54-588: The National League System comprises the six levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the English Football League . It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association . The National League System has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels. For details of leagues above and below the National League System, see
108-623: A given district, and may be little more than derbies, such as the Gloucestershire Cup , which originally included all teams in Gloucestershire , but then came to be contested as a Bristol derby . Level one in the pyramid, the top division of English football, is run by the Premier League (which gives its name to the competition in that division), the winners of which are regarded as the champions of England. Levels two to four are run by
162-499: A late run of good results. Leading goalscorer: Thierry Henry (Arsenal) – 27 Reading entered the top flight for the first time in their history, breaking Sunderland's points record of 105 in the process by accumulating 106 points (coincidentally, Sunderland were relegated from the Premier League while breaking the record for lowest number of points under the current scoring system). Sheffield United joined them, returning to
216-634: A league which does form part of the system. The six levels immediately below the Premier League and three-level English Football League are known as the National League System and come under the jurisdiction of The Football Association . In May 2014 The FA announced provisional plans for a new division between the English Football League and the National League which would include "B" teams of higher-level clubs. They later reneged on
270-473: A level. In addition to sporting performance, promotion is usually contingent on meeting criteria set by the higher league, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances. In theory, it is possible for a lowly local amateur club to achieve annual promotions and within a few years rise to the pinnacle of the English game and become champions of the Premier League . While this may be unlikely in practice (at
324-545: A second successive promotion, only two years after a relegation from the League that some predicted would see the end of the club. Northampton Town joined them, making up for two seasons of play-off disappointment, and Leyton Orient ended a decade in the bottom division by earning promotion in almost the last minute of the season. Grimsby Town conceded on 91 minutes, and 14 seconds after the fans of Orient celebrated, Lee Steele scored to seal promotion for Orient. Wycombe started
378-507: A series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England , with five teams from Wales , one from Guernsey , one from Jersey and one from the Isle of Man also competing. The system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels, allowing even the smallest club the theoretical possibility of ultimately rising to the very top of
432-472: A successful first season back amongst the elite, finishing in a comfortable 9th place. Fellow newly promoted side Wigan Athletic , who were many pundit's tip for relegation in pre-season, defied the odds to finish 10th in their first season in the top-flight. Everton crashed out of the Champions League early and were in the relegation zone by October, but a good run of results both after Halloween and in
486-554: Is the National League . It contains a nation-wide division (also called the National League ) (level 5) of 24 clubs, and is the lowest level with a single nationwide league. This division, like the four above, is a full-time professional competition, although some promoted clubs retain part-time status. There are two divisions at level 6, covering the north ( National League North ) and south ( National League South ), with 24 clubs each. Some of these clubs are full-time professional and
540-406: Is the top level of the non-league pyramid, it is not the highest level of English football (it is actually the fifth overall division). The Premier League and the three divisions of the English Football League (EFL) comprise the top 92 clubs in the English game; each season, two teams from the National League achieve promotion to the English Football League. Some leagues have more than one division. At
594-567: The English Football League . Together, these four divisions make up what is known as "league football". The leagues below level four are classed as "non-League football", meaning they are outside the EFL. The leagues at levels five to ten comprise the National League System (NLS), and come under the direct jurisdiction of the Football Association. The top level (level 5) of the NLS is known as "step 1",
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#1732844547725648-400: The English football league system . The system underwent a rearrangement from 2004 to 2008 and was rearranged again in 2018. Phase one went into operation in 2004–05 . At the start of the 2006–07 season , phase two was introduced, and a further phase three started from 2007–08 with the starting of a second Step 4 league in the north of England. Phase four took effect in 2018–19 . Ahead of
702-551: The FA Vase , as well as their respective regional league cups and county cups. For the 2012–13 season , the FA announced a re-structuring of the National League System's lowest level, Step 7. It was split into three sub-categories, which were full Step 7 divisions, Step 7A and Step 7B. The categorisation depended on the ground facilities of the particular league's clubs. The required percentage of clubs to meet ground grade requirements for each of
756-461: The Midlands ( Aston Villa , Derby County , Notts County , Stoke , West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers ). The system consists of a pyramid of leagues, bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation . A certain number of the most successful clubs in each league can rise to a higher league, whilst those that finish the season at the bottom of their league can be sent down
810-524: The 2020-21 season, Step 7 was abolished, being replaced by feeder leagues overseen by local county FAs. At the top of the National League System pyramid is the National League . Its top division, also called the National League (currently called the Vanarama National League), is the only division in the System which is organised on a national rather than regional basis. Although the National League
864-523: The 30-point mark and battled bravely, but both were unable to avoid relegation after dismal runs of league form (the Baggies going winless from February onwards, with Birmingham unable to shake off poor away form). Portsmouth spent almost the entire season in the relegation zone, but after the return of Harry Redknapp (many Portsmouth fans were convinced Redknapp only went to bitter rivals Southampton last season just to get them relegated), they stayed up after
918-561: The Championship after nearly a decade (when it was called Division One). Colchester United also made the Championship for the first time in their history, but their promotion was tempered by the loss of manager Phil Parkinson to Hull City. A highly competitive play-off race saw Barnsley emerge as winners, beating Swansea City at the Millennium Stadium 4–3 on penalties after both normal time and extra-time finished 2–2, to return to
972-479: The Championship after three seasons of struggle in Division Two/League One. Following relegation and becoming the first former European champions to be subsequently relegated to the third tier of their domestic league, Nottingham Forest struggled for most of the season and were in danger of suffering a second successive relegation. The departure of Gary Megson saw a late upturn in form and surge towards
1026-461: The FA postponed it to the 2021–22 season when football leagues from Step 2 below had their seasons curtailed again by restrictions from COVID-19 lockdowns on 24 February 2021. The two Step 5 divisions are administered by the Combined Counties and United Counties leagues. English football league system The English football league system , also known as the football pyramid , is
1080-615: The FA. They have to accept it or appeal but cannot reject it at an annual general meeting. The exact number of clubs varies from year to year as clubs join and leave leagues, merge, or fold altogether, but an estimated average of 15 clubs per division implies that more than 7,000 teams of nearly 5,300 clubs are members of a league in the English men's football league system. The pyramid for women's football in England runs separately into ten tiers. There are no official definitions of any level below 11 for men or below 10 for women. Any references to
1134-607: The Football Conference, renamed Conference Premier, dropping the top divisions of the Southern League , Isthmian League , and Northern Premier League down one level. The Conference North and South have since been renamed the National League North and South. This table includes the six steps of the National League System (NLS). Above the NLS are the Premier League and the English Football League . Two teams from
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#17328445477251188-795: The Midlands), Southern Football League South (which covers south and southwest of England, with one club from South Wales ) and the Isthmian League (which includes clubs from the south-east of England as well as Guernsey from the Channel Islands ). All of the leagues have Premier Divisions of 22 teams (level 7). Below these, and split by region, the Southern Football Leagues has two parallel divisions of 20 teams (level 8). The Isthmian League and Northern Premier League each have three parallel level 8 divisions of 20 teams each. Level 9 contains
1242-509: The National League can be promoted to EFL League Two at the end of each season. This structure was the result of changes made after the 2005–06 season . The official name is given for all the leagues listed, and the sponsorship name is also provided for the leagues in the top four steps. All divisions in the top four steps have 20 to 24 clubs each. The FA's National League System Committee determine promotion and relegation between leagues shown, mainly based on location. The NLS Committee also has
1296-409: The National League system confirmed that a pure pyramid in a 1-2-4-8-16 was the goal. This meant the introduction of an eighth division at Step 4 and two further divisions at Step 5. The comments were made just prior to the introduction of the fourth division at Step 3 and the seventh at Step 4. On 17 April 2019, it was clarified that there would be 17 divisions at Step 6, down from 19 in 2018–19 and that
1350-421: The Premier League after twelve years and earning Neil Warnock his fourth promotion as a manager. Surprise package Watford , initially tipped for relegation, entered the play-offs and beat Leeds United 3–0 in the Millennium Stadium final, who were unable to shake off a bad run of form (worse than any of the three relegated sides) that saw them lose out in the race for automatic promotion. Crystal Palace fared
1404-487: The Premier League and 72 clubs in the English Football League are all full-time professional clubs. Before the establishment of the Premier League in 1992, the Football League, as it was called then, included all 92 clubs, in four divisions. Clubs outside the Football League were referred to as non-League clubs, and this naming continues for clubs below the four professional divisions. The top tier of non-League football
1458-439: The best out of the teams relegated from the Premier League the previous season, by getting to the play-offs but losing in the semi-finals. Norwich City never managed better than mid-table, while Southampton endured an awful season that saw Sir Clive Woodward take up a much-criticized role as director of football , manager Harry Redknapp return to local rivals Portsmouth and the side looking in danger of relegation for much of
1512-486: The categorisations were as follows: Step 7 – was awarded to leagues where 100% of their clubs met the Step 7 minimum ground grading requirements on 31 March and the league complies with all other requirements for Step 7 status. Step 7A – was awarded to leagues where 75% or more of their clubs met the Step 7 minimum ground grading requirements after 31 March and the league complied with all other requirements for Step 7 status. (It
1566-435: The direction of The Football Association, the National League System evolved over many years. Today's pyramid can be said to be barely twenty years old. Leagues have formed and dissolved over the years and reorganisations have taken place every few years as a result. Beginning with the 2004–05 season , Phase One of the latest change was introduced with the formation of a Conference North and Conference South immediately below
1620-559: The final day of the season saw them end 92 years of playing at Highbury before they moved into their new 60,000-seat Emirates Stadium . Ultimately joining Tottenham in the UEFA Cup were Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United who were promoted the previous season and took the European spot by virtue of being FA Cup runners-up. Despite narrowly losing on penalties to Liverpool, the Hammers enjoyed
1674-443: The grading requirements. The teams must then also finish in the top 3 in their league to be considered for promotion, which is not automatic. For instance, in the 2005–06 season 100 clubs applied to be considered for promotion, of which 51 met the grading requirements, and 29 of those finished in the top 3 in their leagues. With an additional division commencing at Step 4 in 2006–07 , all 29 clubs had their promotions accepted. Under
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1728-513: The league the club is in, and depends on the number of Level 9 clubs participating. For instance, the 2017–18 FA Cup saw 77 teams compete from level 10 out of the 338 in total at that level. Below level 11 the pyramid becomes regional and the cups become accordingly regional. Further down the pyramid is split on a county basis, counties having their own cups accordingly. This excludes some tournaments marked "Senior Cups", which often are competitions between teams representing top professional clubs in
1782-427: The lower levels the existence of leagues becomes intermittent, although in some areas there are as many as twenty layers. All the leagues are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. Clubs that are successful in their league can rise higher in the pyramid, whilst those that finish at the bottom can find themselves sinking further down. In theory it is possible for a lowly local amateur club to rise to
1836-458: The more densely populated areas there are leagues more than twenty layers below the Premier League. There are also leagues in various parts of the country which are not officially part of the system as they do not have formal agreements with other leagues, but are recognised at various levels by county football associations. Clubs from these leagues may, if they feel they meet the appropriate standard of play and have suitable facilities, apply to join
1890-568: The new year saw them comfortably finish in 11th. Middlesbrough finished 14th after a disappointing league season, but did reach the UEFA Cup Final – the first European final in their history – where they were beaten 4–0 by Sevilla . In contrast to the other promoted sides, Sunderland , last seasons Championship winners, were relegated with a league record low of 15 points, breaking the previous record that they set themselves in 2002–03 , while West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City both hit
1944-685: The next (level 6) as "step 2", and so on. Until 2020, level 11 divisions were designated as "step 7", but that year were re-designated as "Regional Feeder Leagues". After the 2023–24 season, four runners-up competed in the play-offs where an additional club was guaranteed promotion from each step 5 division, with the number of relegations from each of the eight level 8 divisions remained at two as each step 4 division increased its divisional size to 22 teams. The resulting 16 vacancies at step 5 were filled by relegating only one club per level 9 division, rather than two. Ahead of 2024–25, two promotions out of each step 5 division into its step 4 counterpart remained and
1998-1624: The number of clubs automatically relegated out of each step 5 division reverted to two, reflecting a long-term FA aim to "create consistency" at each step of the NLS pyramid. Level League(s) / division(s) 1 Premier League 20 clubs – 3 relegations 2 EFL Championship 24 clubs – 3 promotions, 3 relegations 3 EFL League One 24 clubs – 3 promotions, 4 relegations 4 EFL League Two 24 clubs – 4 promotions, 2 relegations 5 (Step 1) National League 24 clubs – 2 promotions, 4 relegations 6 (Step 2) National League North 24 clubs – 2 promotions, 4 relegations National League South 24 clubs – 2 promotions, 4 relegations 7 (Step 3) Northern Premier League Premier Division 22 clubs – 2 promotions, 4 relegations Southern League Premier Division Central 22 clubs – 2 promotions, 4 relegations Southern League Premier Division South 22 clubs – 2 promotions, 4 relegations Isthmian League Premier Division 22 clubs – 2 promotions, 4 relegations 8 (Step 4) Northern Premier League Division One East 22 clubs – 2p, 4r Northern Premier League Division One West 22 clubs – 2p, 4r Northern Premier League Division One Midlands 22 clubs – 2p, 4r Southern League Division One Central 21 clubs – 2p, 4r Southern League Division One South 22 clubs – 2p, 4r Isthmian League Division One South Central 22 clubs – 2p, 4r Isthmian League Division One North 22 clubs – 2p, 4r 2005%E2%80%9306 in English football The 2005–06 season
2052-494: The others are semi-professional. Below level 6, some of the stronger clubs are semi-professional, but continuing down the tiers, soon all the clubs are amateur. Next down from the National League are four regional leagues, each associated with different geographical areas, although some overlap exists. They are the Northern Premier League (which covers the north of England), Southern Football League Central (which covers
2106-518: The pinnacle of the English game and become champions of the Premier League. While this may be unlikely in practice, there certainly is significant movement within the pyramid. The number of teams promoted between leagues or divisions varies, and promotion is usually contingent on meeting criteria set by the higher league, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances. In particular, clubs that hope to be promoted from Step 5 leagues to Step 4 must apply in advance to be assessed for whether they meet
2160-526: The plan to include Premier League "B" teams in the new division and shortly thereafter scrapped the idea altogether. The English football league system does not include the amateur version of the game often called Sunday league football . These leagues are independent entities with no promotion or relegation involving the football pyramid. However, some Sunday league clubs have been known to join pyramid leagues if they desire to progress higher. There are also some Saturday leagues which are not officially part of
2214-633: The play-offs; however, they missed out on the last day of the season, finishing 7th. At the bottom, Walsall endured their second relegation in three seasons, Swindon became the first former Premier League side to slip to the bottom division. Hartlepool crashed out of the division after nearly earning promotion last season, while MK Dons suffered the relegation they only avoided the previous season when Wrexham were docked points for entering administration. Leading goalscorers: Billy Sharp (Scunthorpe United) – 23, and Freddy Eastwood (Southend United) – 23 Carlisle United were another side who earned
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2268-556: The power to transfer clubs between divisions and even leagues at the same level of the pyramid should this be deemed necessary to maintain geographically practical and numerically balanced divisions and leagues at every level. All clubs in the NLS are eligible to compete in the FA Cup , but are seeded into it according to Step standing. Step 1 to 4 clubs are eligible for the FA Trophy and Step 5 to 6 clubs (and some at NLS Feeder League level) for
2322-435: The previous season and they finished in third place, just one point behind United; in addition, they also won the FA Cup , giving manager Rafael Benítez his second major trophy in just his second season. Arsenal snatched the last Champions League spot from under the noses of local rivals Tottenham Hotspur , after the latter's players went down with a bout of food-poisoning. The Gunners' 4–2 victory over Wigan Athletic on
2376-463: The pyramid, although teams frequently leave these for pyramid leagues. At the top is the single division of the Premier League (level 1, which is often referred to as the "top flight"), containing 20 clubs. Below the Premier League is the English Football League (EFL) (formerly 'the Football League'), which is divided into three divisions of 24 clubs each: The Championship (level 2), League One (level 3), and League Two (level 4). The 20 clubs in
2430-416: The same day, after Wednesday beat Brighton 2–0. Although Crewe and Brighton had not spent long in the division and were considered to be punching above their weight, Millwall underwent a disastrous season, getting through five managers and four chairmen before relegation. Leading goalscorer: Marlon King (Watford) – 21 Southend United surprised many by winning a second successive promotion, returning to
2484-485: The season with a 21-game unbeaten run that saw five of their players named in the PFA League Two team of the year. Two tragic off-the-field events, however, saw them fall away in the second part of the season before losing to Cheltenham Town in the playoff semi-finals. Grimsby Town lost 1–0 to Cheltenham in the final at the Millennium Stadium . Rushden & Diamonds failed to improve on the previous season, and paid
2538-425: The season, only managing a mid-table finish with a late surge in form, thanks to the appointment of George Burley . Chairman Rupert Lowe ultimately paid the price by being forced to resign after the end of the season. The relegation battle was principally fought by four sides: Crewe , Brighton , Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday . Wednesday ultimately won the battle, and the remaining three were relegated all on
2592-546: The structure at lower levels should not be regarded as definitive. Some England-based men's clubs play outside the English football league system . The world's first association football league, named simply The Football League , was created in 1888 by Aston Villa 's club director William McGregor . It was dominated by those clubs who had supported professionalism. The twelve founding members were six from Lancashire ( Accrington , Blackburn Rovers , Burnley , Bolton Wanderers , Everton and Preston North End ) and six from
2646-463: The system, the Premier League . Below that are levels 2–4 organised by the English Football League , then the National League System from levels 5–10 administered by the FA , and thereafter Regional feeder leagues run by relevant county FAs on an ad hoc basis. It also often happens that the Premier Division of a Regional Feeder League (Step 7 or Level 11) has its constitution given to it by
2700-507: The top divisions of a large group of 16 sub-regional leagues. Each of these leagues has a different divisional setup, but they all have one thing in common: there are yet more leagues below them, each covering smaller and smaller geographical levels. Being members of a league at a particular level also affects eligibility for Cup, or single-elimination, competitions. In the case of the FA Cup, entrance from Level 10 clubs depends upon ranking within
2754-556: The two new divisions at Step 5 would be in the Midlands and the west London/Thames Valley areas. On 24 April, it was announced that the Northern Premier League had been awarded the operation of the eighth division at Step 4. Initially scheduled for implementation in 2020–21, but due to the coronavirus disease pandemic in England which prematurely ended the remainder of the 2019–20 season for leagues at Steps 3 to 6 on 26 March 2020,
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#17328445477252808-424: The very least, in the short run), there certainly is significant movement within the pyramid. The top five levels contain one division each and are nationwide in scope. Below this, the levels have progressively more parallel leagues, with each covering progressively smaller geographic areas. Many leagues have more than one division. At the lower levels the existence of leagues becomes intermittent, although in some of
2862-515: Was noted that in the 2011–12 season these leagues were referred to as provisional.) Step 7B – was awarded to leagues where 60% or more of their clubs met the ground grading requirements after 31 March and the league complied with all other requirements for Step 7 status. The sub-categories were removed in the 2016–17 season. In 2020–21, Step 7 was abolished altogether, with former leagues at this step instead being designated NLS Feeder Leagues, organised by county FAs. In March 2018, representatives of
2916-422: Was the 126th season of competitive association football in England . England qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup , after finishing top of UEFA Qualifying Group 6 . Chelsea , on 91 points, won their second Premier League title in a row. Manchester United , whose 83-point tally would have been enough for title glory in most seasons, finished runners-up. Liverpool's league form improved drastically following
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