Serie C - Girone C (Italy)

Serie C - Group C (Italy) (Serie C Girone C) - one of the three regional groups of Italy’s third-tier professional league system run under Lega Pro and the Italian Football Federation. Regulations: the group is typically contested by 20 clubs in a double round-robin home-and-away schedule, with 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss, and the standings are determined by total points. If teams are level on points, the ranking is decided via the applicable FIGC tie-breaking framework, starting from head-to-head points and head-to-head goal difference, then moving to further criteria such as overall goal difference and goals scored across the season, followed by any additional criteria set by the competent authorities. The group winner is promoted directly to Serie B, and an additional promotion place is awarded via the Serie C play-offs, which typically include teams placed 2nd to 10th plus the Coppa Italia Serie C winner, with early group-stage play-off rounds played as a single match hosted by the higher-ranked team where a draw sends the higher-ranked team through, and later national rounds played over two legs where the winner is decided on aggregate and goal difference, and if still level the higher-seeded team advances under the regulatory criteria. The last-placed team in the group is relegated directly to Serie D, and two further relegations are decided by play-outs: 16th vs 19th and 17th vs 18th over two legs, where ties are resolved by goal difference and, if still level, the team better placed in the regular season is declared the winner, and if the points gap in a pairing exceeds 8 points the play-out is not played and the lower team is relegated, while transitional adjustments may be introduced in specific seasons if group sizes differ and regulatory equalisation is required.