The Etapa Regional ("Regional Stage") was the fourth division of the Peruvian football league system, forming part of the Copa Perú of the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF).
History.
In 1966, the First Division was named "Descentralizado"; teams from outside the capital of Lima were allowed to participate in the professional first division. The following year, the Copa Perú began, in which all non-professional teams in Peru were allowed to compete, with the winner to gain promotion to the First Division. After playing many elimination rounds, once six teams were left in the competition, they played in a final round-robin tournament in Lima.
After many years in 1984 the Peruvian Primera División grew from 16 to 44 teams : in the first part of the season a Regional Championship qualified the teams for the Descentralizado (second part of the season) with 16 to 18 teams; So the Copa Perú only qualified teams for the Regional Stage. The tournament declined and 1987 was the last year in which a Final was contested. But in 1992 the First Division returned to its original form (Descentralizado with 16 teams) so Copa Perú appeared again in 1993 as a Second Division but this time only for teams from outside Lima. Since 1993 there is also a Second Division (12 to 14 teams) for Lima teams.
For 1998 a major change took place: 8 teams - issued from the Regional Stage - qualified for the Final Stage. This stage was played as an authentic cup tournament on home and away matches; the winner gaining promotion to Peruvian Primera División. In 2004 Copa Perú the number of teams participating in the Final Stage was increased to 16 when the Second Division for Lima was again incorporated in the tournament; they also played an authentic cup tournament on home and away matches. In 2006, Peruvian Segunda División teams did not take part in the Copa Perú anymore. Furthermore, Copa Perú winner is still promoted to First Division, but the runner-up now gets promoted to Second Division (that now has teams from all over Peru).
Format.
Since the beginning of the Copa Perú, the departmental champions qualified for the Regional stage, where they were grouped by regions in order to qualify for the National stage and then the Final stage "(Finalísima)".
A. In this year the tournament ended at the Departamental Stage and no Final took place. The departamental champions qualified for the 1974 Reclasificatorio Regional with the last teams from the 1973 Torneo Descentralizado that had to revalidate the category. At the end of the 1974 Reclasificatorio Regional, the teams Alfonso Ugarte, Barrio Frigorífico, Carlos A. Mannucci, Deportivo Junín, Piérola, Unión Huaral, Unión Pesquero and Walter Ormeño were promoted to the 1974 Torneo Descentralizado.
B. From 1988 to 1992, no Final tournaments were held. Regional champions entered the Peruvian Primera División’s Regional tournaments.