English football league system

The English football league system is a series of leagues that are connected for men's association football clubs in England. Five teams also come from Wales, one team comes from Guernsey and one comes from Jersey. It is also called the football pyramid. The system has a hierarchical format. It has promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels. This means that in theory, even the smallest club can get to the top of the system. In the system, there are more than 140 leagues, and more than 480 divisions.

The total number of clubs changes every year. This is because clubs join and stop playing in leagues. Sometimes it is also because a club stops existing or merges with another club. An average of 15 clubs per division means that more than 7,000 teams of nearly 5,300 clubs are in a league in the English men's football league system.

There are no official definitions of any level below 11. This means that the structure at level 12 and below is not definitive.

The pyramid for women's football in England is not the same. It has nine levels. Also, some English men's football clubs play outside the English football league system.

History

See the main article: History of football in England

Aston Villa director William McGregor created the (English) Football League in 1888. The biggest clubs were the ones who were in support of professionalism. The twelve first clubs 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

A diagram showing the areas covered by Level 9 of the English football league system.

Map showing the location of teams in levels 9–10 of the English football league system in 2011–12

The system is a pyramid of leagues. These are part of the same system through the idea of promotion and relegation. The better clubs in each league go to a higher league. The clubs that finish the season at the bottom of their league can go down to a lower league. Promotion has two important factors. The first factor is how well the club plays. The second factor is that the club needs to meet criteria set by the higher league. These criteria are often about having the right facilities and finances.

In theory, it is possible for a low level local amateur club to win promotions. Within a few years they can get to the highest level of the English game and become champions of the Premier League. In practice, this is not likely (at least not in a short period of time). However, clubs move a lot within the pyramid.

The top five levels each have one division. They are national leagues. This means clubs in these leagues play in the whole country. In level 6 and lower, the levels have more and more leagues at the same level. The lower levels are in a smaller location. Many leagues have more than one division. At the lower levels the leagues do not always exist. In some places where a lot of people live, there are leagues more than twenty levels below the Premier League. There are also leagues in different parts of the country which are not officially part of the system. This is because they do not have formal agreements with other leagues. However some county football associations accept these leagues exist. Clubs from these leagues can join a league in the system. They usually need to have the right standard of play (they need to play football well enough) and have right facilities.

The seven levels just below the Premier League and English Football League are called the National League System. The Football Association (FA) is the authority for these leagues. The system has changed over many years. The biggest change recently was when there were two new leagues at level six. These were the Conference North and Conference South (now National League North and South). This meant that the top divisions of the Southern League, Isthmian League and Northern Premier League went down to level seven. In May 2014 The FA announced provisional plans for a new division between the English Football League and the National League. This would include "B" teams (second teams) of higher-level clubs (for example, Manchester City F.C. B Team, or Liverpool F.C. B Team) . However, they changed this idea later. This meant that Premier League "B" teams could not play in the new division. Soon after this, they gave up the idea.

The English football league system does not include the amateur version of the game often called Sunday league football. These leagues are independent. They do not have promotion or relegation. They do not belong to the football pyramid. However, some Sunday league clubs sometimes join pyramid leagues. This is often if they want to play at a higher level. There are also some Saturday leagues which are not officially part of the pyramid. However, teams often leave these for pyramid leagues. The FA accepted a non-promoting Saturday league (a league with no promotion or relegation) to the pyramid in May 2017. This was the Lincolnshire League.

Structure

At the top is the single division of the Premier League (Level 1). This is often called the "top-flight". It has 20 clubs. They were all located in England until the 2010–11 season. However, two Welsh teams (Swansea City and Cardiff City) have since played in the league. Below the Premier League is the English Football League (EFL). This used to be the Football League. It has 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 the 72 clubs in the English Football League are all full-time (all the time) professional clubs. The Premier League teams are still often called 'League' clubs. This is because before 1992 the Football League, as it was called then, included all 92 clubs in four divisions. In 1992, the Premier League started, and became separate. Clubs outside this group of 92 teams are called 'non-League' clubs (i.e. non-EFL). However, they also play their football in league competitions.

The top level of non-League football is the National League. It has a national division (National League) of 24 clubs (Level 5). It is the lowest level with a single league for the whole country. This division is like the four above. It is a full-time professional competition. However, some promoted clubs keep their part-time status. There are two divisions at Level 6. They cover the north (National League North) and the south (National League South). They have 22 clubs each. Some of these clubs are full-time professional clubs. The other clubs are semi-professional. Below the National League, some of the stronger clubs are also semi-professional. However, in the lower levels, soon all the clubs are amateur. Lower-level leagues are also often for smaller regions. This is because smaller clubs don't have as much money to travel far away.

Below the National League, there are three regional leagues. Each is in a different area. Sometimes the areas are similar. They are the Northern Premier League (which covers the north of England), Southern Football League (which covers the Midlands, 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, the Northern Premier League and Southern Football League each have two divisions of 20 teams (Level 8). They are in different regions. The Isthmian League has three level 8 divisions of 20 teams each as well.

Level 9 contains the top divisions of a large group of fourteen smaller than regional leagues. Each of these leagues has a different setup. They all have one thing in common: they all have leagues below them. Each covers a smaller and smaller area.

Promotion and relegation rules for the top eight levels

Approximate areas for the current four-division level 7 (step 3), from 2018 to 2019 onwards.

1. Premier League (level 1, 20 teams): The bottom three teams are relegated.
2. English Football League Championship (level 2, 24 teams): The top two automatically win promotion. The next four play in the playoffs. The winner gets the third promotion place. The bottom three are relegated.
3. English Football League One (level 3, 24 teams): The top two automatically win promotion. The next four play in the playoffs. The winner gets the third promotion place. The bottom four are relegated.
4. English Football League Two (level 4, 24 teams): The top three teams automatically win promotion. The next four play in the playoffs. The winner gets the fourth promotion place. The bottom two are relegated.
5. National League (level 5, 24 teams): The champions win promotion. The next six play in the playoffs. The winner gets the second promotion place. The bottom four are relegated to either the North or South division as appropriate.
6. National League North and National League South (level 6, 22 teams each. 24 teams from the 2020–21 season, running in parallel): The champions in each division automatically win promotion. The next six teams in each division play in the playoffs. The playoff winner in each division gets the second promotion spot. The bottom two teams in each division are relegated to either the Northern Premier League, the Southern League or the 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. This makes it more even. It it based on the location.
7. Northern Premier League Premier Division, Southern Football League Central Division, Southern Football League South Division and Isthmian League Premier Division (level 7, 22 teams each, running in parallel): The champions in each division automatically win promotion. The next four teams in each division play in the playoffs. Theh the playoff winners also win promotion. The bottom two teams in each division and two 20th-placed teams with the lowest points per game ratio are relegated to a level 8 division. If, after promotion and relegation, the number of teams in the divisions is not equal, one or more teams move between the four divisions to make the numbers even.
8. Northern Premier League Division One North, Northern Premier League Division One South, 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 automatically win promotion. The next four teams in each division play in the playoffs. The playoff winners also win promotion. The bottom team in each division plays a level 9 runner-up club in one-off matches. The losing team from level 8 is relegated to a level 9 division. If, after promotion and relegation, the number of teams in the divisions is not equal, one or more teams move between the four divisions to make the numbers even.

Cup eligibility

Being members of a league at a particular level also change whether a team can play certain 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 11
• FA Inter-League Cup: Level 11 (played by a team 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 play. For example, in the 2017–18 FA Cup, there were 77 teams from Level 10 out of the 338 in total at that level.

Below Level 11 the pyramid becomes regional. The cups become regional or local. Lower down, the pyramid is based on counties. Counties have their own cups. This does not include some tournaments called "Senior Cups". These are often competitions between teams representing top professional clubs in a district. They may be little more than derbies, for example the Gloucestershire Cup. This originally included all teams in Gloucestershire, but then became a Bristol derby.

The system

For details of changes made below the level of the English Football League, see History of the English non-League football system.

The table below shows the current structure of the system. For each division, there is its official name, sponsorship name (for levels 1–8, if it is different from its historic name) and number of clubs. At levels 1–8, each division promotes to the division that is directly above it. It relegates to the division that is directly below it. Below that level, individual league articles talk about promotion and relegation details.

The Premier League runs level one in the pyramid. It is the top division of English football. It is also called the Premier League. The winners are the champions of England. The English Football League (EFL) runs levels two to four. Together, these four divisions make up what is known as "league football".

The leagues below level four are classed as "non-League football". This means they are outside the EFL. The leagues at levels five to eleven include the National League System (NLS). They come under the direct control of the Football Association. The top-level (level 5) of the NLS is known as "step 1" by the FA, the next (level 6) as "step 2", and so on.

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 (currently 23) – 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 22 clubs – 2 promotions, 3 relegations			National League South 22 clubs – 2 promotions, 3 relegations
7 (Step 3)	Northern Premier League Premier Division 22 clubs – 1.5 promotions, 2–3 relegations		Southern League Central Division 22 clubs – 1.5 promotions, 2–3 relegations	Southern League South Division 22 clubs – 1.5 promotions, 2–3 relegations	Isthmian League Premier Division 22 clubs – 1.5 promotions, 2–3 relegations
8 (Step 4)	Northern Premier League Division One North West 20 clubs – 2p, 0–1r	Northern Premier League Division One South East 20 clubs – 2p, 0–1r	Southern League Division One Central 20 clubs – 2p, 0–1r	Southern League Division One South 20 clubs – 2p, 0–1r	Isthmian League Division One North 20 clubs – 2p, 0–1r	Isthmian League Division One South Central 20 clubs – 2p, 0–1r	Isthmian League Division One South East 20 clubs – 2p, 0–1r
9 (Step 5) (All divisions run in parallel)	Combined Counties League Premier Division – 21 clubs — 1–2p, 0–1r Eastern Counties Football League Premier Division – 20 clubs — 1–2p, 0–1r Essex Senior League – 19 clubs — 1–2p, 0–1r Hellenic League Premier Division – 19 clubs — 1–2p, 0–1r Midland League Premier Division – 20 clubs — 1–2p, 0–1r North West Counties League Premier Division – 20 clubs — 3p, 0–1r Northern Counties East Football League Premier Division – 20 clubs — 3p, 0-1r Northern League Division One – 20 clubs — 3p, 0-1r Southern Combination League Premier Division – 20 clubs — 1–2p, 0–1r Southern Counties East League Premier Division – 20 clubs — 1–2p, 0–1r Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division – 21 clubs — 1–2p, 0–1r United Counties League Premier Division – 20 clubs — 1–2p, 0–1r Wessex League Premier Division – 20 clubs — 1–2p, 0–1r Western League Premier Division – 21 clubs — 1–2p, 0–1r
10 (Step 6) (All divisions run in parallel)	Combined Counties League Division One – 20 clubs – 4p, 2r East Midlands Counties League – 19 clubs – 4p, 1r Eastern Counties League - Division One North – 20 clubs – 4p, 0–2r Eastern Counties League Division One South – 19 clubs – 4p, 0–2r Hellenic Football League Division One East – 17 clubs – 4p, 0–1r Hellenic Football League Division One West – 16 clubs – 4p, 0–2r Midland Football League Division One – 20 clubs – 4p, 0–2r North West Counties League Division One North – 20 clubs – 4p, 0–2r North West Counties League Division One South – 20 clubs – 4p, 0–2r Northern Counties East Football League Division One – 20 clubs – 4p, 2r Northern League Division Two – 20 clubs – 4p, 0–2r South West Peninsula League Premier Division East – 20 clubs – 2p, 2r South West Peninsula League Premier Division West – 20 clubs – 2p, 2r Southern Combination League Division One – 18 clubs – 4p, 0–2r Southern Counties East League Division One – 17 clubs – 4p, 0–1r Spartan South Midlands League Division One – 20 clubs – 4p, 0–2r United Counties League Division One – 20 clubs – 4p, 0–2r Wessex League Division One – 20 clubs – 4p, 2r West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division – 18 clubs – 4p, 0–2r Western League Division One – 20 clubs – 4p, 0–2r

The system is only defined as far as level 10. What follows is a representation of one possible structure, should the system be defined further.

Level	League(s)/division(s)
	Amateur leagues
11 (Step 7)	Anglian Combination Premier Division – 16 clubs Bedfordshire County League Premier Division – 16 clubs Cambridgeshire County League Premier Division – 16 clubs Central Midlands League Premier Division North – 14 clubs Central Midlands League Premier Division South – 14 clubs Cheshire League Premier Division – 16 clubs Devon Football League North & East Division – 16 clubs Devon Football League South & West Division – 16 clubs Dorset Premier League – 16 clubs Essex & Suffolk Border League Premier Division – 16 clubs Essex Olympian League Premier Division – 16 clubs Gloucestershire County League – 16 clubs Hampshire Premier League Senior Division – 16 clubs Hertfordshire Senior County League Premier Division – 16 clubs Humber Premier League Premier Division – 16 clubs Kent County League Premier Division – 16 clubs Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division – 16 clubs Lincolnshire League – 14 clubs Liverpool Premier League Premier Division – 16 clubs Manchester League Premier Division – 16 clubs Middlesex County League Premier Division – 17 clubs Midland League Division Two – 16 clubs North Riding League Premier Division – 16 clubs Northamptonshire Combination League Premier Division – 16 clubs Northern Alliance Premier Division – 16 clubs Nottinghamshire Senior League Senior Division – 18 clubs Oxfordshire Senior League Premier Division – 16 clubs Peterborough & District League Premier Division – 16 clubs Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division – 15 clubs Somerset County League Premier Division – 18 clubs Southern Combination League Division Two – 16 clubs Spartan South Midlands League Division Two – 16 clubs St Piran League East Division – 16 clubs St Piran League West Division – 16 clubs Staffordshire County Senior League Premier Division – 16 clubs Suffolk & Ipswich League Senior Division – 16 clubs Surrey Elite Intermediate League – 16 clubs Thames Valley Premier League Premier Division – 16 clubs Wearside League Division One – 16 clubs West Cheshire League Division One – 16 clubs West Lancashire League Premier Division – 16 clubs West Midlands (Regional) League Division One – 16 clubs West Yorkshire League Premier Division – 16 clubs Wiltshire Senior League Premier Division – 16 clubs York League Premier Division – 16 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Supreme Division – 15 clubs
12 (Step 8)	Anglian Combination Division One – 16 clubs Aylesbury and District League Premier Division – 9 clubs Bedfordshire County League Division One – 13 clubs Brighton, Worthing & District League Division One – 11 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 Cheshire League Division One – 16 clubs Cornwall Combination – 20 clubs Devon & Exeter League Premier Division – 16 clubs Dorset League Senior Division – 13 clubs East Cornwall League – 18 clubs East Sussex League Premier Division – 10 clubs Essex & Suffolk Border League Division One – 16 clubs Essex Olympian League Senior Division One – 13 clubs Essex Alliance League Senior Division – 10 clubs Gloucester Northern Senior League Division One – 16 clubs Hampshire Premier League Division One – 11 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 Premier Division – 14 clubs Middlesex County League Division One Central & East – 10 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 (Step 9)	Aldershot & District League Division One – 9 clubs Altrincham and District Amateur League Division One – 11 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 Brighton, Worthing & District League Division Two – 11 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 – 12 clubs Duchy League Premier Division – 13 clubs East Riding County League Premier Division – 12 clubs East Sussex League Division One – 7 clubs Essex Alliance League Division One – 11 clubs Essex and Suffolk Border League Division Two – 15 clubs Essex Olympian League Senior Division Two – 12 clubs Gloucester Northern Senior League Division Two – 16 clubs Herefordshire League Premier Division – 15 clubs Hertford and District League Premier Division – 10 clubs Hope Valley Amateur League Premier Division – 14 clubs Kent County League Division Two East – 11 clubs Kent County League Division Two West – 12 clubs Lancashire Amateur League Premier Division – 12 clubs Liverpool County Premier League Division Two – 11 clubs Middlesex County League Division Two – 12 clubs Mid-Essex League Premier Division – 11 clubs Mid-Sussex League Championship – 12 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 Division One – 8 clubs Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division Two – 12 clubs Shropshire Premier League – 11 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 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 (Step 10)	Aldershot & District League Division Two – 6 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 Bedfordshire County League Division Three – 12 clubs Brighton, Worthing & District League Division Two West – 10 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 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 One – 12 clubs East Riding County League Division One – 12 clubs East Sussex League Division Two – 10 clubs Essex Alliance League Division Two – 11 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 Herefordshire League Division One – 13 clubs Hertford and District League Division One – 12 clubs Hope Valley Amateur League Division One – 17 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 Division One – 14 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-Somerset League Premier Division – 11 clubs Mid-Sussex League Division One – 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 Redhill and District League Premier Division – 7 clubs Scarborough & District Football League Division Two – 12 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 Spen Valley and District League Premier Division – 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 – 11 clubs Yeovil and District League Premier Division – 12 clubs York League Division Three – 11 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Division One – 11 clubs
15 (Step 11)	Anglian Combination Division Four – 15 clubs Banbury District and Lord Jersey FA 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 Duchy League Division Two – 12 clubs East Riding County League Division Two – 12 clubs East Sussex Football League Division Three – 11 clubs Essex Alliance Football League Division Three – 11 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 Herefordshire League Division Two – 11 clubs Hertford and District League Division Two – 11 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 Two – 14 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-Somerset Football League Division One – 11 clubs Mid-Sussex Football League Division Two North – 9 clubs Mid-Sussex Football League Division Two South – 10 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 Northampton Town and District Football League Premier Division – 6 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 Redhill and District Football League Division One – 10 clubs Scarborough and District Football League Division Three – 7 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 Spen Valley and District Football League Division One – 9 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 – 12 clubs Yeovil and District League Division One – 12 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Division Two – 12 clubs
16 (Step 12)	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 Duchy League Division Three – 13 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 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 Three – 14 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-Somerset Football League Division Two – 13 clubs Mid-Sussex Football League Division Three North – 10 clubs Mid-Sussex Football League Division Three South – 10 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 Redhill and District Football League Division Two – 7 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 – 12 clubs Yeovil and District League Division Two – 10 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Division Three – 11 clubs
17 (Step 13)	Bournemouth Saturday League Premier Division – 8 clubs 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 Devon and Exeter Football League Division Five – 13 clubs East Berkshire Football League Division One – 9 clubs East Riding County League Division Four – 12 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 Four – 13 clubs Liverpool Old Boys' League Division Four- 9 clubs Lowestoft & District League Division One- 13 clubs Mid-Essex League Division Four – 14 clubs Mid-Somerset Football League Division Three – 14 clubs Mid-Sussex Football League Division Four North – 10 clubs Mid-Sussex Football League Division Four South – 11 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 Redhill and District Football League Division Three – 10 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 Witney and District League Division Four – 12 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Division Four – 12 clubs
18 (Step 14)	Bournemouth Saturday League Division One – 11 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 – 11 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 Five – 12 clubs Lowestoft & District League Division Two- 12 clubs Mid-Essex League Division Five – 14 clubs Mid-Sussex Football League Division Five North – 10 clubs Mid-Sussex Football League Division Five South – 10 clubs North Gloucestershire League Division Four – 12 clubs North West Norfolk League Division Two – 12 clubs Redhill and District Football League Division Four – 10 clubs Stroud and District League Division Five – 14 clubs Yorkshire Amateur League Division Five – 12 clubs
19 (Step 15)	Bournemouth Saturday League Division Two – 11 clubs Bristol and District League Division Five – 12 clubs Central and South Norfolk League Division Three – 11 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 North West Norfolk League Division Three – 9 clubs Stroud and District League Division Six – 14 clubs
20 (Step 16)	Bristol and Avon League – 11 clubs Central and South Norfolk League Division Four – 12 clubs Devon and Exeter Football League Division Eight – 12 clubs East Berkshire Football League Division Four – 10 clubs Stroud and District League Division Seven – 14 clubs (Note: This is the lowest level at which any league has its top division)

Related pages

• League system (for a list of similar systems in other countries)
• List of association football competitions
• National League System (the system involving the 5th–11th tiers of English football, organised by the FA)
• History of the English non-League football system
• English women's football league system

Other websites

• Fans Focus – Non League Pyramid at Fans Focus