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
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.
- Premier League (level 1, 20 teams): The bottom three teams are relegated.
- 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.
- English Football League One (level 3, 23 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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.
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Level
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League(s)/division(s)
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|
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1
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Premier League
20 clubs – 3 relegations
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2
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EFL Championship
24 clubs – 3 promotions, 3 relegations
|
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3
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EFL League One
24 clubs (currently 23) – 3 promotions, 4 relegations
|
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4
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EFL League Two
24 clubs – 4 promotions, 2 relegations
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|
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5 (Step 1)
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National League
24 clubs – 2 promotions, 4 relegations
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6 (Step 2)
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National League North
22 clubs – 2 promotions, 3 relegations
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National League South
22 clubs – 2 promotions, 3 relegations
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7 (Step 3)
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Northern Premier League Premier Division
22 clubs – 1.5 promotions, 2–3 relegations
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Southern League Central Division
22 clubs – 1.5 promotions, 2–3 relegations
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Southern League South Division
22 clubs – 1.5 promotions, 2–3 relegations
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Isthmian League Premier Division
22 clubs – 1.5 promotions, 2–3 relegations
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8 (Step 4)
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Northern Premier League Division One North West
20 clubs – 2p, 0–1r
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Northern Premier League Division One South East
20 clubs – 2p, 0–1r
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Southern League Division One Central
20 clubs – 2p, 0–1r
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Southern League Division One South
20 clubs – 2p, 0–1r
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Isthmian League Division One North
20 clubs – 2p, 0–1r
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Isthmian League Division One South Central
20 clubs – 2p, 0–1r
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Isthmian League Division One South East
20 clubs – 2p, 0–1r
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9 (Step 5) (All divisions run in parallel)
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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
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10 (Step 6) (All divisions run in parallel)
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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
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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.
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Level
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League(s)/division(s)
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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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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)
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Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Sistema de ligas de fútbol de Inglaterra para niños
