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Zealand Series (Danish: Sjællandsserien, SS, Herre Sjællandsserien) is the highest division for men organized by the regional association DBU Sjælland and one of the sixth-highest divisions overall in the Danish football league system. The Zealand Association Football Championship (Danish: Sjællandsmesterskabet, SM) was introduced a week after the association's foundation in 1902 and was played in a cup format until actual league formats organized on a double round-robin basis including promotions and relegations were introduced in 1927 with the highest ranking division being named Mesterrækken (or SBUs Mesterrække to distinguish it from the other regional leagues). At the time of the league's introduction, it was placed at the top of the Danish football league system, but has since been moved to its current status as the sixth best level, below the Denmark Series at the fifth level.

History

Only one week after the foundation of the second regional football association, Zealand Football Association (SBU), the first tournament between member clubs was started. The first tournament was played in a cup format with the participation of 13 teams and a final match, a tournament format that was kept until 1917. In 1918, the teams started playing a double tournament format (autumn–spring). At the annual general assembly in 1927, the decision of introducing an actual league format for the best member teams was passed, creating the Mesterrækken (SBU level 1) and the A-rækken (SBU level 2) with promotions and relegations in a double year-long format (autumn-spring) under the auspices of the football association. In 1910, no tournament winner was declared. I finale match ended in a tie and a new date for the replay match was not found. Due to World War I, the Danish football tournaments in 1914–1915 were completed with great difficulties and almost ceased to exist - only eight teams participated in the local tournament administrated by SBU.

Despite difficulties with transportation (especially using cars) during World War II, the football tournaments under Sjællands Boldspil-Union in 1940–1942 managed to complete almost without any cancellations, and continued in a reduced format until the end of the war in 1945. Mesterrækken (SBU level 1), Oprykningsrækken (SBU level 2) and A-rækken (SBU level 3) completed the scheduled matches in autumn 1944, but due to restrictions on the usage of trains during Sundays, many cancellations occurred in spring 1945. A wartime crisis tournament was set up instead, where teams played in small (local) regional tournaments and all promotions and relegations were suspended. Immediately following World War II, the Danish Football Association (DBU) annulled the national wartime league tournaments and introduces a new national league structure for the top tree levels (Danmarksturneringen i fodbold) with ten teams in each league. Promotion to the third division went through the top amateur leagues organized by the six regional football associations, at that moment in time located as the fourth level in Danish association football, where each league winner entered play-off matches against the other regional league winners. The highest ranking senior men's league administrated by DBU Zealand was renamed from Mesterrækken to Sjællandsserien, while the league below was renamed from Oprykningsrækken to Mellemrækken, beginning with the 1945/46-season.

As a consequence of the new league restructuring introduced by the national football association for the higher national levels, on 5 September 2014 at a board meeting of the committee the regional association of Zealand decided to adopt a new league structure for their own highest league competition. Starting from the 2015–16-season, the best men's league would be split into two geographically organized groups with 12 teams, where the group winners are each secured a direct promotion spot to Denmark Series, while the runners-up play an additional single match on a neutral field for a third promotion spot to the fourth level in Danish football. The losing team will enter into a play-off match against one of the league runners-up from the other regional associations. Also the Lolland-Falster Series, that have historically always been located at the same level as the Zealand Series, would drop a level and would instead become a feeder league to the Zealand Series with two promotion spots following an agreement made with DBU Lolland-Falster. DBU Lolland-Falster saw the difference in level between the teams in the Lolland-Falster Series and the Denmark Series being too high.

Zealand Championship winners

Beginning with the 2015–16 season, the two group winners in a given season enters a play-off final match against each other to determine the Zealand Championship (Sjællandsmesterskabet) - both are automatically promoted to the Denmark Series. The runners-up in both group enter a play-off match against each other on a neutral playing field for the right to enter the Denmark Series, while the losing team will get an additional chance by playing one extra play-off match against a league runner-up from another regional association. Teams placing in the bottom are automatically relegated to the Series 1 leagues and Lolland-Falster Series respectively.

SBU's 1. Holdsturnering play-off Finals

A-rækken play-off Finals

A-rækkens Kredsvinderturnering

Mesterskabsrækken

Sjællandsserien

Sjællandsserien SM Final

Footnotes

1. Between 1902 and 1912, there was no national championship playoff and the regional championships were the highest level, that the clubs could reach, so in principle level 1.
2. The final match between Helsingør IF and Holbæk IF ended 2-2. Due to difficulties with regard to scheduling the date for the replay match, no winner for the 1911 spring edition was found and the tournament was left undecided.
3. No final national playoff tournament was played due to World War I. The level for Zealand Series within the overall Danish football league system was kept this season.
4. The 1935/36-season of the Danmarksturneringen i fodbold consisted of two levels (with a total of three divisions) with each team playing in a single round-robin schedule and at the same time participating in the regional leagues. The 1936/37-season introduced a new third level in the Danmarksturneringen i fodbold (four divisions in total), where each division had a double round-robin schedule. The teams in the top two levels did not participate in the regional leagues, while the teams at the third levels still took part in the regional tournaments.
5. During World War II, the Danish Football Association (DBU) suspended the then national league structure, consisting of three divisional series, with clubs instead being divided geographically into regional groups using one flat structure, though eliminating two levels in the Danish football league system for the entire period (1940–1945). Each regional champions qualified to play in one of the regional series.
6. After World War II, the nation-wide tournament, "Danmarksturneringen i fodbold", were resumed with 3 leagues, which meant that all the regional championship leagues were lowered to tier 4 in the Danish football league system.
7. Beginning with the 1959 edition, the 'Kvalifikationsturneringen' switched from being an end-of-the-season qualifying tournament for promotion to the 3rd Division to becoming a full season league and a part of league structure of "Danmarksturneringen i fodbold". With the introduction of the new league, nicknamed '4th Division', the Zealand Series within the overall Danish football league system was dropped by one level.
8. ^ In the 1971 edition, the top two teams (Brøndby IF and Toksværd G&IF) finished with the equal points at the end of the season. Even though, Toksværd G&IF had a better overall goal difference between against Brøndby IF, this season the tie was broken using goal difference for the two matches those clubs had played against each other. More specifically: round 10 on 12 June 1971 at 19:00 Toksværd G&IF–Brøndby IF 2–4 and round 22 on 7 November 1971 at 10:00 Brøndby–Toksværd 2–1.
9. ^ In the summer of 1991, one of the several changes to the format of the Danmarksturneringen i fodbold, was the introduction of the Kvalifikationsligaen in the spring section of the season, which meant that the levels in the overall Danish football league system was dropped by one, while at the same time being increased by one in the autumn season. This tournament format lasted until the spring of 1995.
10. ^ The Kvalifikationsrækken were introduced in the spring of 1998 by the Danish Football Association as a buffer zone between the higher ranking level's autumn-spring season format and the lower ranking level's spring-autumn season formats. This meant, that the Zealand Series within the overall Danish football league system was dropped by one level. The tournament was discontinued in the summer of 2008 and the level of the Zealand Series was increased.
11. After full time the match was tied and the match went directly to penalty shootout for a winner to be found, skipping the extra time.
12. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark, the Danish Football Association (DBU) suspended the national league structure, with only the fourth highest tiers reaching a conclusion. The regional leagues were cancelled, and the first places, RB 1906 and Vordingborg IF, received automatic promotion to the Denmark Series.

References

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v t e Football in Denmark
Danish Football Association (DBU)
National teams	men: Senior League XI U-21 U-19 U-17 Beach soccer Futsal women: Senior U-19 U-17
League competitions	men: Danmarksturneringen i fodbold Superliga 1st Division 2nd Division 3rd Division Denmark Series Regional top leagues Copenhagen Series Funen Series Jutland Series Zealand Series Regional second-tier leagues Bornholm Series Lolland-Falster Series Series 1 Danish Reserve League women: Danmarksturneringen i kvindefodbold Women's League Women's 1st Division Women's 2nd Division Women's Series
Cup competitions	men: Danish Men's Cup women: Danish Women's Cup defunct: 1888 Medal Football Competition Baneklubberne Tournaments Provinsmesterskabsturneringen Sylow-Tournament Carlsberg Cup Danish League Cup Danish Super Cup Viasat Cup KBUs Pokalturnering FBUs Pokalturnering JBUs Pokalturnering SBUs Pokalturnering LFBUs Pokalturnering BBUs Pokalturnering
Organizations	current: DBU Bredde Divisionsforeningen Kvindedivisionsforeningen Spillerforeningen Dansk Fodbolddommer Union Dansk Træner Union DBU Copenhagen DBU Jutland DBU Zealand DBU Bornholm DBU Lolland-Falster DBU Funen Danske Fodbold Fanklubber Dansk Arbejder Idrætsforbund defunct: Dansk Kvinde Fodbold Union Københavns Forstadsklubbers Boldspil Union Amager Boldspil-Union Nordre Birks Boldspil-Union
Lists / statistics	Men's football champions Women's football champions Men's league clubs Women's league clubs Venues

• Fifth level football leagues in Europe
• Football leagues in Denmark
• Sports leagues established in 1902
• 1902 establishments in Denmark
• Zealand Football Championship