Segunda División (Venezuela)

Segunda División (Venezuela) (Liga FUTVE 2) - the second tier of Venezuela’s professional club league system, organized by Liga FUTVE within the country’s domestic pyramid. Regulations: the season format is approved annually and, in the current model, it is split into two short tournaments (Apertura and Clausura) where 16 clubs are divided into two geographic groups and play a double round-robin, with points awarded 3-1-0; the top teams advance to knockout rounds, and level finishes in the group tables are separated by league criteria, starting with goal difference, then goals scored, then head-to-head results, with a public draw as a last resort if required. Knockout ties are played over two legs and, when aggregate scores are level, the qualifier is decided by a penalty shootout. The Apertura and Clausura winners meet in a two-leg Final Absoluta, and the overall winner earns direct promotion to the top division subject to club licensing requirements, with no direct continental qualification attached to the second tier.