3. deild karla


3. deild karla is a football league in Iceland. It is the fourth level, and second-lowest division, in the Icelandic football league system. Current champions are Kári. The league was reformed into a 10-team double round-robin tournament for the 2013 season, with the introduction of the newly established 5th level of the Icelandic football league system, 4. deild karla.

Previous formats

Ever since 1982, the first season of Division 3, and throughout the 2012 season, it was the lowest division in the league system, and as a consequence did not have a fixed number of teams. All who wished to enter and could fill certain requirements were allowed to compete, and between each season some teams quit and some new teams came in, sometimes after having previously quit. There were various formats used during the 31 seasons when Division 3 was the lowest league, the latest version using group stages and then eight-team playoffs to decide two promoted teams.

Current format

Since 2013, Division 3 has been a nationwide league. From 2013-2018 ten teams played in the league. But the number of teams was then increased to 12, and 2019 was the first season with 12 teams. Each team plays each other once home and once away, giving a total of 22 games per team. The two highest-placed teams are promoted to Division 2, while the two lowest teams are relegated to Division 4.

2013 season

In 2013 the league consisted of the two teams relegated from 2. deild karla the year before, the six teams that reached the playoffs in the previous 3. deild but did not gain promotion to 2. deild, and two teams who were decided in a playoff between the four clubs in 3rd place in their groups.

2018 Clubs

Past winners

Promoted teams shown in green
YearWinnersRunners-up3rd Place4th Place
1997KSTindastóllAftureldingErnir Í.
1998SindriLéttirHvötLeiknir F.
1999AftureldingKÍBNjarðvíkHuginn/Höttur
2000HaukarNökkviÞróttur N.Fjölnir
2001HKVölsungurNjarðvík1KFS
2002KFSFjölnirFjarðabyggðLeiknir F.
2003Vikingur Ó.Leiknir R.NúmiHöttur
2004HuginnFjarðabyggðSkallagrímurReynir S.
2005Reynir S.SindriGróttaLeiknir F.
2006HötturMagniÍH2Kári
20073GróttaHamarHvötVíðir
2008Hamrarnir/Vinir4BÍ/BolungarvíkKVSkallagrímur
2009VölsungurKVHvíti riddarinnÝmir
2010TindastóllDalvík/ReynirÁrborg5KB
2011KVKFRKBMagni
20126SindriÆgirLeiknir F.Magni
2013FjarðabyggðHuginnKFRVíðir
2014HötturLeiknir F.BerserkirVíðir
2015MagniVölsungurReynir S.Einherji
2016TindastóllVíðirEinherjiKári
2017KáriÞróttur V.KFGVængir Júpiters
2018Dalvík/ReynirKFGKFVængir Júpiters
2019KórdrengirKFKVVængir Júpiters

1 - Njarðvík promoted due to the merger of the 1. deild clubs Leiftur and Dalvík.
2 - ÍH promoted due to expansion of 1. deild karla to 12 teams.
3 - Tindastóll also promoted due to expansion of Úrvalsdeild karla and 2. deild karla to 12 teams.
4 - Upon promotion Hamrarnir/Vinir merged with the relegated ÍH to form ÍH/HV
5 - Árborg promoted as Tindastóll merged with 2. deild karla side Hvöt, creating a new team called Tindastóll/Hvöt, playing in the 2. deild karla.
6 - Teams that finished in 3rd-10th place were the only teams remaining for the 2013 season, a ten-team league consisting of those 8 teams plus Fjarðabyggð and KFR who came down from 2. deild karla. The remaining teams joined a new lowest division that launched in 2013.