I Lyga

The I Lyga, LFF I Lyga, Pirma Lyga, is the second tier of professional Lithuanian football championship.
Format.
Organized by the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF), I Lyga is contested by 14 teams in 2020 (16 in 2019), with the top team gaining promotion to A Lyga and replaced by the lowest-placed team in top division and the bottom 4 clubs being relegated to the II Lyga. Starting with the 2016 season, the second-placed team qualifies to promotion play-offs with A Lyga's next-to-last team. The final list of participants often does not correlate to the final results of the previous season, as the participation is finalized through the Lithuanian Football Federation league licensing process.
History.
There were 15 teams competing in the 2017 season. At the end of this season, three teams withdrew from all competitions.
In 2018, there were 14 teams that started the championship. However, FK Koralas Klaipėda withdrew in the mid-season. After the end of the season, two more teams have withdrawn from participation in the next season.
The 2019 season saw 16 teams starting the championship. In June FC Stumbras ran into financial difficulties, its license was withdrawn from the A Lyga, along with Stumbras B license in the I Lyga. In July Stumbras B was removed from the league, with all results annulled as the team played less than half of all season games. At the end of the season an investigation into match-fixing was launched. As a result, FK Atlantas and FK Palanga were expelled from A Lyga and demoted to II Lyga. An appeal to allow to participate in I Lyga was rejected. As the investigation continued, I Lyga side FC Kupiškis was also found to be involved in match-fixing, and subsequently fined and demoted to II Lyga.
Although the 2019 I Lyga winners FC Džiugas Telšiai won promotion to A lyga, the club failed to meet 2020 A Lyga licensing criteria, and had their promotion forfeited. Only FK Banga Gargždai had advanced to A Lyga after the 2019 season, having won the promotion playoff against the A lyga 7-th placed FK Palanga before its expulsion from the A Lygas.
Current Season.
The I Lyga suffered withdrawal of FC Stumbras B during the 2019 season, and the expulsion of FC Kupiškis after the end of the season. Only one team, FC Pakruojis was relegated, and replaced with three teams from II Lyga. No teams were relegated from the A Lyga, and only one team FK Banga Gargždai was promoted from I Lyga. At the end of licensing process the final team count stood at 14.
Promotion/relegation play-off.
For the last several years, the second-placed team contested with A Lyga's next-to-last team in a play-off for a spot in A Lyga.
Since 2020 season saw A Lyga reduced to 6 teams, the LFF announced that 4 teams will gain promotion from I Lyga this season. The play-off match was not mentioned.