The tournament is reserved for teams directly affiliated to the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA), while teams affiliated to AFA through local leagues (known as "indirectly affiliated to AFA") have to play the Torneo Federal A, which is the other third tier competition.
The tournament is composed of 22 teams playing in two zones on a double round-robin format, each team then playing a total of 20 matches.
The team of each zone with more points is automatically promoted to the Primera B Nacional.
Teams positioned 2nd to 4th qualify for the Torneo Reducido, which will be played on a, home and away, knock-out system, the winner of the final is then promoted to the Primera B Nacional.
If the playoff ends in a draw, there is a penalty shoot-out to determine a winner.