Spanish Championship. Third Division. Group 7
The Tercera Federación Grupo 7, part of Spain's Third Division Championship, is a fiercely competitive tier in the Spanish football pyramid, featuring clubs mainly from Andalusia and Murcia. This group blends raw ambition from emerging talents with seasoned pros, delivering thrilling semi-pro action. In the 2023/2024 season, 18 teams vie for promotion to Segunda Federación or fight to avoid relegation in a high-stakes battle.
History and foundation
Formed in 2021 following the overhaul of Spain's fourth tier—splitting Tercera División into Tercera RFEF (now Tercera Federación)—Grupo 7 evolved from previous Grupo IV structures. A standout story is Huétor Tájar CF's surprise second-place finish in 2022/2023, earning play-off promotion spots. Local derbies, like those between Granada and Almería sides, have drawn crowds up to 5,000 in the 2020s. The 2021 restructuring injected new life, boosting rivalry with Murcia clubs.
Tournament format
The format is a double round-robin: 34 matches per team, home and away. The group winner promotes directly to Segunda Federación; 2nd and 3rd enter promotion play-offs. Teams 15th-18th face relegation to Quinta Federación. Play-offs involve mini-tournaments across Tercera groups. Season runs September to May, with potential cup schedule disruptions.
Interesting facts
Average goals per match hover at 2.4, emphasizing defensive battles with occasional attacking fireworks. Top scorer 2023/2024: Real Murcia Imperial's striker with 16 goals, edging out Juventud Torremolinos players. Past stars include Javier Ramos of Huétor Tájar (22 goals in 2021/2022), key to promotion. Reserve talents like UD Almería B's Alfredo (now in Primera) shone here. Current standouts: FC La Unión's Polo, a set-piece wizard, and CD Alhaurín de la Torre's Martínez, boasting a 78% save rate.