The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England (although for historical reasons a small number of Welsh clubs also compete). The system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels, and allows even the smallest club to dream of rising to the very top of the system. There are over 140 leagues, containing over 480 divisions.[1] The exact number of clubs varies from year to year as clubs join and leave leagues or fold altogether, but an estimated average of 15 clubs per division implies that over 7,000 clubs are members of a league in the English football league system.
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The system consists of a hierarchy of leagues, bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. Clubs that are successful in their league can rise higher in the pyramid, whilst those that finish at the bottom can find themselves sinking further down. In theory it is possible for a lowly local amateur club to rise to the pinnacle of the English game and become champions of the Premier League. While this may be unlikely in practice (at the very least, not in the short run), there certainly is significant movement within the pyramid. The number of teams promoted between leagues or divisions varies, and promotion is usually contingent on meeting criteria set by the higher league, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances.
The top five levels contain one division each. Below this, the levels have progressively more parallel leagues, which each cover progressively smaller geographic areas. Many leagues have more than one division. At the lower levels the existence of leagues becomes intermittent, although in some areas there are as many as twenty layers.[2] 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 seven levels immediately below the Premier League and Football League are known as the National League System and come under the jurisdiction of The Football Association.[3] Under the direction of The Football Association, the National League System evolved over many years. Recent re-organisation saw the formation of a Conference North and Conference South immediately below the Football Conference, renamed Conference National, forcing the top divisions of the Southern League, Isthmian League and Northern Premier League down one level.
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.
At the top is the single division of the Premier League (which is sometimes referred to as Level 1 of the league 'pyramid'), containing 20 clubs. Below the Premier League is 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 92 clubs in the Premier League and Football League are all full-time professional clubs. Confusingly, all are often referred to as 'League' clubs because, before the establishment of the Premier League in 1992, the Football League included all 92 clubs, in four divisions. Clubs outside this group are referred to as 'non-League' clubs, although they too play most of their football in league competitions.
The top tier of non-League football is the Football Conference, which contains a national division of 24 clubs (Level 5), followed by two divisions at Level 6, covering the north (Conference North) and south (Conference South), with 22 clubs each. Some of these clubs are full-time professional and the others are semi-professional. Below the Conference some of the stronger clubs are semi-professional, but continuing down the tiers, soon all the clubs are amateur.
Next down from the Football Conference are three 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 League (which covers southern England, the Midlands and parts of Wales) and the Isthmian League (which covers the south east). All of the leagues have a Premier Division (Level 7) with two parallel divisions below (Level 8).
Level 9 contains the top divisions of a large group of sub-regional leagues. Each of these leagues has a different divisional set up, but they all have one thing in common: there are yet more leagues below them, each covering smaller and smaller geographical levels.
For example, here are the promotion and relegation rules for the top few levels of the English football league system:
Being members of a league at a particular level also affects eligibility for Cup, or single-elimination, competitions.
Beyond 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.
For details of the changes made for the 2006-07 season, see History of the English football league system.
The table below shows the current structure of the system. For each division, its official name, sponsorship name (which differs from its historic name) and number of clubs is given. At levels 1-8, each division promotes to the division(s) that lie directly above it and relegates to the division(s) that lie directly below it. Below that level, individual league articles detail promotion and relegation arrangements.
The leagues at levels five to eleven 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" by the FA, the next (level 6) as "step 2", and so on.
Level |
League(s)/Division(s) |
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1 |
Premier League |
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2 |
Football League Championship |
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3 |
Football League One |
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4 |
Football League Two |
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5 |
Conference National |
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6 |
Conference North |
Conference South |
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7 |
Northern Premier League Premier Division |
Southern Football League Premier Division |
Isthmian League Premier Division |
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8 |
Northern Premier League Division One North |
Northern Premier League Division One South |
Southern Football League Division One Midlands |
Southern Football League Division One South & West |
Isthmian League Division One North |
Isthmian League Division One South |
9 |
North West Counties Football League Premier Division 22 clubs |
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10 |
North West Counties Football League Division Two 18 clubs |
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11 |
Anglian Combination Premier Division 16 clubs |
Northamptonshire Combination Premier Division 14 clubs |
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12 |
Aldershot & District League Senior Division |
Middlesex County Football League Division One |
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13 |
Aldershot & District League Division One |
Mining League Division One |
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14 |
Aldershot & District League Division Two | Anglian Combination Division Three | Altrincham and District Amateur Football League Division Two | Banbury District and Lord Jersey FA Division One | Basingstoke and District Football League Division One | Bath and District League Division One | Bedfordshire Football League Division Three | Bournemouth Saturday Football League Division Two | Bradford League | Brighton Hove and District Football League Division Three | Bristol and District League Senior Division | Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Division One | Cambridgeshire Football League Division One A | Cambridgeshire Football League Division One B | Cheltenham League Division One | Cirencester and District League Division One | Craven and District League Premier Division | Devon and Exeter Football League Senior Division Two | Doncaster and District Senior League Division One | Dorset Senior League Division Two | Driffield and District League Premier Division | Duchy League Premier Division | East Berkshire Football League Division Three | East Riding Amateur League Premier Division | East Riding County League Premier Division | East Sussex Football League Division Three | Essex and Suffolk Border Football League Division Three | Essex Business Houses Football League Premier Division | Falmouth and Helston League Division Two | Furness Premier League Premier Division | Guildford and Woking Alliance League Premier Division | Halifax and District League Premier Division | Harrogate and District League Premier Division | Hertford and District League Division One | Humber Premier League Division One | Huddersfield and District Association Football League Division One | Ilford and District League Division One | Lancashire Amateur League Premier Division | Leeds Red Triangle Football League Premier Division | Leicester and District League Division One | Leicester City Football League Division Two | Mid-Essex League Division One | Mid Somerset League Premier Division | Mid-Sussex Football League Division Three | Middlesex County Football League Division Three East | Middlesex County Football League Division Three West | Midlands Regional Alliance Division One | Mining League Division Two | Newcastle Corinthians League Division One | North Berks Football League Division Four | North Bucks and District League Division One | North Devon Football League Intermediate Division One | North Gloucestershire League Premier Division | North & Mid-Herts Football League Division One Mid | North & Mid-Herts Football League Division One North | North Leicestershire League Division One | North Northumberland League Division One | Northamptonshire Football Combination Division Three | Plymouth and West Devon Combination Intermediate Division | Portsmouth Saturday Football League Division One | Reading Football League Division Two | Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division One | Shropshire County Premier Football League Division One | Southampton Saturday Football League Senior Division One | South Devon Football League Division Two | Southend Borough Combination Division One | Spen Valley and District Football League Premier Division | Stroud and District League Division One | Suffolk and Ipswich Football League Division Three | Taunton & District Saturday League Division One | Tyneside Amateur League Division One | Wakefield and District League Premier Division | Weston super Mare and District League Division One | West Sussex Football League Division Three North | West Sussex Football League Division Three South | Witney and District League Division One | Worthing and District Football League Division Three | Yeovil and District League Premier Division | York Football League Premier Division | Yorkshire Old Boys League Senior Division A |
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15 |
Aldershot & District League Division Three | Anglian Combination Division Four | Banbury District and Lord Jersey FA Division Two | Bath and District League Division Two | Bournemouth Saturday Football League Division Three | Brighton Hove and District Football League Division Four | Bristol and District League Division One | Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Division Two | Cambridgeshire Football League Division Two A | Cambridgeshire Football League Division Two B | Cheltenham League Division Two | Cirencester and District League Division Two | Colchester and East Essex Football League Premier Division | Craven and District League Division One | Devon and Exeter Football League Senior Division Three | Dorset Senior League Division Three | Driffield and District League Division One | Duchy League Division One | East Berkshire League Division Four | East Riding Amateur League Division One | East Riding County League Division One | East Sussex Football League Division Four | Essex Business Houses Football League Division One | Falmouth and Helston League Division Three | Furness Premier League Division One | Guildford and Woking Alliance League Division One | Halifax and District League Division One | Harrogate and District League Division One | Hertford and District League Division Two | Huddersfield and District Association Football League Division Two | Ilford and District League Division Two | Isle of Wight Saturday Football League Division One | Lancashire Amateur League Division One | Leeds Red Triangle Football League Division One | Leicester and District League Division Two | Mid-Essex League Division Two | Mid Somerset League Division One | Mid-Sussex Football League Division Four | Midlands Regional Alliance Division Two | Mining League Division Three | Newcastle Corinthians League Division Two | North Berks Football League Division Five | North Bucks and District League Division Two | North Devon Football League Intermediate Division Two | North Gloucestershire League Division One | North Leicestershire League Division Two | North Northumberland League Division Two | Northamptonshire Football Combination Division Four | Portsmouth Saturday Football League Division Two | Reading Football League Division Three | Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division Two | Southampton Saturday Football League Junior Division One | South Devon Football League Division Three | Southend Borough Combination Division Two | Spen Valley and District Football League Division One | Stroud and District League Division Two | Suffolk and Ipswich Football League Division Four | Taunton & District Saturday League Division Two | Tyneside Amateur League Division Two | Wakefield and District League Division One | West Sussex Football League Division Four North | West Sussex Football League Division Four South | Weston super Mare and District League Division Two | Witney and District League Division Two | Yeovil and District League Division One | York Football League Division One | Yorkshire Old Boys League Senior Division B |
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16 |
Anglian Combination Division Five | Banbury District and Lord Jersey FA Division Three | Basingstoke and District Football League Division Two | Bath and District League Division Three | Bournemouth Saturday Football League Division Four | Bristol and District League Division Two | Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Division Three | Cambridgeshire Football League Division Three A | Cambridgeshire Football League Division Three B | Cheltenham League Division Three | Colchester and East Essex Football League Division One | Craven and District League Division Two | Devon and Exeter Football League Senior Division Four | Dorset Senior League Division Four | Driffield and District League Division Two | Duchy League Division Two | East Riding Amateur League Division Two | East Riding County League Division Two | East Sussex Football League Division Five | Essex Business Houses Football League Division Two | Guildford and Woking Alliance League Division Two | Halifax and District League Division Two | Harrogate and District League Division Two | Hertford and District League Division Three | Huddersfield and District Association Football League Division Three | Ilford and District League Division Three | Isle of Wight Saturday Football League Division Two | Lancashire Amateur League Division Two | Mid-Essex League Division Three | Mid Somerset League Division Two | Mid-Sussex Football League Division Five | North Gloucestershire League Division Two | North Leicestershire League Division Three | Southampton Saturday Football League Junior Division Two | South Devon Football League Division Four | Southend Borough Combination Division Three | South Yorkshire Amateur League Premier Division | Stroud and District League Division Three | Suffolk and Ipswich Football League Division Five | Taunton & District Saturday League Division Three | Wakefield and District League Division Two | West Sussex Football League Division Five North | West Sussex Football League Division Five South | West Sussex Football League Division Five Central | Weston super Mare and District League Division Three | Witney and District League Division Three | Yeovil and District League Division Two | York Football League Division Two | Yorkshire Old Boys League Division One |
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17 |
Anglian Combination Division Six | Bournemouth Saturday Football League Division Five | Bristol and District League Division Three | Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Division Four | Cambridgeshire Football League Division Four A | Cambridgeshire Football League Division Four B | Cheltenham League Division Four | Colchester and East Essex Football League Division Two | Craven and District League Division Three | Devon and Exeter Football League Senior Division Five | Driffield and District League Division Three | Duchy League Division Three | East Riding County League Division Three | East Sussex Football League Division Six | Essex Business Houses Football League Division Three | Guildford and Woking Alliance League Division Three | Halifax and District League Division Three | Harrogate and District League Division Three | Huddersfield and District Association Football League Division Four | Isle of Wight Saturday Football League Division Three | Lancashire Amateur League Division Three | Mid-Essex League Division Four | Mid Somerset League Division Three | Mid-Sussex Football League Division Six | North Gloucestershire League Division Three | North Leicestershire League Division Four | Southampton Saturday Football League Junior Division Three | South Devon Football League Division Five | South Yorkshire Amateur League Division One A | South Yorkshire Amateur League Division One B | Southend Borough Combination Division Four | Stroud and District League Division Four | Suffolk and Ipswich Football League Division Six | Taunton & District Saturday League Division Four | Wakefield and District League Division Three | Weston super Mare and District League Division Four | Yeovil and District League Division Three | York Football League Division Three | Yorkshire Old Boys League Division Two |
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18 |
Bournemouth Saturday Football League Division Six | Bristol and District League Division Four | Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Division Five | Bury and District League Division One | Cambridgeshire Football League Division Five A | Cambridgeshire Football League Division Five B | Central and South Norfolk League Division One | Cheltenham League Division Five | Colchester and East Essex Football League Division Three | Devon and Exeter Football League Intermediate Division One | Duchy League Division Four | East Riding County League Division Four | Guildford and Woking Alliance League Division Four | Lancashire Amateur League Division Four | Mid-Essex League Division Five | Mid-Sussex Football League Division Seven | North Gloucestershire League Division Four | Southampton Saturday Football League Junior Division Four | South Devon Football League Division Six | Southend Borough Combination Division Five | Stroud and District League Division Five | Weston super Mare and District League Division Five | Yorkshire Old Boys League Division Three |
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19 |
Bristol and District League Division Five | Bury and District League Division Two | Central and South Norfolk League Division Two | Devon and Exeter Football League Intermediate Division Two | Duchy League Division Five | East Riding County League Division Five | Huddersfield and District Works and Combination League | Lancashire Amateur League Division Five | Mid-Sussex Football League Division Eight | Southampton Saturday Football League Junior Division Five | South Devon Football League Division Seven | Southend Borough Combination Division Six | Stroud and District League Division Six | Weston super Mare and District League Division Six | Yorkshire Old Boys League Division Four |
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20 |
Bristol and District League Division Six | Bury and District League Division Three | Central and South Norfolk League Division Three | Devon and Exeter Football League Intermediate Division Three | Lancashire Amateur League Division Six | Mid-Sussex Football League Division Nine | Southampton Saturday Football League Junior Division Six | Stroud and District League Division Seven | Yorkshire Old Boys League Division Five |
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21 |
Bristol and Avon League | Bristol Downs Football League Division One | Central and South Norfolk League Division Four | Devon and Exeter Football League Intermediate Division Four | Lancashire Amateur League Division Seven | Southampton Saturday Football League Junior Division Seven | Stroud and District League Division Eight |
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22 |
Bristol Downs Football League Division Two |
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23 |
Bristol Downs Football League Division Three |
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24 |
Bristol Downs Football League Division Four |
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