The NIFL Championship is the second tier of professional football in Northern Ireland. It operates under the governance of the Northern Ireland Football League and features clubs competing for promotion to the top division, known as the NIFL Premiership. The league typically consists of several teams that play each other in a round-robin format. At the end of the season, the top teams have the opportunity to move up to the Premiership, while the lower-ranked teams may face relegation to the NIFL Premier Intermediate League.