The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is 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 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 feeder leagues run by relevant county FAs on an ad hoc basis.
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.
As there are no official definitions of any level below 11, any references to the structure at level 12 and below should not be regarded as definitive.
Division of Level 9 teams by English counties (2022–23)
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 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 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 the more densely populated areas there are leagues more than twenty layers below the Premier League.[1] 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 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 the plan to include Premier League "B" teams in the new division[2] and shortly thereafter scrapped the idea altogether.[3]
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 the pyramid, although teams frequently leave these for pyramid leagues.
Structure
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 the Premier League and 72 clubs in the English Football League are all full-time professional clubs. The Premier League members are still often referred to as 'League' clubs because, 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 this group are referred to as 'non-League' clubs (i.e. non-EFL), although they too play their football in league competitions.
The top tier of non-League football is the National League. It contains a national division (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 22 clubs each. Some of these clubs are full-time professional and the others are semi-professional. Below the National League, some of the stronger clubs are semi-professional, but continuing down the tiers, soon all the clubs are amateur. Lower-level leagues also tend to cater to progressively smaller geographic regions.
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 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, both Southern Football Leagues have two parallel divisions of 20 teams (level 8). The Isthmian League and Northern Premier League have two parallel level 8 divisions of 20 teams each as well.
Level 9 contains 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.
Promotion and relegation rules for the top eight levels
Division of Level 7 teams by English Counties (2022–23)
Premier League (level 1, 20 teams): The bottom three teams are relegated.
English Football League Championship (level 2, 24 teams): Top two automatically promoted; next four compete in the play-offs, with the winner gaining the third promotion spot. The bottom three are relegated.
English Football League One (level 3, 24 teams): Top two are automatically promoted; next four compete in play-offs, with the winner gaining the third promotion spot. The bottom four are relegated.
English Football League Two (level 4, 24 teams): Top three teams are automatically promoted; next four compete in play-offs, with the winner gaining the fourth promotion spot. The bottom two are relegated.
National League (level 5, 24 teams): The champions are promoted; next six compete in play-offs, with the winner gaining the second promotion spot. The bottom four are relegated to either North or South division as appropriate.
National League North and National League South (level 6, 24 teams each, running in parallel): The champions in each division are automatically promoted; next six teams in each division compete in play-offs, with the play-off winner in each division getting the second promotion spot, with four teams qualifying to the National League in total. The bottom four teams in each division relegated to either Northern Premier League, Southern League or Isthmian League as appropriate. If, after promotion and relegation, the number of teams in the North and South divisions is not equal, one or more teams are transferred between the two divisions to even them up again based on geographic factors.
Northern Premier League Premier Division, Southern Football League Premier Central, Southern Football League Premier South and Isthmian League Premier Division (level 7, 22 teams each, leagues running in parallel): The champions in each division are automatically promoted; next four teams in each division compete in play-offs, with the play-off winners also promoted. The bottom four teams in each division relegated to a level 8 division as appropriate. If, after promotion and relegation, the number of teams in the divisions is not equal, one or more teams are transferred among the four divisions to even them up again.
Northern Premier League Division One East, Northern Premier League Division One Midlands, Northern Premier League Division One West, Southern Football League Division One East, Southern Football League Division One West, Isthmian League Division One North, Isthmian League Division One South Central and Isthmian League Division One South East (level 8, running in parallel, 20 teams in each division): The champions in each division are automatically promoted; next four teams in each division compete in play-offs, with the play-off winners also promoted. The bottom two teams in each division are relegated to a level 9 division as appropriate. If, after promotion and relegation, the number of teams in the divisions is not equal, one or more teams are transferred between the divisions to even them up again.
Cup eligibility
Being members of a league at a particular level also affects eligibility for Cup, or single-elimination, competitions.
FA Inter-League Cup: Level 11 (contested by representative teams from each league)
In the case of the FA Cup and the FA Vase, some of the clubs in the lowest level in each do not compete. 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 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 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", 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".
Combined Counties League Division One – 21 clubs — 2p, 0–3r Eastern Counties League Division One North – 19 clubs — 2p, 0–3r Eastern Counties League Division One South – 19 clubs — 2p, 0–3r Hellenic League Division One – 19 clubs — 2p, 0–3r Midland League Division One – 21 clubs — 2p, 0–3r North West Counties League Division One North – 18 clubs — 2p, 0–3r North West Counties League Division One South – 20 clubs — 2p, 0–3r Northern Counties East League Division One – 21 clubs — 2p, 0–3r Northern League Division Two – 21 clubs — 2p, 0–3r
South West Peninsula League Premier Division East – 19 clubs — 1p, 0–3r South West Peninsula League Premier Division West – 18 clubs — 1p, 0–3r Southern Combination League Division One – 17 clubs — 2p, 0–3r Southern Counties East League Division One – 18 clubs — 2p, 0–3r Spartan South Midlands League Division One – 20 clubs — 2p, 0–3r United Counties League Division One – 22 clubs — 2p, 0–3r Wessex League Division One – 20 clubs — 2p, 0–3r Western League Division One – 22 clubs — 2p, 0–3r
The system is only defined as far as level 11. What follows is a notional structure, based on which leagues promote and relegate to each other.
Level
Total clubs (4730 +-)
League(s) / division(s)
12
862
Anglian Combination Division One – 16 clubs Aylesbury and District League Premier Division – 9 clubs Bedfordshire County League Division One – 13 clubs Bristol Premier Combination Premier Division – 13 clubs Bristol & Suburban League Premier Division One – 13 clubs Cambridgeshire County League Senior A Division – 16 clubs Central Midlands League Division One North – 11 clubs Central Midlands League Division One South – 12 clubs Central Midlands League Division One Central – 10 clubs Cheshire League Division One – 16 clubs Cornwall Combination – 20 clubs Devon & Exeter League Premier Division – 16 clubs Dorset League Senior Division – 14 clubs East Cornwall League – 18 clubs East Sussex League Premier Division – 10 clubs Essex Alliance League Premier Division – 12 clubs Essex & Suffolk Border League Division One – 16 clubs Essex Olympian League Senior Division One – 13 clubs Gloucester Northern Senior League Division One – 16 clubs Hampshire Premier League Division One – 11 clubs Hellenic League Division Two East – 15 clubs Hellenic League Division Two North – 15 clubs Hellenic League Division Two South – 14 clubs Hellenic League Division Two West – 14 clubs Herefordshire FA County League Division One – 13 clubs Hertfordshire Senior County League Division One – 16 clubs Humber Premier League Division One – 15 clubs Kent County League Division One East – 11 clubs Kent County League Division One West – 12 clubs Leicestershire Senior League Division One – 16 clubs Liverpool Premier League Division One – 14 clubs Manchester League Division One – 13 clubs Mid-Sussex League Championship – 12 clubs
Middlesex County League Division One Central & East – 10 clubs Middlesex County League Division One South West – 11 clubs Middlesex County League Division One West – 10 clubs Midland League Division Three – 16 clubs North Berks League Division One – 11 clubs North Bucks & District League Premier Division – 13 clubs North Devon League Premier Division – 16 clubs North Riding League Division One – 10 clubs Northamptonshire Combination League Division One – 14 clubs Northern Alliance Division One – 16 clubs Nottinghamshire Senior League Division One – 15 clubs Oxfordshire Senior League Division One – 11 clubs Peterborough & District League Division One – 16 clubs Plymouth & West Devon League Premier Division – 12 clubs Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division One – 14 clubs Somerset County League Division One – 14 clubs South Devon Football League Premier Division – 14 clubs Staffordshire County Senior League Division One – 16 clubs Suffolk & Ipswich League Division One – 14 clubs Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) Premier Division – 14 clubs Surrey South Eastern Combination Intermediate Division One – 12 clubs Swindon & District League Premier Division – 9 clubs Thames Valley Premier League Division One – 11 clubs Trowbridge & District League Division One – 12 clubs Wearside League Division Two – 8 clubs West Cheshire League Division Two – 16 clubs West Lancashire League Division One – 14 clubs West Midlands (Regional) League Division Two – 10 clubs West Sussex League Premier Division – 11 clubs West Yorkshire League Division One – 16 clubs York League Division One – 9 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Premier Division – 12 clubs
13
804
Aldershot & District League Division One – 9 clubs Andover and District League – 10 clubs Anglian Combination Division Two – 15 clubs Aylesbury and District League Division One – 11 clubs Banbury District and Lord Jersey FA Premier Division – 11 clubs Basingstoke and District League Division One – 9 clubs Bedfordshire County League Division Two – 12 clubs Bristol Premier Combination Premier Division One – 14 clubs Bristol and Suburban League Premier Division Two – 11 clubs Cambridgeshire County League Senior B Division – 16 clubs Cheshire League League Two – 12 clubs Crook and District League Division One – 8 clubs Devon and Exeter League Division One – 13 clubs Dorset League Division One – 14 clubs Duchy League Division One East – 14 clubs Duchy League Division One West – 14 clubs East Riding County League Premier Division – 12 clubs East Sussex League Division One – 7 clubs Essex Alliance League Division One – 13 clubs Essex & Suffolk Border League Division Two – 15 clubs Essex Olympian League Senior Division Two – 12 clubs Gloucester Northern Senior League Division Two – 16 clubs Herefordshire FA County League Division Two – 13 clubs Hertford and District League Premier Division – 10 clubs Kent County League Division Two East – 11 clubs Kent County League Division Two West – 12 clubs Leicestershire Senior League Division Two – 12 clubs Liverpool County Premier League Division Two – 11 clubs Manchester League Division Two – 15 clubs Middlesex County League Division Two – 12 clubs Mid-Essex League Premier Division – 11 clubs Mid-Sussex League Division One – 11 clubs
Midlands Regional Alliance Premier Division – 14 clubs North Berks League Division Two – 11 clubs North Bucks and District League Intermediate Division – 13 clubs North Devon League Senior Division – 16 clubs North Leicestershire League Premier Division – 10 clubs Northamptonshire Combination League Division Two – 14 clubs Northern Alliance Division Two – 15 clubs Nottinghamshire Senior League Division Two – 16 clubs Peterborough and District League Division Two – 15 clubs Plymouth and West Devon League Division One – 11 clubs Scarborough & District Football League – 9 clubs Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division Two – 12 clubs Somerset County League Division Two – 14 clubs South Devon Football League Division One – 14 clubs Southampton Saturday League Premier Division – 10 clubs Southend Borough Combination Premier Division – 6 clubs Staffordshire County Senior League Division Two North – 12 clubs Staffordshire County Senior League Division Two South – 11 clubs Suffolk and Ipswich League Division Two – 14 clubs Surrey South Eastern Combination Intermediate Division Two – 13 clubs Swindon & District League Division One – 10 clubs Thames Valley Premier League Division Two – 11 clubs Trelawny League Premiership – 13 clubs Trowbridge & District League Division Two – 11 clubs Wearside League Division 3 - 12 clubs West Cheshire League Division Three – 16 clubs West Lancashire League Division Two – 12 clubs West Sussex League Division One – 11 clubs West Yorkshire League Division Two – 16 clubs Witney and District League Premier Division – 11 clubs York League Division Two – 11 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Championship Division – 12 clubs
14
865
Aldershot & District League Division Two – 6 clubs Altrincham and District Amateur League Division One – 11 clubs Anglian Combination Division Three – 18 clubs Aylesbury and District League Division Two – 10 clubs Banbury District and Lord Jersey FA Division One – 11 clubs Basingstoke and District League Division Two – 10 clubs Beckett Football League Division One – 10 clubs Bedfordshire County League Division Three – 12 clubs Brighton, Worthing & District League Division One – 11 clubs Bristol and District League Senior Division – 14 clubs Bristol and Suburban Association League Division One – 14 clubs Cambridgeshire County League Division One A – 13 clubs Cambridgeshire County League Division One B – 14 clubs Cheltenham League Division One – 12 clubs Craven and District League Premier Division – 12 clubs Crewe and District League Premier Division – 12 clubs Crook and District League Division Two – 7 clubs Devon and Exeter League Division Two – 14 clubs Doncaster and District Senior League Premier Division – 8 clubs Dorset League Division Two – 12 clubs Duchy League Division Two – 12 clubs East Riding County League Division One – 14 clubs East Sussex League Division Two – 10 clubs Essex Alliance League Division Two – 12 clubs Essex Olympian League Senior Division Three – 13 clubs Furness Premier League Premier Division – 14 clubs Guildford and Woking Alliance League Premier Division – 11 clubs Halifax and District League Premier Division – 11 clubs Harrogate and District League Premier Division – 12 clubs Hertford and District League Division One – 12 clubs Hope Valley Amateur League Premier Division – 14 clubs Huddersfield and District Association League Division One – 12 clubs I Zingari Combination – 12 clubs Kent County League Division Three East – 12 clubs Kent County League Division Three West – 14 clubs Kingston and District League Premier Division – 11 clubs Lancashire Amateur League Premier Division – 12 clubs Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League Premier Division – 10 clubs Leicester and District League Premier Division – 10 clubs Liverpool Old Boys' League Division One – 10 clubs
Middlesex County League Combination – 11 clubs Mid-Essex League Division One – 12 clubs Mid-Sussex Football League Division Two North – 9 clubs Mid-Sussex Football League Division Two South – 10 clubs Mid-Somerset League Premier Division – 11 clubs Midlands Regional Alliance Division One – 11 clubs North Berks League Division Three – 11 clubs North Bucks and District League Division One – 13 clubs North Devon League Intermediate Division One – 14 clubs North East Combination League Division One – 12 clubs North Gloucestershire League Premier Division – 14 clubs North Leicestershire League Division One – 10 clubs Northamptonshire Combination League Division Three – 14 clubs Northern Football Alliance Development Division – 16 clubs Peterborough and District League Division Three – 15 clubs Perry Street and District League Premier Division – 13 clubs Somerset County League Division Three – 14 clubs South Devon Football League Division Two – 14 clubs Southampton Saturday League Senior Division One – 10 clubs Southend Borough Combination Division One – 12 clubs Stroud and District League Division One – 14 clubs Suffolk and Ipswich League Division Three – 13 clubs Swindon & District League Division Two – 10 clubs Taunton & District Saturday League Division One – 11 clubs Thames Valley Premier League Division Three – 11 clubs Trelawny League Championship – 13 clubs Wakefield and District League Premier Division – 11 clubs West Sussex League Division Two North – 12 clubs West Sussex League Division Two South – 11 clubs Weston-super-Mare and District League Division One – 11 clubs Wimbledon & District League Premier Division – 10 clubs Witney and District League Division One – 12 clubs Yeovil and District League Premier Division – 12 clubs York League Division Three – 11 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Division One – 11 clubs
15
749
Anglian Combination Division Four – 15 clubs Banbury District and Lord Jersey FA Division Two – 11 clubs Beckett Football League Division Two – 11 clubs Bristol and District League Division One – 13 clubs Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Division Two – 14 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Two A – 14 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Two B – 14 clubs Cheltenham League Division Two – 12 clubs Cirencester and District League Division One – 12 clubs Colchester and East Essex Football League Premier Division – 9 clubs Craven and District League Division One – 12 clubs Devon and Exeter Football League Division Three – 14 clubs Doncaster and District Senior League Division One – 7 clubs Dorset Football League Division Three – 12 clubs East Riding County League Division Two – 12 clubs East Sussex Football League Division Three – 11 clubs Essex Alliance League Division Three – 13 clubs Essex Olympian League Senior Division Four – 14 clubs Furness Premier League Division One – 10 clubs Guildford and Woking Alliance League Division One – 11 clubs Halifax and District League Division One – 13 clubs Harrogate and District League Division One – 13 clubs Hertford and District League Division Two – 11 clubs Hope Valley Amateur League A Division – 17 clubs Huddersfield and District Association Football League Division Two – 12 clubs Isle of Wight Saturday League Division One – 11 clubs Kingston and District Football League Division One – 10 clubs Lancashire Amateur League Division One – 14 clubs Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League Division One – 8 clubs Leicester and District League Division One – 13 clubs Liverpool Old Boys' League Division Two – 10 clubs Mid-Essex League Division Two – 13 clubs
Mid-Sussex Football League Division Three North – 10 clubs Mid-Sussex Football League Division Three South – 10 clubs Mid-Somerset Football League Division One – 11 clubs Midlands Regional Alliance Division Two – 11 clubs North East Combination Saturday League Division One – 12 clubs North Berks Football League Division Four – 12 clubs North Bucks and District League Division Two – 12 clubs North Devon League Intermediate Division Two – 12 clubs North East Combination League Division Two – 12 clubs North Gloucestershire League Division One – 12 clubs North Leicestershire League Division Two – 10 clubs Northamptonshire Combination Football League Division Four – 14 clubs Plymouth and West Devon Football League Division Three – 10 clubs Perry Street and District League Division One – 13 clubs Peterborough and District Football League Division Four – 15 clubs Plymouth and West Devon Combination Football League Division Three – 11 clubs Sevenoaks and District Football League Premier Division – 11 clubs South Devon Football League Division Three – 14 clubs Southend Borough Combination Division Two – 11 clubs Stroud and District League Division Two – 13 clubs Suffolk and Ipswich League Division Four – 13 clubs Taunton & District Saturday League Division Two – 11 clubs Thames Valley Premier Football League Division Four – 10 clubs Trelawny League League One – 14 clubs Wakefield and District League Division One – 11 clubs West Sussex League Division Three North – 11 clubs West Sussex League Division Three South – 10 clubs Weston-super-Mare and District Football League Division Two – 11 clubs Wimbledon & District Football League Division One – 10 clubs Witney and District League Division Two – 13 clubs Yeovil and District League Division One – 12 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Division Two – 12 clubs
16
662
Anglian Combination Division Five North – 15 clubs Anglian Combination Division Five South – 16 clubs Banbury District and Lord Jersey FA Division Three – 12 clubs Bristol and District League Division Two – 15 clubs Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Division Three – 13 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Three A – 14 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Three B – 14 clubs Cheltenham League Division Three – 12 clubs Cirencester and District League Division Two – 14 clubs Colchester and East Essex Football League Division One – 13 clubs Craven and District League Division Two – 14 clubs Devon and Exeter Football League Division Four – 13 clubs Dorset Football League Division Four – 11 clubs East Berkshire Football League Premier – 9 clubs East Riding County League Division Three – 12 clubs East Sussex Football League Division Four – 11 clubs Essex Alliance League Division Four – 12 clubs Essex Olympian League Senior Division Five – 13 clubs Furness Premier League Division Two – 11 clubs Guildford and Woking Alliance League Division Two – 13 clubs Halifax and District League Division Two – 12 clubs Hertford and District League Division Three – 13 clubs Huddersfield and District Association Football League Division Three – 12 clubs Isle of Wight Saturday League Division Two – 11 clubs Kingston and District Football League Division Two – 12 clubs Lancashire Amateur League Division Two – 14 clubs Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League Division Two – 11 clubs Leicester and District League Division Two – 12 clubs
Liverpool Old Boys' League Division Three – 12 clubs Mid-Essex League Division Three – 13 clubs Mid-Sussex Football League Division Four North – 10 clubs Mid-Sussex Football League Division Four South – 11 clubs Mid-Somerset Football League Division Two – 13 clubs North East Combination Saturday League Division Two – 11 clubs North Berks Football League Division Five – 13 clubs North East Combination League Division Three – 13 clubs North Gloucestershire League Division Two – 12 clubs North Leicestershire League Division Three – 12 clubs Northampton Town and District Football League Division One – 4 clubs Perry Street and District League Division Two – 13 clubs Peterborough and District Football League Division Five – 13 clubs Sevenoaks and District Football League Division One – 11 clubs Southend Borough Combination Division Three – 11 clubs Stroud and District League Division Three – 13 clubs Suffolk and Ipswich League Division Five – 12 clubs Taunton & District Saturday League Division Three – 9 clubs Trelawny League League Two – 14 clubs Wakefield and District League Division Two – 11 clubs West Sussex League Division Four North – 11 clubs West Sussex League Division Four South – 10 clubs Weston-super-Mare and District Football League Division Three – 12 clubs Wimbledon & District Football League Division Two – 10 clubs Witney and District League Division Three – 13 clubs Yeovil and District League Division Two – 10 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Division Three – 11 clubs
17
418
Bristol and District League Division Three – 14 clubs Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Division Four – 12 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Four A – 12 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Four B – 14 clubs Central and South Norfolk League Division One – 12 clubs Cheltenham League Division Four – 11 clubs Craven and District League Division Three – 13 clubs Dorset Football League Division Five – 11 clubs Devon and Exeter Football League Division Five – 13 clubs East Berkshire Football League Division One – 9 clubs East Riding County League Division Four – 13 clubs East Sussex Football League Division Five – 9 clubs Great Yarmouth & District Football League – 10 clubs Guildford and Woking Alliance League Division Three – 11 clubs Huddersfield and District Association Football League Division Four – 14 clubs Lancashire Amateur League Division Three – 14 clubs Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League Division Three – 10 clubs Liverpool Old Boys' League Division Four – 9 clubs
Lowestoft & District League Division One – 13 clubs Mid-Essex League Division Four – 14 clubs Mid-Sussex Football League Division Five North – 10 clubs Mid-Sussex Football League Division Five South – 10 clubs Mid-Somerset Football League Division Three – 14 clubs North East Combination Saturday League Division Three – 13 clubs North East Norfolk League – 12 clubs North Gloucestershire League Division Three – 12 clubs North West Norfolk League Division One – 10 clubs Northampton Town and District Football League Division Two – 6 clubs Perry Street and District League Division Three – 13 clubs Stroud and District League Division Four – 14 clubs Suffolk and Ipswich League Division Six – 13 clubs West Sussex League Division Five North – 10 clubs West Sussex League Division Five South – 10 clubs Weston-super-Mare and District Football League Division Four – 11 clubs Wimbledon & District Football League Division Three – 10 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Division Four – 12 clubs
18
209
Bournemouth Saturday League Premier Division – 6 clubs Bristol and District League Division Four – 13 clubs Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Division Five – 12 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Five A – 13 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Five B – 12 clubs Central and South Norfolk League Division Two – 12 clubs Devon and Exeter Football League Division Six – 14 clubs East Berkshire Football League Division Two – 10 clubs East Riding County League Division Five – 12 clubs
Guildford and Woking Alliance League Division Four – 14 clubs Lancashire Amateur League Division Four – 12 clubs Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League Division A – 13 clubs Lowestoft & District League Division Two – 12 clubs Mid-Essex League Division Five – 14 clubs North Gloucestershire League Division Four – 12 clubs North West Norfolk League Division Two – 12 clubs Stroud and District League Division Five – 14 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Division Five – 12 clubs
19
110
Bournemouth Saturday League Division One – 11 clubs Bristol and District League Division Five – 12 clubs Central and South Norfolk League Division Three – 9 clubs Devon and Exeter Football League Division Seven – 12 clubs Driffield and District League Premier Division – 9 clubs
East Berkshire Football League Division Three – 10 clubs Lancashire Amateur League Division Five – 13 clubs Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League Division B – 11 clubs North West Norfolk League Division Three – 9 clubs Stroud and District League Division Six – 14 clubs
20
39
Central and South Norfolk League Division Four – 12 clubs
^"EFL: Premier League B teams and 'non-English' clubs ruled out of league reforms". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 22 October 2016.
^"English Football League cancels talks over 100-team plan for five divisions". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 16 October 2016.
January 19, 2023
english, football, league, system, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources English football league system news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message The English football league system also known as the football pyramid is 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 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 feeder leagues run by relevant county FAs on an ad hoc basis 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 As there are no official definitions of any level below 11 any references to the structure at level 12 and below should not be regarded as definitive The pyramid for women s football in England runs separately to nine tiers and some England based men s clubs play outside the English football league system Contents 1 History 2 About the system 3 Structure 4 Promotion and relegation rules for the top eight levels 5 Cup eligibility 6 The system 7 See also 8 Notes 9 ReferencesHistory EditMain article History of football in England 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 the Midlands Aston Villa Derby County Notts County Stoke West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers About the system Edit Division of Level 9 teams by English counties 2022 23 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 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 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 the more densely populated areas there are leagues more than twenty layers below the Premier League 1 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 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 the plan to include Premier League B teams in the new division 2 and shortly thereafter scrapped the idea altogether 3 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 the pyramid although teams frequently leave these for pyramid leagues Structure EditAt 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 the Premier League and 72 clubs in the English Football League are all full time professional clubs The Premier League members are still often referred to as League clubs because 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 this group are referred to as non League clubs i e non EFL although they too play their football in league competitions The top tier of non League football is the National League It contains a national division 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 22 clubs each Some of these clubs are full time professional and the others are semi professional Below the National League some of the stronger clubs are semi professional but continuing down the tiers soon all the clubs are amateur Lower level leagues also tend to cater to progressively smaller geographic regions 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 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 both Southern Football Leagues have two parallel divisions of 20 teams level 8 The Isthmian League and Northern Premier League have two parallel level 8 divisions of 20 teams each as well Level 9 contains 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 Promotion and relegation rules for the top eight levels Edit Division of Level 7 teams by English Counties 2022 23 Premier League level 1 20 teams The bottom three teams are relegated English Football League Championship level 2 24 teams Top two automatically promoted next four compete in the play offs with the winner gaining the third promotion spot The bottom three are relegated English Football League One level 3 24 teams Top two are automatically promoted next four compete in play offs with the winner gaining the third promotion spot The bottom four are relegated English Football League Two level 4 24 teams Top three teams are automatically promoted next four compete in play offs with the winner gaining the fourth promotion spot The bottom two are relegated National League level 5 24 teams The champions are promoted next six compete in play offs with the winner gaining the second promotion spot The bottom four are relegated to either North or South division as appropriate National League North and National League South level 6 24 teams each running in parallel The champions in each division are automatically promoted next six teams in each division compete in play offs with the play off winner in each division getting the second promotion spot with four teams qualifying to the National League in total The bottom four teams in each division relegated to either Northern Premier League Southern League or Isthmian League as appropriate If after promotion and relegation the number of teams in the North and South divisions is not equal one or more teams are transferred between the two divisions to even them up again based on geographic factors Northern Premier League Premier Division Southern Football League Premier Central Southern Football League Premier South and Isthmian League Premier Division level 7 22 teams each leagues running in parallel The champions in each division are automatically promoted next four teams in each division compete in play offs with the play off winners also promoted The bottom four teams in each division relegated to a level 8 division as appropriate If after promotion and relegation the number of teams in the divisions is not equal one or more teams are transferred among the four divisions to even them up again Northern Premier League Division One East Northern Premier League Division One Midlands Northern Premier League Division One West Southern Football League Division One East Southern Football League Division One West Isthmian League Division One North Isthmian League Division One South Central and Isthmian League Division One South East level 8 running in parallel 20 teams in each division The champions in each division are automatically promoted next four teams in each division compete in play offs with the play off winners also promoted The bottom two teams in each division are relegated to a level 9 division as appropriate If after promotion and relegation the number of teams in the divisions is not equal one or more teams are transferred between the divisions to even them up again Cup eligibility EditBeing members of a league at a particular level also affects eligibility for Cup or single elimination competitions FA Cup Levels 1 to 10 EFL Cup Levels 1 to 4 EFL Trophy Levels 3 to 4 FA Trophy Levels 5 to 8 FA Vase Levels 9 to 10 FA Inter League Cup Level 11 contested by representative teams from each league In the case of the FA Cup and the FA Vase some of the clubs in the lowest level in each do not compete 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 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 The system EditFor details of changes made below the level of the English Football League see History of the English non League football system 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 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 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 Level Total clubs 1862 League s division s 1 20 Premier League20 clubs 3 relegations2 24 EFL Championship24 clubs 3 promotions 3 relegations3 24 EFL League One24 clubs 3 promotions 4 relegations4 24 EFL League Two24 clubs 4 promotions 2 relegations5 Step 1 24 National League24 clubs 2 promotions 4 relegations6 Step 2 48 National League North24 clubs 2 promotions 4 relegations National League South24 clubs 2 promotions 4 relegations7 Step 3 88 Northern Premier League Premier Division22 clubs 2 promotions 4 relegations Southern League Premier Central22 clubs 2 promotions a 4 relegations Southern League Premier South22 clubs 2 promotions a 4 relegations Isthmian League Premier Division22 clubs 2 promotions 4 relegations8 Step 4 160 Northern Premier League Division One East20 clubs 2p 2r Northern Premier League Division One West20 clubs 2p 2r Northern Premier League Division One Midlands20 clubs 2p 2r Southern League Division One Central20 clubs 2p 2r Southern League Division One South20 clubs 2p 2r Isthmian League Division One South Central20 clubs 2p 2r Isthmian League Division One North20 clubs 2p 2r Isthmian League Division One South East20 clubs 2p 2r9 Step 5 320 Northern League Division One20 clubs 1p 2r Northern Counties East League Premier Division20 clubs 1p 2r North West Counties League Premier Division22 clubs 1p 2r Midland League Premier Division20 clubs 1p 2r United Counties League Premier Division North20 clubs 1p 2r United Counties League Premier Division South18 clubs 1p 2r Hellenic League Premier Division20 clubs 1p 2r Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division20 clubs 1p 2r Wessex League Premier Division20 clubs 1p 2r Western League Premier Division20 clubs 1p 2r Combined Counties League Premier Division North20 clubs 1p 2r Combined Counties League Premier Division South20 clubs 1p 2r Eastern Counties League Premier Division20 clubs 1p 2r Essex Senior League20 clubs 1p 2r Southern Combination League Premier Division20 clubs 1p 2r Southern Counties East League Premier Division20 clubs 1p 2r10 Step 6 335 Combined Counties League Division One 21 clubs 2p 0 3r Eastern Counties League Division One North 19 clubs 2p 0 3r Eastern Counties League Division One South 19 clubs 2p 0 3r Hellenic League Division One 19 clubs 2p 0 3r Midland League Division One 21 clubs 2p 0 3r North West Counties League Division One North 18 clubs 2p 0 3r North West Counties League Division One South 20 clubs 2p 0 3r Northern Counties East League Division One 21 clubs 2p 0 3r Northern League Division Two 21 clubs 2p 0 3r South West Peninsula League Premier Division East 19 clubs 1p 0 3r South West Peninsula League Premier Division West 18 clubs 1p 0 3r Southern Combination League Division One 17 clubs 2p 0 3r Southern Counties East League Division One 18 clubs 2p 0 3r Spartan South Midlands League Division One 20 clubs 2p 0 3r United Counties League Division One 22 clubs 2p 0 3r Wessex League Division One 20 clubs 2p 0 3r Western League Division One 22 clubs 2p 0 3r11 Regional Feeder League 792 Anglian Combination Premier Division 16 clubsBedfordshire County League Premier Division 16 clubsCambridgeshire County League Premier Division 16 clubsCentral Midlands League Premier Division North 18 clubs Central Midlands League Premier Division South 17 clubsCheshire League Premier Division 18 clubsDevon Football League North amp East Division 13 clubs Devon Football League South amp West Division 15 clubsDorset Premier League 18 clubsEssex Alliance League 14 clubsEssex amp Suffolk Border League Premier Division 18 clubsEssex Olympian League Premier Division 15 clubsGloucestershire County League 16 clubsHampshire Premier League Senior Division 16 clubsHerefordshire Football League Premier Division 15 clubsHertfordshire Senior County League Premier Division 16 clubsHumber Premier League Premier Division 15 clubsKent County League Premier Division 16 clubsLeicestershire Senior League Premier Division 18 clubsLincolnshire League 18 clubsLiverpool County Premier League Premier Division 15 clubsManchester League Premier Division 15 clubsMid Sussex League Premier Division 14 clubsMiddlesex County League Premier Division 15 clubs Midland League Division Two 15 clubs Northamptonshire Combination League Premier Division 14 clubsNorthern Alliance Premier Division 16 clubsNorth Riding League Premier Division 14 clubsNottinghamshire Senior League Senior Division 18 clubsOxfordshire Senior League Premier Division 16 clubsPeterborough amp District League Premier Division 16 clubsSalop Leisure League Premier Division 14 clubsSheffield amp Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division 14 clubsSomerset County League Premier Division 16 clubs Southern Combination League Division Two 14 clubs Spartan South Midlands League Division Two 18 clubsSt Piran League East Division 16 clubs St Piran League West Division 16 clubsStaffordshire County Senior League Premier Division 16 clubsSuffolk amp Ipswich League Senior Division 16 clubsSurrey Premier County Football League 16 clubsThames Valley Premier League Premier Division 15 clubsWearside League Division One 18 clubsWest Cheshire League Division One 16 clubsWest Lancashire League Premier Division 16 clubsWest Midlands Regional League Division One 16 clubsWest Yorkshire League Premier Division 16 clubsWiltshire Senior League 17 clubsYork League Premier Division 14 clubsYorkshire Amateur League Supreme Division 16 clubsThe system is only defined as far as level 11 What follows is a notional structure based on which leagues promote and relegate to each other Level Total clubs 4730 League s division s 12 862 Anglian Combination Division One 16 clubs Aylesbury and District League Premier Division 9 clubs Bedfordshire County League Division One 13 clubsBristol Premier Combination Premier Division 13 clubsBristol amp Suburban League Premier Division One 13 clubs Cambridgeshire County League Senior A Division 16 clubs Central Midlands League Division One North 11 clubs Central Midlands League Division One South 12 clubs Central Midlands League Division One Central 10 clubs Cheshire League Division One 16 clubsCornwall Combination 20 clubsDevon amp Exeter League Premier Division 16 clubsDorset League Senior Division 14 clubsEast Cornwall League 18 clubsEast Sussex League Premier Division 10 clubs Essex Alliance League Premier Division 12 clubs Essex amp Suffolk Border League Division One 16 clubs Essex Olympian League Senior Division One 13 clubsGloucester Northern Senior League Division One 16 clubs Hampshire Premier League Division One 11 clubs Hellenic League Division Two East 15 clubs Hellenic League Division Two North 15 clubs Hellenic League Division Two South 14 clubs Hellenic League Division Two West 14 clubs Herefordshire FA County League Division One 13 clubs Hertfordshire Senior County League Division One 16 clubs Humber Premier League Division One 15 clubs Kent County League Division One East 11 clubs Kent County League Division One West 12 clubs Leicestershire Senior League Division One 16 clubs Liverpool Premier League Division One 14 clubs Manchester League Division One 13 clubs Mid Sussex League Championship 12 clubs Middlesex County League Division One Central amp East 10 clubs Middlesex County League Division One South West 11 clubs Middlesex County League Division One West 10 clubs Midland League Division Three 16 clubsNorth Berks League Division One 11 clubsNorth Bucks amp District League Premier Division 13 clubsNorth Devon League Premier Division 16 clubs North Riding League Division One 10 clubs Northamptonshire Combination League Division One 14 clubs Northern Alliance Division One 16 clubs Nottinghamshire Senior League Division One 15 clubs Oxfordshire Senior League Division One 11 clubs Peterborough amp District League Division One 16 clubsPlymouth amp West Devon League Premier Division 12 clubs Sheffield amp Hallamshire County Senior League Division One 14 clubs Somerset County League Division One 14 clubsSouth Devon Football League Premier Division 14 clubs Staffordshire County Senior League Division One 16 clubs Suffolk amp Ipswich League Division One 14 clubsSurrey County Intermediate League Western Premier Division 14 clubsSurrey South Eastern Combination Intermediate Division One 12 clubs Swindon amp District League Premier Division 9 clubs Thames Valley Premier League Division One 11 clubs Trowbridge amp District League Division One 12 clubs Wearside League Division Two 8 clubs West Cheshire League Division Two 16 clubs West Lancashire League Division One 14 clubs West Midlands Regional League Division Two 10 clubsWest Sussex League Premier Division 11 clubs West Yorkshire League Division One 16 clubs York League Division One 9 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Premier Division 12 clubs13 804 Aldershot amp District League Division One 9 clubs Andover and District League 10 clubs Anglian Combination Division Two 15 clubs Aylesbury and District League Division One 11 clubs Banbury District and Lord Jersey FA Premier Division 11 clubsBasingstoke and District League Division One 9 clubs Bedfordshire County League Division Two 12 clubs Bristol Premier Combination Premier Division One 14 clubs Bristol and Suburban League Premier Division Two 11 clubs Cambridgeshire County League Senior B Division 16 clubs Cheshire League League Two 12 clubs Crook and District League Division One 8 clubsDevon and Exeter League Division One 13 clubs Dorset League Division One 14 clubsDuchy League Division One East 14 clubs Duchy League Division One West 14 clubsEast Riding County League Premier Division 12 clubs East Sussex League Division One 7 clubs Essex Alliance League Division One 13 clubs Essex amp Suffolk Border League Division Two 15 clubs Essex Olympian League Senior Division Two 12 clubs Gloucester Northern Senior League Division Two 16 clubs Herefordshire FA County League Division Two 13 clubsHertford and District League Premier Division 10 clubs Kent County League Division Two East 11 clubs Kent County League Division Two West 12 clubs Leicestershire Senior League Division Two 12 clubs Liverpool County Premier League Division Two 11 clubsManchester League Division Two 15 clubs Middlesex County League Division Two 12 clubsMid Essex League Premier Division 11 clubs Mid Sussex League Division One 11 clubs Midlands Regional Alliance Premier Division 14 clubs North Berks League Division Two 11 clubs North Bucks and District League Intermediate Division 13 clubs North Devon League Senior Division 16 clubsNorth Leicestershire League Premier Division 10 clubs Northamptonshire Combination League Division Two 14 clubs Northern Alliance Division Two 15 clubs Nottinghamshire Senior League Division Two 16 clubs Peterborough and District League Division Two 15 clubs Plymouth and West Devon League Division One 11 clubs Scarborough amp District Football League 9 clubs Sheffield amp Hallamshire County Senior League Division Two 12 clubs Somerset County League Division Two 14 clubsSouth Devon Football League Division One 14 clubs Southampton Saturday League Premier Division 10 clubs Southend Borough Combination Premier Division 6 clubs Staffordshire County Senior League Division Two North 12 clubs Staffordshire County Senior League Division Two South 11 clubs Suffolk and Ipswich League Division Two 14 clubs Surrey South Eastern Combination Intermediate Division Two 13 clubs Swindon amp District League Division One 10 clubs Thames Valley Premier League Division Two 11 clubsTrelawny League Premiership 13 clubs Trowbridge amp District League Division Two 11 clubs Wearside League Division 3 12 clubs West Cheshire League Division Three 16 clubs West Lancashire League Division Two 12 clubs West Sussex League Division One 11 clubs West Yorkshire League Division Two 16 clubs Witney and District League Premier Division 11 clubs York League Division Two 11 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Championship Division 12 clubs14 865 Aldershot amp District League Division Two 6 clubs Altrincham and District Amateur League Division One 11 clubs Anglian Combination Division Three 18 clubs Aylesbury and District League Division Two 10 clubs Banbury District and Lord Jersey FA Division One 11 clubs Basingstoke and District League Division Two 10 clubs Beckett Football League Division One 10 clubs Bedfordshire County League Division Three 12 clubsBrighton Worthing amp District League Division One 11 clubsBristol and District League Senior Division 14 clubsBristol and Suburban Association League Division One 14 clubs Cambridgeshire County League Division One A 13 clubs Cambridgeshire County League Division One B 14 clubsCheltenham League Division One 12 clubs Craven and District League Premier Division 12 clubs Crewe and District League Premier Division 12 clubs Crook and District League Division Two 7 clubs Devon and Exeter League Division Two 14 clubsDoncaster and District Senior League Premier Division 8 clubs Dorset League Division Two 12 clubsDuchy League Division Two 12 clubs East Riding County League Division One 14 clubs East Sussex League Division Two 10 clubs Essex Alliance League Division Two 12 clubs Essex Olympian League Senior Division Three 13 clubs Furness Premier League Premier Division 14 clubs Guildford and Woking Alliance League Premier Division 11 clubs Halifax and District League Premier Division 11 clubsHarrogate and District League Premier Division 12 clubs Hertford and District League Division One 12 clubs Hope Valley Amateur League Premier Division 14 clubsHuddersfield and District Association League Division One 12 clubsI Zingari Combination 12 clubs Kent County League Division Three East 12 clubs Kent County League Division Three West 14 clubs Kingston and District League Premier Division 11 clubsLancashire Amateur League Premier Division 12 clubsLancashire and Cheshire Amateur League Premier Division 10 clubsLeicester and District League Premier Division 10 clubs Liverpool Old Boys League Division One 10 clubs Middlesex County League Combination 11 clubs Mid Essex League Division One 12 clubs Mid Sussex Football League Division Two North 9 clubs Mid Sussex Football League Division Two South 10 clubs Mid Somerset League Premier Division 11 clubs Midlands Regional Alliance Division One 11 clubs North Berks League Division Three 11 clubs North Bucks and District League Division One 13 clubs North Devon League Intermediate Division One 14 clubs North East Combination League Division One 12 clubs North Gloucestershire League Premier Division 14 clubs North Leicestershire League Division One 10 clubs Northamptonshire Combination League Division Three 14 clubs Northern Football Alliance Development Division 16 clubs Peterborough and District League Division Three 15 clubsPerry Street and District League Premier Division 13 clubs Somerset County League Division Three 14 clubsSouth Devon Football League Division Two 14 clubs Southampton Saturday League Senior Division One 10 clubs Southend Borough Combination Division One 12 clubsStroud and District League Division One 14 clubs Suffolk and Ipswich League Division Three 13 clubs Swindon amp District League Division Two 10 clubs Taunton amp District Saturday League Division One 11 clubs Thames Valley Premier League Division Three 11 clubs Trelawny League Championship 13 clubs Wakefield and District League Premier Division 11 clubs West Sussex League Division Two North 12 clubs West Sussex League Division Two South 11 clubs Weston super Mare and District League Division One 11 clubs Wimbledon amp District League Premier Division 10 clubs Witney and District League Division One 12 clubsYeovil and District League Premier Division 12 clubs York League Division Three 11 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Division One 11 clubs15 749 Anglian Combination Division Four 15 clubs Banbury District and Lord Jersey FA Division Two 11 clubs Beckett Football League Division Two 11 clubs Bristol and District League Division One 13 clubs Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Division Two 14 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Two A 14 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Two B 14 clubs Cheltenham League Division Two 12 clubsCirencester and District League Division One 12 clubs Colchester and East Essex Football League Premier Division 9 clubs Craven and District League Division One 12 clubs Devon and Exeter Football League Division Three 14 clubs Doncaster and District Senior League Division One 7 clubs Dorset Football League Division Three 12 clubs East Riding County League Division Two 12 clubs East Sussex Football League Division Three 11 clubs Essex Alliance League Division Three 13 clubs Essex Olympian League Senior Division Four 14 clubs Furness Premier League Division One 10 clubs Guildford and Woking Alliance League Division One 11 clubs Halifax and District League Division One 13 clubs Harrogate and District League Division One 13 clubs Hertford and District League Division Two 11 clubs Hope Valley Amateur League A Division 17 clubs Huddersfield and District Association Football League Division Two 12 clubsIsle of Wight Saturday League Division One 11 clubs Kingston and District Football League Division One 10 clubsLancashire Amateur League Division One 14 clubsLancashire and Cheshire Amateur League Division One 8 clubs Leicester and District League Division One 13 clubs Liverpool Old Boys League Division Two 10 clubs Mid Essex League Division Two 13 clubs Mid Sussex Football League Division Three North 10 clubs Mid Sussex Football League Division Three South 10 clubs Mid Somerset Football League Division One 11 clubs Midlands Regional Alliance Division Two 11 clubs North East Combination Saturday League Division One 12 clubs North Berks Football League Division Four 12 clubs North Bucks and District League Division Two 12 clubs North Devon League Intermediate Division Two 12 clubs North East Combination League Division Two 12 clubs North Gloucestershire League Division One 12 clubs North Leicestershire League Division Two 10 clubs Northamptonshire Combination Football League Division Four 14 clubs Plymouth and West Devon Football League Division Three 10 clubs Perry Street and District League Division One 13 clubs Peterborough and District Football League Division Four 15 clubs Plymouth and West Devon Combination Football League Division Three 11 clubs Sevenoaks and District Football League Premier Division 11 clubsSouth Devon Football League Division Three 14 clubs Southend Borough Combination Division Two 11 clubs Stroud and District League Division Two 13 clubs Suffolk and Ipswich League Division Four 13 clubs Taunton amp District Saturday League Division Two 11 clubs Thames Valley Premier Football League Division Four 10 clubs Trelawny League League One 14 clubs Wakefield and District League Division One 11 clubs West Sussex League Division Three North 11 clubs West Sussex League Division Three South 10 clubs Weston super Mare and District Football League Division Two 11 clubs Wimbledon amp District Football League Division One 10 clubs Witney and District League Division Two 13 clubs Yeovil and District League Division One 12 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Division Two 12 clubs16 662 Anglian Combination Division Five North 15 clubs Anglian Combination Division Five South 16 clubs Banbury District and Lord Jersey FA Division Three 12 clubs Bristol and District League Division Two 15 clubs Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Division Three 13 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Three A 14 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Three B 14 clubs Cheltenham League Division Three 12 clubs Cirencester and District League Division Two 14 clubs Colchester and East Essex Football League Division One 13 clubs Craven and District League Division Two 14 clubs Devon and Exeter Football League Division Four 13 clubs Dorset Football League Division Four 11 clubsEast Berkshire Football League Premier 9 clubs East Riding County League Division Three 12 clubs East Sussex Football League Division Four 11 clubs Essex Alliance League Division Four 12 clubs Essex Olympian League Senior Division Five 13 clubs Furness Premier League Division Two 11 clubs Guildford and Woking Alliance League Division Two 13 clubs Halifax and District League Division Two 12 clubs Hertford and District League Division Three 13 clubs Huddersfield and District Association Football League Division Three 12 clubs Isle of Wight Saturday League Division Two 11 clubs Kingston and District Football League Division Two 12 clubsLancashire Amateur League Division Two 14 clubsLancashire and Cheshire Amateur League Division Two 11 clubs Leicester and District League Division Two 12 clubs Liverpool Old Boys League Division Three 12 clubs Mid Essex League Division Three 13 clubs Mid Sussex Football League Division Four North 10 clubs Mid Sussex Football League Division Four South 11 clubs Mid Somerset Football League Division Two 13 clubs North East Combination Saturday League Division Two 11 clubs North Berks Football League Division Five 13 clubs North East Combination League Division Three 13 clubs North Gloucestershire League Division Two 12 clubs North Leicestershire League Division Three 12 clubs Northampton Town and District Football League Division One 4 clubs Perry Street and District League Division Two 13 clubs Peterborough and District Football League Division Five 13 clubs Sevenoaks and District Football League Division One 11 clubs Southend Borough Combination Division Three 11 clubs Stroud and District League Division Three 13 clubs Suffolk and Ipswich League Division Five 12 clubs Taunton amp District Saturday League Division Three 9 clubs Trelawny League League Two 14 clubs Wakefield and District League Division Two 11 clubs West Sussex League Division Four North 11 clubs West Sussex League Division Four South 10 clubs Weston super Mare and District Football League Division Three 12 clubs Wimbledon amp District Football League Division Two 10 clubs Witney and District League Division Three 13 clubs Yeovil and District League Division Two 10 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Division Three 11 clubs17 418 Bristol and District League Division Three 14 clubs Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Division Four 12 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Four A 12 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Four B 14 clubs Central and South Norfolk League Division One 12 clubs Cheltenham League Division Four 11 clubs Craven and District League Division Three 13 clubs Dorset Football League Division Five 11 clubs Devon and Exeter Football League Division Five 13 clubs East Berkshire Football League Division One 9 clubs East Riding County League Division Four 13 clubs East Sussex Football League Division Five 9 clubs Great Yarmouth amp District Football League 10 clubs Guildford and Woking Alliance League Division Three 11 clubs Huddersfield and District Association Football League Division Four 14 clubsLancashire Amateur League Division Three 14 clubsLancashire and Cheshire Amateur League Division Three 10 clubs Liverpool Old Boys League Division Four 9 clubs Lowestoft amp District League Division One 13 clubs Mid Essex League Division Four 14 clubs Mid Sussex Football League Division Five North 10 clubs Mid Sussex Football League Division Five South 10 clubs Mid Somerset Football League Division Three 14 clubs North East Combination Saturday League Division Three 13 clubs North East Norfolk League 12 clubs North Gloucestershire League Division Three 12 clubs North West Norfolk League Division One 10 clubs Northampton Town and District Football League Division Two 6 clubs Perry Street and District League Division Three 13 clubs Stroud and District League Division Four 14 clubs Suffolk and Ipswich League Division Six 13 clubs West Sussex League Division Five North 10 clubs West Sussex League Division Five South 10 clubs Weston super Mare and District Football League Division Four 11 clubs Wimbledon amp District Football League Division Three 10 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Division Four 12 clubs18 209 Bournemouth Saturday League Premier Division 6 clubs Bristol and District League Division Four 13 clubs Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Division Five 12 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Five A 13 clubs Cambridgeshire Football Association County League Division Five B 12 clubs Central and South Norfolk League Division Two 12 clubs Devon and Exeter Football League Division Six 14 clubs East Berkshire Football League Division Two 10 clubs East Riding County League Division Five 12 clubs Guildford and Woking Alliance League Division Four 14 clubsLancashire Amateur League Division Four 12 clubsLancashire and Cheshire Amateur League Division A 13 clubs Lowestoft amp District League Division Two 12 clubs Mid Essex League Division Five 14 clubs North Gloucestershire League Division Four 12 clubs North West Norfolk League Division Two 12 clubs Stroud and District League Division Five 14 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Division Five 12 clubs19 110 Bournemouth Saturday League Division One 11 clubs Bristol and District League Division Five 12 clubs Central and South Norfolk League Division Three 9 clubs Devon and Exeter Football League Division Seven 12 clubs Driffield and District League Premier Division 9 clubs East Berkshire Football League Division Three 10 clubsLancashire Amateur League Division Five 13 clubsLancashire and Cheshire Amateur League Division B 11 clubs North West Norfolk League Division Three 9 clubs Stroud and District League Division Six 14 clubs20 39 Central and South Norfolk League Division Four 12 clubsSee also Edit English football portalLeague system List of association football competitions National League System the system involving the 5th 10th tiers of English football organised by the FA History of the English non League football system English women s football league systemNotes Edit a b Promotion to either the National League North or National League South is based on geographic factors References Edit The Pyramid info thepyramid info EFL Premier League B teams and non English clubs ruled out of league reforms bbc co uk BBC 22 October 2016 English Football League cancels talks over 100 team plan for five divisions bbc co uk BBC 16 October 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title English football league system amp oldid 1134411315, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,