Championnat National

Championnat National
	File:Championnat National.svg
Organising body	FFF
Founded	1993
Country	France
Confederation	UEFA
Number of teams	18
Level on pyramid	3
Promotion to	Ligue 2
Relegation to	Championnat National 2
Domestic cup(s)	Coupe de France
League cup(s)	Coupe de la Ligue (selected clubs)
International cup(s)	Europa League (via cups)
Current champions	Laval ; (2021–22)
Most championships	Clermont Foot, Nîmes, Red Star, Bastia; (2 titles each)
Website	Official site
	Current: 2022–23 Championnat National

The Championnat de France National (English: French National Championship), commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Contested by 18 clubs, the Championnat National operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Ligue 2 and the Championnat National 2, the fourth division of French football.

Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 34 games each, totalling 306 games in the season. Most games are played on Fridays and Saturdays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. Play is regularly suspended the last weekend before Christmas for two weeks before returning in the second week of January.

The National was founded in 1993 by the French Football Federation and served as a base league for clubs on the brink of becoming professional or falling to the amateur levels. The league is annually composed of professional and semi-professional clubs. The matches in the league attract on average between 2,500 and 6,000 spectators per match.

Competition format

There are 18 clubs in the Championnat National. During the course of a season, usually from August to May, each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 34 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion and promoted to Ligue 2. If points are equal, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship or for relegation, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. The second and third-place finisher are also promoted to the second division, while the four lowest placed teams are relegated to the Championnat National 2 and the four winners of the four groups from Championnat National 2 are promoted in their place.

Clubs

Members for 2021–22

Stadia and locations

Location of teams in 2021–22 Championnat National

Club	Location	Venue	Capacity
Annecy	Annecy	Parc des Sports	15,660
Avranches	Avranches	Stade René Fenouillère	2,000
Bastia-Borgo	Borgo	Stade Paul-Antoniotti	1,300
Boulogne	Boulogne-sur-Mer	Stade de la Libération	15,204
Bourg-Péronnas	Bourg-en-Bresse	Stade Marcel-Verchère	11,400
Chambly	Chambly	Stade des Marais	1,000
Châteauroux	Châteauroux	Stade Gaston Petit	17,173
Cholet	Cholet	Stade Pierre Blouen	9,000
Concarneau	Concarneau	Stade Guy Piriou	6,500
Créteil	Paris (Créteil)	Stade Dominique Duvauchelle	12,150
Laval	Laval	Stade Francis Le Basser	18,607
Le Mans	Le Mans	MMArena	25,000
Orléans	Orléans	Stade de la Source	7,000
Red Star	Paris (Saint-Ouen)	Stade Bauer	10,000
Stade Briochin	Saint-Brieuc	Fred-Aubert Stadium	10,600
Sedan	Sedan	Stade Louis Dugauguez	23,189
Sète	Sète	Stade Louis Michel	8,500
Villefranche	Villefranche-sur-Saône	Stade Armand-Chouffet	3,200