All five groups in the third leagues will begin the new season this weekend on both Saturday and Sunday.
The format stays the same as last season. Each group has 12 teams, meaning that 22 rounds will be played. After the completion of those games, the winners of the five groups will be joined by the 8th placed team in the Second League to participate in a play-off for the final three sports in the 2016/17 edition of the Second League.
When it comes to relegation, the bottom two teams in each group will be sent down. Additional teams will be relegated from one or two of the five groups, but that depends on which clubs get relegated from the Second League. For example, last season both relegated Second League teams belonged to the Third League West, so four teams faced the drop in that group, instead of two.
Here are the Round 1 matchups in all five groups:
Third League East
Sunday at 17.00 CET:
Karbinci vs. Bregalnica Golak
Osogovo vs. Ovche Pole
Sloga 1934 vs. Rabotnik Djumajlija
Plachkovica vs. Napredok Radovo
Babi vs. Akademija Pandev
Sasa vs. Belasica
Third League South
Sunday at 17.00 CET:
Vardar Negotino vs. Dojransko Ezero
Mlekar vs. Borec
Prevalec vs. Partizan
Crvena Dzvezda vs. 11 Oktomvri
Tikvesh vs. Golemo Konjari
Zorbas-Pobeda vs. Pobeda Valandovo
Third League South-West
Saturday at 17.00 CET:
Poeshevo vs. Veleshta
Karaorman vs. Prespa
Sunday at 17.00 CET:
Flamurtari Radolishta vs. Vlaznimi
Liria Grnchari vs. Kravari
Labunishta vs. Mogila
Korabi vs. Novaci
Wednesday at 17.00 CET:
Flamurtari Radolishta vs. Vlaznimi
Third League West
Saturday at 16.30 CET:
Gradec vs. Rechica GR
Bratstvo Lisichani vs. Skenderbeu
Zajazi vs. Tearca
Sunday at 16.30 CET:
Kamjani vs. Napredok
Arsimi vs. Flamurtari Debreshe
Vardari vs. Drita
Third League North
Saturday at 17.00 CET:
Lokomotiva vs. Volkovo
Sunday at 17.00 CET:
Slavija vs. Goblen
Ilinden Skopje vs. Besa Slupchane
Madjari Solidarnost vs. Lepenec
Kadino vs. Fortuna
Rastak vs. Goce Delchev