Contested by 18 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with both Ligue 1 and the third division Championnat National.

The first year of the second division consisted of twenty-three clubs and were divided into two groups (Nord and Sud).

Fourteen of the clubs were inserted into the Nord section, while the remaining nine were placed in Sud.

Due to several clubs merging, folding, or losing their professional status, the federation turned the second division into a 16-team league and adopted the single-table method for the 1934–35 season.

In November 2014, the presidents of Caen and Nîmes were amongst several arrested on suspicion of match fixing.

During the course of a season, usually from August to May, each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 34 games.

At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion and automatically promoted to Ligue 1.

If there is a tie for the championship or for relegation, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank.