Tromsø IL 2

Norwegian reserve football teams compete at all levels of league football within the Norwegian football league system apart from the top two divisions, Eliteserien and the First Division. The highest league these teams can currently enter is the Second Division, set at the third tier of the league system. The reserve teams are attached to their first teams with a "2" suffix and must play in a lower league than the first team.

If a reserve team ends up at a promotion spot when it is not allowed to be promoted, the promotion is awarded to the next team in the league standings which is allowed to be promoted. Also, a reserve team is forcefully relegated, regardless of the final league position, if it is no longer qualified for playing at that level — i.e. if the first team is relegated to the same tier as the reserve team. For example, if a First Division team is relegated while its reserve team in the Second Division ends up at a secure place (or even a promotion spot), the reserve team is forcefully relegated to the Third Division. In such a situation, the best placed qualified team at a relegation position in the league that the reserve team is relegated from will keep its place.

Controversy

Reserve teams have in general been criticized for fielding uneven teams from week to week, with many first-team players one week and more youth players the next. They have also been criticized for keeping smaller clubs out of the Second Division, meaning a more centralized football culture. In 2009 manager Ivar Morten Normark proposed to throw the reserve teams out of the ordinary league pyramid, and other managers like Dag-Eilev Fagermo agreed. In a survey, 19 of 31 responding Second Division clubs wanted the reserve teams out, as did 30 of the 49 responding Third Division clubs.

At the 2010 congress of the Football Association of Norway, new rules for reserve teams were agreed to. Since then the rules have been changed several times, most recently in 2023. As of 2023 the rules prohibit reserve teams for clubs in Eliteserien and the First Division to simultaneously field more than three players who were older than 22 years old at the start of the year, as well as requiring reserve team players to not have started the last competitive fixture for the senior team.

Sporting success

From time to time, a reserve team has won its group in the Second Division. This is the highest sporting position a reserves team can achieve, since promotion is impossible. In the 1991 Second Division, the reserve teams of both Brann and Rosenborg won their respective groups. Rosenborg 2 also won their groups in 1996 and 1998. In the 1992 Second Division, Lillestrøm's reserve team won group 1. In the 2005 Second Division, Viking's reserve team won group 3. Over the years the Second Division has been reduced to just two groups of 14 teams each, and as of 2025 there is only one reserve team playing in the Second Division.

Today

This is a list of where the reserve teams of Eliteserien and First Division clubs play, as of the 2025 season.

;Reserve teams of Eliteserien clubs:

* Bodø/Glimt – Fourth Division
* Brann – Second Division
*Bryne – Fourth Division
*Fredrikstad – Third Division
*HamKam – Third Division
*Haugesund – Third Division
*KFUM Oslo – Third Division
*Kristiansund – Third Division
*Molde – Third Division
* Rosenborg – Third Division
*Sandefjord – Third Division
*Sarpsborg – Third Division
*Strømsgodset – Third Division
*Tromsø – Third Division
*Viking – Third Division
*Vålerenga – Third Division

;Reserve teams of First Division clubs:
* Aalesund – Third Division
*Egersund – Fifth Division
* Hødd – Fourth Division
*Kongsvinger – Third Division
*Lillestrøm – Third Division
*Lyn – Third Division
*Mjøndalen – Fourth Division
*Moss – Fourth Division
* Odd – Third Division
*Ranheim – Third Division
*Raufoss – Fourth Division
* Skeid – Fourth Division
*Sogndal – Third Division
* Stabæk – Third Division
*Start – Fourth Division
*Åsane – Third Division

References

{{Football in Norway

Reserve team football in Norway
Football clubs in Norway
Norwegian Second Division
Norwegian Third Division
Norwegian Fourth Division