The Play-offs to the 2. divisjon in association football took place from 2000 up to and including the 2010 season. The play-offs were instituted because of the streamlining of the 2. divisjon ahead of the 2001 season. It was reduced from eight to four groups, and thus, not all winners of the 3. divisjon groups could be promoted. From the 2011 season, the 3. divisjon was streamlined to have twelve groups, where the winners are promoted to the four groups of the 2. divisjon, whence three teams (on average) in each of the four 2. divisjon groups are relegated to the 3. divisjon.