The 2022–23 Championnat National 3 was the sixth 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 (although a few were semi-professional) and the reserve teams of professional clubs. The competition began on 28 August 2022 and ended on 4 June 2023.
Teams On 13 July 2022, the FFF ratified the constitution of the competition, and published the groups, although there were still some issues to be resolved at the time of publishing.
Changes from 2021 to 2022 season were as follows:
Teams joining the division Plabennec, Vitré, Schiltigheim, Lens (res), Entente SSG, Rumilly-Vallières, Marseille (res), Montpellier (res), Colomiers and Mont-de-Marsan finished in the relegation positions in 2021–22 Championnat National 2. Béziers were relegated from the Championnat National 2 by the Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion for financial mismanagement. 36 teams gained promotion from the various Régional 1 leagues. Teams promoted to Championnat National 3RegionTeamMethod of qualificationNouvelle-AquitaineGuéretChampion, R1 Group APortes Entre-Deux-MersChampion, R1 Group BPau (res)Champion, R1 Group CPays de la LoireSaint-NazaireChampion, R1 Group ALa Roche-sur-YonChampion, R1 Group BBeaucouzeBest runner-upCentre-Val de LoireToursChampion, R1DreuxSecond, R1ChambrayThird, R1CorseFC BalagneChampion, R1 CorseMéditerranéeCarnouxChampion, R1 MéditerranéeEUGA ArdzivSecond, R1 MéditerranéeBourgogne-Franche-ComtéCosne-sur-LoireChampion, R1 Group AMâconChampion, R1 Group BQuetignyChampion, R1 Group CGrand EstReims Sainte-AnneChampion, R1 Group A. Promoted via playoffs.JarvilleChampion, R1 Group C. Promoted via playoffs.ChampigneullesChampion, R1 Group B. Promoted via playoffs.OccitanieBagnols PontChampion, R1 Group AUnion Saint-JeanChampion, R1 Group BOnet-le-ChâteauChampion, R1 Group CHauts-de-FranceLongueauChampion, R1 Group ALambres-lez-DouaiChampion, R1 Group BCompiègneChampion, R1 Group CNormandyGonfrevilleChampion, R1 Group AGrand-QuevillyChampion, R1 Group BMont-GaillardBest Runner-upBrittanyUS MontagnardeChampion, R1 Group ACessonChampion, R1 Group BDol-de-BretagneChampion, R1 Group CParis Île-de-FranceMontrougeChampion, R1 Group AVitry-sur-SeineChampion, R1 Group BLe MéeBest Runner-upAuvergne-Rhône-AlpesDomératChampion, R1 Group AFeursChampion, R1 Group BAix-les-BainsChampion, R1 Group C
Teams leaving the division Stade Bordelais, Saumur, Vierzon, Furiani-Agliani, Racing Besançon, Colmar, Alès, Wasquehal, Évreux, Rennes (res), Racing Club and Thonon Évian finished in the promotion places in 2021–22 Championnat National 3 Bressuire, Cognac, Tartas, La Châtaigneraie, Sautron, Déols, Amilly, Istres, Athlético Marseille, Marseille Endoume, Saint-Jean Beaulieu, Mandelieu, Paron, Valdahon-Vercel, Saint-Louis Neuweg, Amnéville, Blagnac, Nîmes (res), Muret, Fabrègues, Saint-Omer, Boulogne (res), Le Touquet, Romilly, Bayeux, Stade Pontivyen, Plouzané, Guipry Messac, Trégunc, Créteil (res), Mantes, Meaux Academy, Velay, Aurillac and Moulins finished in the relegation zones and were relegated to Régional 1 for the 2022–23 season. Mulhouse were relegated by the DNCG for financial reasons and subsequently entered receivership. Narbonne were relegated by the Occitanie league after receiving a points deduction for not fielding junior teams in competitions as required by the regulations..
Other changes The merger of Marignane Gignac F.C. and Côte Bleue meant the second team of the new club, Marignane GCB (res), took the place of Côte Bleue in group D.
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.
This season, five teams will be relegated from each group to their respective top regional league, subject to reprieves, as a result of the restructuring of the French leagues. 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 centres are categorised as category 2B or lower cannot be promoted to Championnat National 2 by the rules of the competition.
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
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Matar DiagneMâcon252 Arthur DalloisVire22 Walid BouabdelliReims Sainte-Anne4 Sofiane Sidi AliMarseille (res) and Rousset20 Bassirou N'DiayéSochaux (res) Hakim El HamdaouiAlençon7 Jules VarvatSaint-Jean-le-Blanc19 Isaac TshipambaQuevilly-Rouen (res)9 Anthony VermetDinan-Léhon18 Mathias LopesTours Jean-Paul KumbiSchiltigheim
Season outcomes Promotion Libourne, La Roche, Avoine Chinon, Cannes, Mâcon, Biesheim, Feignies Aulnoye, Vire, Dinan Léhon, Aubervilliers and Bourgoin-Jallieu were champions of each group, and were promoted to 2023–24 Championnat National 2. Béziers finished top of their group, but were denied promotion by the DNCG, and failed to appeal successfully. Toulouse (res) were promoted as runners-up.
Relegation A total of 60 teams were initially relegated due to finishing in the bottom five places in each group. Reprieves are required to maintain the correct number of teams in the division, in light of any administrative relegations from this or higher divisions enacted by the FFF and DNCG. The relegated teams will take their place in the Régional 1 competition of their respective regional leagues:
Nouvelle-Aquitaine Mont-de-Marsan, Guéret, Neuville, Portes Entre-Deux-Mers and Bordeaux (res) Pays de la Loire Pouzauges, Changé, Beaucouzé, La Roche-sur-Yon and Le Mans (res) Centre-Val de Loire Montargis, Dreux, Chartres (res), Saint-Jean-le-Blanc and Chambray Corsica None Mediterranean Marignane GCB (res), Nice (res), Carnoux and EUGA Ardziv Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Quetigny, Montceau, Saint-Apollinaire, Grandvillars and Morteau-Montlebon Grand Est Jarville, Illkirch-Graffenstaden, Champigneulles, Épernay and Schiltigheim Occitanie Bagnols Pont, Union Saint-Jean, Balma, Rodez (res) and Aigues-Mortes Hauts-de-France Longueau, Lambres-lez-Douai, AC Amiens, Amiens SC (res) and Maubeuge Normandy Mont-Gaillard, Grand-Quevilly, Avranches (res), Gonfreville and Dives-Cabourg Brittany US Montagnarde, Dol-de-Bretagne, Brest (res), Cesson and Pontivy Paris and Île-de-France Le Mée, Blanc-Mesnil, Paris Saint-Germain (res), Paris FC (res) and Les Ulis Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Montluçon, Lyon La Duchère (res), Aix-les-Bains, Domérat and Chambéry
Reprieves Any reprieve required will initially go to the tenth placed team in Group D, EUGA Ardziv. Any reprieves required beyond this will come from the tenth-placed team with the best record against the teams placed sixth to ninth in their group.
Ranking of tenth placed teams. Team1Chambray15 Reprieved2Pontivy13 Reprieved3Bordeaux (res)12 Reprieved4Dives-Cabourg12 Reprieved5Chambéry11 Reprieved6Schiltigheim11 Relegated7Les Ulis10 Relegated8Le Mans (res)9 Relegated9Aigues-Mortes9 Relegated10Maubeuge9 Relegated11Morteau-Montlebon3 Relegated
Subject to any appeals to be enacted, reprieves are required due to the following administrative decisions: Poissy and Évreux were excluded from National competitions by the DNCG, and will not take their place in National 3, having been relegated from 2022–23 Championnat National 2. Poissy appealed unsuccessfully against the decision. C'Chartres Football were administratively relegated to Régional 1, in addition to being relegated from 2022–23 Championnat National 2. The decision was confirmed on appeal. FC Sète 34 were placed into receivership, which automatically triggered an administrative relegation. Due to finishing in the 2022–23 Championnat National 2 relegation places, they will therefore be relegated at least to Régional 1. Cherbourg were excluded from National competitions by the Ligue de Normandie, and will be relegated to Régional 3. Sedan were excluded from national competition by the DNCG appeals committee, after unsuccessfully appealing their demotion from 2022–23 Championnat National. Additionally: Canet Roussillon FC were initially administratively relegated to Régional 1, in addition to being relegated from 2022–23 Championnat National 2, but successfully appealed the decision.
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