Country Denmark Number of teams 14 (from 1993) | First season 1889–90 Level on pyramid 5 (from 2008) | |
Confederation DBU Copenhagen (1903–present)
Danish FA (1889–1903) Founded 1889; 128 years ago (1889) | ||
Copenhagen Series (Danish: Københavnsserien), also known as KS serien, Københavnerserien, KS Herre and Københavnssserien for Herrer, is the highest division for men organised by the regional football association DBU København (DBUK) and one of the fifth-highest divisions overall in the Danish football league system. The league, deciding the Copenhagen Football Championship, was introduced as a tournament exclusively for clubs located in Copenhagen beginning with the 1889–90 season under the auspices of the Danish Football Association (DBU), and with the formation of a regional association for the Copenhagen area in 1903, the organisation of the league was handed over to Københavns Boldspil-Union (KBU). At the time of the league's inception, it was the top flight of the Danish football league system featuring the very best teams in the country, but has since been moved to its current status as the fifth best level in Danish football, after a short period as the sixth best level.
Contents
The division has changed its name on numerous occasions. It has previously been known as Fodboldturneringen (1889/90–1905/06), A-rækken (1906/07–1919/20), Mesterskabsrækken (1920/21–1935/36; or KBUs Mesterskabsrække to distinguish it from the other regional leagues; unofficially shortened to Mesterrækken), A-rækken (1936/37–1946/47), Københavnsserien A and Københavnsserien B (1947/48–1977; groups A and B), before settling with the current name of Københavnsserien beginning with the 1978-season, eventually becoming Københavnsserien for Herrer to distinguish it to the women's corresponding regional league. In 1920, KBU's highest division, A-rækken was renamed Mesterskabsrækken, while the name A-rækken was retained for KBU's second highest division, comprising of a first, second and third team tournament. In 1936, KBU's highest division, Mesterskabsrækken, was dissolved as a result of the introduction to the double format to the nationwide leagues organized by the Danish Football Association (DBU), allowing KBU's previous second level league, A-rækken, to become the new highest division involving 16 first teams.
Competition format
Below is a complete record of the number of teams in each season throughout the league's history (not including group 2 between 1947/48 and 1977):
A single round-robin schedule was used between the seasons 1889/90 and 1891/92, 1896/97–97/98 and 1930/31–1946/47, while a double round-robin schedule have been used in the early seasons between 1892/93 and 1895/96, between 1898/99 and 1929/30, and again since the 1947/48-season. The 1956/57-season was a transition season, where each team meet eachother tree times during the tournament. Until the 1994-season, a win equaled 2 points and a draw 1 point, which changed from the 1995-season, where a win earned the team 3 points. From the 1947/48-season to the 1997-season, an additional league on the same level as the Københavnsserien was present, but only reserve teams for higher ranking teams could participate, while first teams were placed in group A. The 2008 fall-season was a transition tournament.
Copenhagen Championship winners
The winner in a given season wins the Copenhagen Championship and is automatically promoted to the Denmark Series. The runner-up enters a home/away promotion playoff against teams from the highest leagues of the other regional associations for the right to enter the Denmark Series. Teams placing in the bottom are automatically relegated to either the Series 1, group 1 (first team), Series 1, group 2 (reserve teams) or Bornholm Series (teams belonging to DBU Bornholm). Depending on the number of teams, that are members of FBU Funen, relegated from Denmark Series, the number of teams relegated to Series 1 will be either increased or decreased.