21 Aug 2026
How relegation works in the Brasileirão: rules, places and tiebreakers
In the Brazilian Championship, the bottom teams in Série A are relegated to Série B at the end of each edition. Find out how many teams go down, how the standings are decided and what happens in the lower division.
Four clubs are relegated from Série A to Série B
The Brasileirão Série A features 20 clubs and is played on a league basis, with home and away fixtures. Each team plays 38 matches. After the final round, the four teams finishing 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th are relegated to Série B for the following season. The relegation zone is known as the Z-4.
League position is determined by points
A win is worth three points, a draw one and a defeat none. The team with the fewest points after 38 rounds finishes near the bottom and may be relegated. There is no knockout play-off, relegation play-off or extra match to decide relegation: the final league table determines the four teams that go down.
Tiebreakers can decide relegation
If two or more clubs finish level on points, the regulations apply tiebreakers. In the Brasileirão, the usual order is: number of wins, goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head record, fewest red cards, fewest yellow cards and a draw. Head-to-head record is used only when two clubs are level. As a result, one extra win can matter more than a better goal difference in the relegation battle.
The top four in Série B take their places
While four teams are relegated from Série A, the top four finishers in Série B are promoted. This keeps Série A at 20 participants each season. The change takes effect in the following campaign: a club relegated at the end of one edition plays in Série B the next season.
Relegation is confirmed only when there is no mathematical route to safety
A club can be mathematically relegated before the final round when it can no longer catch the first team outside the Z-4, even if it wins all its remaining matches. However, official confirmation depends on the table and the tiebreakers set out in the competition regulations. Until then, the team is only at risk of relegation.
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