The 2023–24 Serie D is the seventy-fourth season of the top-level Italian non-professional football championship. It represents the fourth tier in the Italian football league system.
Rules
The season will provide a total of nine promotions to Serie C (those being the winners of all nine groups). Teams placed between second and fifth for each group will play a so-called "playoff tournament," starting with two one-legged games played at the best-placed team's home venue:
2nd-placed team vs 5th-placed team;
3rd-placed team vs 4th-placed team.
In case of a draw by the end of the game, two extra times will be played; in case of no winner after that, the best-placed team will advance to the final.
The two winning teams will then play a one-legged final, to be hosted at the best-placed team's home venue, with the same rules as in the first round. The nine playoff winners for each group will be prioritized to fill any potential Serie C league vacancies.[1]
The two bottom-placed teams for each league group are automatically relegated to Eccellenza. Two two-legged relegation playoff games (known in Italian as "play-out") will therefore be played between:
13th-placed team vs 16th-placed team (for 18-team groups), or 15th-placed team vs 18th-placed team (for 20-team groups);
14th-placed team vs 15th-placed team (for 18-team groups), or 16th-placed team vs 17th-placed team (for 20-team groups).
Two extra times will be played in case of an aggregate draw after the second leg; in case of a further aggregate draw, the worst-placed team will be relegated.
In case the two teams have a league gap of at least eight points, the relegation playoff will not take place and the worst-placed team will be automatically relegated instead.[2]
Teams
The league's composition involves nine divisions, grouped geographically and named alphabetically.
Readmissions
On 12 September 2023, the league committee announced that it had admitted La Fenice Amaranto as the phoenix club of Reggina after the latter's exclusion from Serie B, according to the Article 52 of N.O.I.F. regulations.[3] The club was later renamed LFA Reggio Calabria.[4]
Teams relegated from Serie C
The following teams were relegated from the 2022–23 Serie C:
PO Promoted as national playoff winners.
CI Promoted as Coppa Italia Dilettanti semi-finalists, due to all other three semi-finalists (Cast Brescia, Campobasso and San Marzano) having been directly promoted to Serie D.
Relocations, mergers and renamings
Vis Artena handed its participation league rights to Roma City.[7]
Lupa Frascati relocated to Rome and became Romana.[11]
NF Ardea switched back to their previous denomination of Nuova Florida throughout the season.[12]
Exclusions and withdrawals
On 14 July 2023, the Serie D football committee announced Viterbese and Arzachena had not submitted their league applications. In contrast, Torviscosa had renounced their right to participate in the season.[13]
Successively, the league committee excluded Seregno and Sambenedettese due to financial issues;[14] fellow Serie D club Porto d'Ascoli, renamed San Benedetto Calcio, successively acquired the naming rights of the latter under formal approval by the Italian Football Federation.[15]
On 2 November 2023, after the tenth matchday of the season, Lamezia Terme (Group I) announced they were voluntarily withdrawing from the league; all their games played before their announcement were consequently declared null and void.[16]
On 16 April 2024, Pistoiese were excluded after missing two consecutive league games due to financial issues.[17]
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2024. Source: [citation needed] Rules for classification: [D] (C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated Notes:
^The club was originally deducted 1 point due to unpaid wages to former head coach Luciano De Paola.[18] The deduction was later canceled on appeal.[19]
^2 points deducted due to having fielded an Under-19 player whose transfer was not formally approved yet.[20][21]
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2024. Source: [citation needed] Rules for classification: [G] (C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated Notes:
^Crema was relegated to Eccellenza but was later readmitted to fill the vacancies created.
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2024. Source: [citation needed] Rules for classification: [K] (C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated Notes:
^Cjarlins Muzane was relegated to Eccellenza after losing play-outs but was later readmitted to fill the vacancies created.
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2024. Source: [citation needed] Rules for classification: [Q] (C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2024. Source: [citation needed] Rules for classification: [T] (C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2024. Source: [citation needed] Rules for classification: [W] (C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated Notes:
^6 points deducted due to unpaid wages and financial irregularities.[25][26][27][28][29]
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2024. Source: [citation needed] Rules for classification: [Z] (C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated Notes:
^ ab1 point deducted due to the team refusing to complete the Palmese vs Manfredonia league game after a temporary suspension caused by a health condition involving a local supporter.[30]
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2024. Source: [citation needed] Rules for classification: [AD] (C) Champions; (D) Disqualified; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated Notes:
^Siracusa were originally 3 points deducted due to incidents during a league game against Licata.[31] The deduction was successively revoked on appeal.[32]
^1 point deducted due to financial irregularities.[33]
^1 point deducted due to unpaid wages to former head coach Carmine Pugliese.[34]
^Lamezia Terme withdrew from the league on 2 November 2023. All matches previously played by the club (five wins, one draw and four losses) were consequently declared null and void.
Post-season
Relegation play-outs
The relegation playout games took place on 12 May 2024 and were hosted by the best-placed team in the regular season. In case of a tie after extra time, the best-placed team would escape relegation.[35]
^If two or more teams finish tied on points in the top of the league, once the tie-breaking criteria have applied, the 1st and the 2nd-placed teams play a tie-breaker, whose winner gets promotion to Serie C.
^Winning play-offs does not grant promotion to Serie C, but a chance to get readmitted in case of vacancies.
^ abIf the 15th-placed team finishes nine or more points ahead of the 18th-placed team, then the relegation play-out is not played, and the 18th-placed team is relegated to Eccellenza directly. If the 16th-placed team finishes nine or more points ahead of the 17th-placed team, then the relegation play-out is not played, and the 17th-placed team is relegated to Eccellenza directly.
^If two or more teams finish tied on points in the top of the league, once the tie-breaking criteria have applied, the 1st and the 2nd-placed teams play a tie-breaker, whose winner gets promotion to Serie C.
^Winning play-offs does not grant promotion to Serie C, but a chance to get readmitted in case of vacancies.
^If two or more teams finish tied on points in the top of the league, once the tie-breaking criteria have applied, the 1st and the 2nd-placed teams play a tie-breaker, whose winner gets promotion to Serie C.
^Winning play-offs does not grant promotion to Serie C, but a chance to get readmitted in case of vacancies.
^ abcdeIf the 13th-placed team finishes nine or more points ahead of the 16th-placed team, then the relegation play-out is not played, and the 16th-placed team is relegated to Eccellenza directly. If the 14th-placed team finishes nine or more points ahead of the 15th-placed team, then the relegation play-out is not played, and the 15th-placed team is relegated to Eccellenza directly.
^If two or more teams finish tied on points in the top of the league, once the tie-breaking criteria have applied, the 1st and the 2nd-placed teams play a tie-breaker, whose winner gets promotion to Serie C.
^Winning play-offs does not grant promotion to Serie C, but a chance to get readmitted in case of vacancies.
^If two or more teams finish tied on points in the top of the league, once the tie-breaking criteria have applied, the 1st and the 2nd-placed teams play a tie-breaker, whose winner gets promotion to Serie C.
^Winning play-offs does not grant promotion to Serie C, but a chance to get readmitted in case of vacancies.
^If two or more teams finish tied on points in the top of the league, once the tie-breaking criteria have applied, the 1st and the 2nd-placed teams play a tie-breaker, whose winner gets promotion to Serie C.
^Winning play-offs does not grant promotion to Serie C, but a chance to get readmitted in case of vacancies.
^If two or more teams finish tied on points in the top of the league, once the tie-breaking criteria have applied, the 1st and the 2nd-placed teams play a tie-breaker, whose winner gets promotion to Serie C.
^Winning play-offs does not grant promotion to Serie C, but a chance to get readmitted in case of vacancies.
^If two or more teams finish tied on points in the top of the league, once the tie-breaking criteria have applied, the 1st and the 2nd-placed teams play a tie-breaker, whose winner gets promotion to Serie C.
^Winning play-offs does not grant promotion to Serie C, but a chance to get readmitted in case of vacancies.
^If two or more teams finish tied on points in the top of the league, once the tie-breaking criteria have applied, the 1st and the 2nd-placed teams play a tie-breaker, whose winner gets promotion to Serie C.
^Winning play-offs does not grant promotion to Serie C, but a chance to get readmitted in case of vacancies.
^If the 16th-placed team finishes nine or more points ahead of the 19th-placed team, then the relegation play-out is not played, and the 19th-placed team is relegated to Eccellenza directly. If the 17th-placed team finishes nine or more points ahead of the 18th-placed team, then the relegation play-out is not played, and the 18th-placed team is relegated to Eccellenza directly.