The 2021–22 Serie D was the seventy-third 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 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 prioritised 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).
In case of an aggregate draw after the second leg, two extra times will be played; in case of further aggregate draw, the worst-placed team will be relegated.
In case the two teams will 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 composition of the league involves nine divisions, grouped geographically and named alphabetically.
Casertana and Sambenedettese, originally excluded from Serie C, were later readmitted to Serie D by sentence of the Regional Administrative Court of Lazio.
Teams promoted from Eccellenza
The following teams were promoted from Eccellenza:[3]
On 15 December 2021, debt-ridden FC Messina was excluded from the league with immediate effect due to having failed to show up for two consecutive league games; as the exclusion happened before mid-season, all previous games involving the club were voided.[4]
Updated to match(es) played on 15 May 2022. Source: Soccerway (in English) Rules for classification: [D] (C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified to the phase indicated; (R) Relegated
Updated to match(es) played on 15 May 2022. Source: Soccerway (in English) Rules for classification: [D] (C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated
Updated to match(es) played on 15 May 2022. Source: Soccerway (in English) Rules for classification: [D] (C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated
Updated to match(es) played on 22 May 2022. Source: Soccerway (in English) Rules for classification: [D] (C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated
Updated to match(es) played on 15 May 2022. Source: Soccerway (in English) Rules for classification: [D] (C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated
Updated to match(es) played on 22 May 2022. Source: Soccerway (in English) Rules for classification: [D] (C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated
Updated to match(es) played on 25 May 2022. Source: Soccerway (in English) Rules for classification: [D] (C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated Notes:
^1 point deducted due to financial irregularities.[6]
Updated to match(es) played on 22 May 2022. Source: Soccerway (in English) Rules for classification: [D] (C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated Notes:
Updated to match(es) played on 22 May 2022. Source: Soccerway (in English) Rules for classification: [D] (C) Champions; (D) Disqualified; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated Notes:
^ abcdefghiIf 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.
^ abcdefghiWinning play-offs doesn't grant promotion to Serie C, but a chance to get readmitted in case of vacancies.
^ abcdeIf the 15th-placed team finishes 9 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 9 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.
^ abcdIf the 13th-placed team finishes 9 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 9 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.