Divisions | 1 (1999–2015) 2 (2016–2019) |
---|---|
Number of teams | 10–24 |
Level on pyramid | 2 (1999–2015) 3 (2016–2019) |
Promotion to | Premier/SWPL (1999–2015) SWPL 2 (2016–2019) |
Relegation to | Scottish Women's Football League Second Division |
Domestic cup(s) | Scottish Cup |
League cup(s) | Scottish First Division Cup |
The Scottish Women's Football League First Division (SWFL 1) was a division in the Scottish women's football pyramid between 1999 and 2019. The second league tier from 1999 to 2015, it was later the third tier from 2016 to 2019.
For most of its history, the First Division was a national league whose top teams won promotion to the Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL), while the lowest were relegated to the Second Division (SWFL 2). Those divisions operated on the traditional autumn–spring football season calendar until 2009, when they switched to a March–November schedule.[1]
From 2016 to 2019, SWFL 1 was split into North and South regional divisions, with one team from each division promoted to SWPL 2. In the 2020 season, SWFL 1 was replaced as the third tier by the Scottish Women's Football Championship.[2]