matter because higher divisions are financially valuable and end-of-season rewards depend on final position. If you are near the bottom, survival can be just as important as chasing rewards.

Match schedule

Each club has one match per day. Clubs in the same league currently play at the same time. Matches occur from 07:00 to 23:00 UTC. In UK time, this is 08:00 to midnight during British Summer Time and 07:00 to 23:00 during winter.

To check your exact kick-off time, use the Fixtures page or find your league through the Leagues tab in-game. If your club is promoted or relegated, it may be placed into a different league with a different match time, so re-check at the start of every season.

Season flow

A Footium season usually follows a familiar shape. Pre-season begins, the unlimited transfer window opens, academy prospects arrive and Legendary Auctions take place. When Game Day 1 kicks off, the unlimited transfer window closes. Training and coaching open on the same day.

During the season, free agents may enter the market and two limited transfer windows open. In each limited window, a club can unregister up to three players. Free agents can be registered at any time, even when other windows are closed. Final matchday brings the last league fixtures, then training and coaching close before rollover into the next season. Exact dates are published in season announcements and Discord.

Progression strategy

Promotion is exciting, but survival matters too. Higher divisions have stronger competition and better earning potential. Your stadium, academy and squad should grow together. A good season is not only about where you finish today, but whether your club is stronger when the next season starts.

Updated on: 21/08/2026