The Division 2 Féminine (D2F) is a

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

league, and the second level of the French women's handball pyramid. It is organized by the

Ligue Féminine de Handball The Catholic League of France (), sometimes referred to by contemporary (and modern) Catholics as the Holy League (), was a major participant in the French Wars of Religion. The League, founded and led by Henry I, Duke of Guise, intended the eradi ...

(LFH), under delegation from the

French Handball Federation The French Handball Federation () (FFHB) is the national team handball, handball association in France. Founded on 1 September 1941, FFHB organizes handball and beach handball within France and represents France internationally. It sorts under the ...

(FFHB). Founded in 1971, it is currently contested by 14 teams. The league has both professional and amateur players.

History

Founded in 1971, it was directly administered by the FFHB until the end of the 2021/2022 season when the D2F was absorbed by the LFH – the LFH was already managing the elite women's league ( Division 1).

Participating teams

2022-23 season teams

Personnel and kits

Competition format

All 14 teams play each other twice during the regular season (home and away matches). At the end of the regular season, the best placed team that possesses the status is promoted to the top-tier level

Division 1 Féminine Division may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting of 10,000 to ...

(''Ligue Butagaz Energie''), and is replaced by the relegated bottom team from D1F. The bottom three placed teams from each season of the D2F are relegated to the third tier level of handball, Nationale 1 Féminine (N1F). 3 qualified teams from N1F take their places. Teams receive three points for a win, two points for a draw and one point for a loss.

VAP status

Clubs who want to access to the D1F in the relatively short term have to apply for and earn the VAP status (''statut VAP''). The VAP status (''Voie d'accession au professionnalisme'', accession path to professionalism) is given annually to Division 2 clubs which have made the necessary steps (financial and administrative) to facilitate their professionalization and promotion to the top league. They have to fulfil set specifications, including: * 4 full-time professional players within the team, 3

full-time equivalent Full-time equivalent (FTE), or whole time equivalent (WTE), is a unit of measurement that indicates the workload of an employed person (or student) in a way that makes workloads or class loads comparable across various contexts. FTE is often use ...

players * 1 full-time professional coach with the required diplomas * 1 or several administrative personnel (1

(FTE) minimum) * 1 reserve team (who are able to play at a Nationale 1 Féminine level maximum, not in D2F) or a U17 team playing in a French league * provisional budget of €600,000 (excluding the valuation of voluntary work, and handball court-related arrangements/equipment that were placed gracefully at the disposal of the club) * positive capital stock (except in the case of a debt clearance plan approved by the LFH finance control body) * a court that fulfills set minimal standards * presence of a doctor and a kinesitherapist at home games, a kinesitherapist (or a doctor) at away games * access to high-speed Internet in the arena / gymnasium / sport facility Clubs aren't obligated to have the VAP status to play in the D2F but they can't be promoted to the upper echelon without it. Those VAP status measures are in place since the 2012/2013 season and aim to prepare the clubs and support their viability in the professional sport world.

List of winners

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:French Championship

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

women A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl. Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional u ...

Women's handball in France Women's sports leagues in France