The best placed teams in the states championships as well as the best clubs ranked in by the CBF compete in the Copa do Brasil.

Most states have at least one secondary tournament, involving smaller clubs not in the top two leagues of the national championship.

Besides the trophy, it may award the winner(s) places in the main tournament or in the Brazilian Cup next year.

Some state federations organize special competitions with the purpose of qualifying teams to the Série D. As a result of the rules detailed above, it is possible (and not unheard of) for a minor state championship club to rise to the Série A, and become successful in the competition.

The latter three teams eventually participated in the Série D in 2014, failing on achieving promotion.

The reverse is also possible: a club from Série A can eventually be relegated to the very least state league.

In the state pyramid, which consists of several independent state championships, the participating clubs, which also include Série A, Série B and Série C clubs, are limited to their own states (however, there are some minor exceptions, like in the Campeonato Brasiliense, where Unaí from Minas Gerais, and Luziânia and Bosque Formosa Esporte Clube from Goiás also compete, due to their proximity to Brasília, the capital of the Brazilian Federal District.

Since 2009, the best placed clubs in the state leagues not already qualified for Série A, B, or C qualify for the Série D. State championships may include obscure formats or experiment with proposed innovations in rules.

In the 2008 Campeonato Carioca, the big four (Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama) always played home against the other participating clubs.

1The state championships are not officially hierarchically behind the Série D, but they are used by CBF as a way to promote clubs to the competition.

However, they are an independent system, and can't get professional status without the approval of the respective state board.

The teams from each state participating in the 2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Series A, B and C are listed below.

The Campeonato Catarinense table below is another example of a state league pyramid.

1The state championships are not officially hierarchically behind the Série A3, but they are used by CBF as a way to promote clubs to the competition.