The term "relegation zone" refers to a position in a league table where teams are at risk of being demoted or relegated to a lower division. In sports leagues with multiple divisions, such as soccer in many countries, teams finishing near the bottom of their respective standings may be subjected to relegation if they fail to meet certain performance criteria set by the league. This means that these teams will have to compete in a lower tier or division for the following season. The term "relegation zone" specifically refers to the area of the table where these threatened teams are currently positioned, and it is often used as shorthand way to describe their precarious situation.