The Professional Football League of Ukraine Under-19 () is alternative under-19 competitions for Ukrainian football junior teams. Created in 2016, it was intended to be a second-tier competition with possibly promotion and relegation, with the similar Ukrainian Premier League competition.
At the start, the competition was administered jointly by the Professional Football League of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Youth Football League. Following the 2022 full-scale invasion of Russia, the competitions were phased away and administered by the Ukrainian Youth Football League only. Also, since 2022, the Ukrainian Premier League clubs have started to field their second under-19 teams in this competition.
The League was established in 2016 for the 2016âÂÂ17 season. The relegation and promotion procedure of the league is not regulated. Some teams, clubs of which would gain promotion through competition of senior squads, continue to play in the Ukrainian Premier League competitions among under-19 teams. The competition is voluntary, and no teams are required to be relegated. The competition is open to any teams of the Professional Football League of Ukraine (including First and Second leagues), for which it initially was intended, as well as other youth football clubs and sports schools. No clubs from any of the leagues of the PFL (First or Second) are required to field their under-19 team in the competition. The competition is intended to help prepare a youth squad if a club were to gain promotion to the Ukrainian Premier League.
A playing season of the league consists of two parts, the first group stage, which consists of several groups composed based on geographic principle, where teams play a double round robin. The best top teams qualify for the finals, which are usually played in a group format on "neutral turf" to identify a champion.
As of 2021 there were at least 10 teams competing in every season since 2016 and 5 more since 2017.
Please note, in 2018 based on the Cherkaskyi Dnipro under-19 team there was revived FC Dnipro Cherkasy, while Cherkaskyi Dnipro was reorganized as FC Cherkashchyna due to financial hardship, see the club's article for more information. Also, in 2018 Kobra Kharkiv tried to replace FC Helios Kharkiv in the Ukrainian First League, but was not successful, its junior team however was admitted in under-19 competitions replacing the Helios Kharkiv under-19 team.