2019–20 Championnat National 3


The 2019–20 Championnat National 3 was the third season of the fifth tier in the French football league system in its current format. The competition was contested by 168 clubs split geographically across 12 groups of 14 teams. The teams included amateur clubs and the reserve teams of professional clubs. The season was suspended indefinitely on 12 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 16 April 2020, the FFF announced the termination of the competition, with promotion and relegation decided by points earned per game played, subject to the normal verification process by the financial authority, the DNCG.

Teams

On 17 July, the French Football Federation ratified the constitution of the competition, and published the groups as follows:
RegionTeamMethod of qualification
Nouvelle-AquitaineChâtelleraultChampion, R1 Group A
Nouvelle-AquitaineCognacChampion, R1 Group B
Nouvelle-AquitaineBassin d'ArcachonChampion, R1 Group C
Pays de la LoirePouzaugesChampion, R1 Group A
Pays de la LoireChangéChampion, R1 Group B
Pays de la LoireLa ChâtaigneraiePlayoff winner
Centre-Val de LoireSaint-Cyr-sur-LoireChampion, R1
Centre-Val de LoireDreuxRunner-up, R1
Centre-Val de LoireSaran3rd place, R1
Méditerranée-CorsicaBalagneChampion, R1 Corsica
Méditerranée-CorsicaEUGA Ardziv4th place, R1 Méditerranée
Méditerranée-CorsicaMandelieu5th place, R1 Méditerranée
Bourgogne-Franche-ComtéSensChampion, R1 Pool A
Bourgogne-Franche-ComtéValdahon-VercelChampion, R1 Pool B
Bourgogne-Franche-ComtéRoche-NovillarsRunner-up, R1 Pool B
Grand EstPrix-lès-MézièresChampion, R1 Champagne-Ardenne
Grand EstMetz Champion, R1 Lorraine
Grand EstIllkirch-GraffenstadenChampion, R1 Alsace
OccitanieAuchChampion, R1 Group A
OccitanieBéziers Champion, R1 Group B
OccitanieAigues-MortesChampion, R1 Group C
Hauts-de-FranceVimyChampion, R1 Group A
Hauts-de-FranceLe PortelChmapion, R1 Group B
Hauts-de-FranceValenciennes Best runner-up
NormandyAG CaenChampion, R1 Pool A
NormandyGrand-QuevillyChampion, R1 Pool B
NormandyVireRunner-up, R1 Pool A
BrittanyTréguncChampion, R1 Pool A
BrittanyGuichenRunner-up, R1 Pool B
BrittanyErgué-GabéricRunner-up, R1 Pool A
Paris Île-de-FranceSaint-LeuRunner-up, R1 Group A
Paris Île-de-FranceNoisy-le-GrandChampion, R1 Group B
Paris Île-de-FranceTorcyRunner-up, R1 Group B
Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesLe Puy Champion, R1 Ouest
Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesHauts LyonnaisChampion, R1 Est
Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesSaint-FlourRunner-up, R1 Ouest

Promotion and relegation

If eligible, the top team in each group is promoted to Championnat National 2. If a team finishing top of the group is ineligible, or declines promotion, the next eligible team in that group is promoted.
Generally, three teams are relegated from each group to their respective top regional league, subject to reprieves. Extra teams are relegated from a group if more than one team is relegated to that group from Championnat National 2. In the case that no teams are relegated to a group from Championnat National 2, one less team is relegated from that group to the regional league.
Reserve teams whose training centre are categorised as category 2B or lower cannot be promoted to Championnat National 2 by the rules of the competition. It was announced in November 2019 that the following reserve teams would be ineligible for promotion following the categorisation of their training centres:
AC Ajaccio, Clermont, Dijon, Niort, Orléans and Paris FC.

Special rule changes

Due to the premature cancellation of the season before completion, special rules were put in place by the FFF to rank clubs, superseding the normal competition rules.
Regional governing bodies of each league apply these criteria and publish final league tables.

League tables

Group A: Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Group B: Pays de la Loire

Group C: Centre-Val de Loire

Group D: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur-Corsica

Group E: Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Group F: Grand Est

Group H: Occitanie

Group I: Hauts-de-France

Group J: Normandy

Group K: Brittany

Group L: Île-de-France

Group M: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Omar WadeGueugnon16
1 Johanne AkassouVersailles16
3 Nelson KabeyaSablé15
3 Tony LambardSaint-Lô Manche15
5 Pierre GrellierBressuire14
5 Florian JéguDinan-Léhon14
5 Arthur DalloisVire14
5 Alexis PoissonneauTA Rennes14
9 Yanis BegraouiAuxerre 13
9 Pape Ibnou BâAthlético Marseille13
9 David GigliottiIstres13
9 Thomas VauvySaint-Lô Manche13
9 Charly CharrierLa Roche13

Season outcomes

Promotion

, Châteaubriant, Bourges 18, Auxerre, Metz, Canet Roussillon, Beauvais, SM Caen, Plabennec, Versailles and Rumilly-Vallières finished in the promotion places, and were promoted to 2020–21 Championnat National 2, subject to ratification by the FFF and DNCG.
Athlético Marseille finished in a promotion place, but were initially denied promotion by the Commission Régionale de Contrôle des Clubs of the Ligue de Méditerranée and additionally administratively relegated to Régional 2 for financial irregularities. Their place was to have been taken by Aubagne. On 6 July 2020, the appeal committee of the Direction National du Controle de Gestion overturned this decision, and returned the file to the CRCC for reconsideration, putting the promotion position in Group D on hold. On 15 July 2020, the CRCC again denied the club promotion, handing the place back to Aubagne. The club appealed again, and on 27 July 2020 the appeal committee of the DNCG confirmed the promotion. Three days later, the disciplinary committee of the FFF announced that they were demoting the club back to National 3, due to the production of fraudulent documentation at the end of the 2018–19 season.
Tours finished in a promotion place, but were denied promotion by the Direction National du Controle de Gestion of the FFF. Their place was taken by Bourges 18.

Relegation

, Pau, Mérignac Arlac, Les Herbiers, La Flèche, Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire, Dreux, Gémenos, EUGA Ardziv, Balagne, Sens, Roche-Novillars, FCM Troyenne, Sarreguemines, Aigues-Mortes, Béziers, Auch, Rodéo, Grande-Synthe, Le Portel, Chambly, Arras, Grand-Quevilly, Pacy Ménilles, Gonfreville, Trégunc, Ergué-Gabéric, Guichen, Torcy, Noisy-le-Grand, Saint-Leu, Boulogne-Billancourt, Le Puy, Aurillac, Thiers and Saint-Flour finished in the relegation places and were relegated to the top division of their respective regional leagues, subject to any reprieves detailed in the next section.
ASPV Strasbourg were confirmed as relegated on 6 July 2020, due to the confirmation on appeal of the relegation of Mulhouse from Championnat National 2.

Reprieves

were reprieved from relegation on 16 June 2020, when Mulhouse were administratively relegated from Championnat National 2, which led to the reprieve from relegation of Saint-Priest.
A team may be reprieved in Group D following the eventual promotion of Athlético Marseille, however Gémenos have indicated they would reject this reprieve.