National League System
Encyclopedia
The National League System comprises the seven levels of the English football league system
immediately below the level of the Premier League and The Football League
. It contains 91 league competitions and more than 1,600 clubs. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association
. The National League System has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels. For details of leagues above and below the National League System, see the English football league system
.
Recently the system has undergone a rearrangement. Phase one went into operation in 2004-05
. At the start of the 2006-07
season, phase two was introduced, and a further phase three started from 2007-08 with the starting of a second Step 4 league in the north of England.
. Its top division, the Conference National
(currently called the Blue Square
Premier), is the only division in the System which is organised on a national rather than regional basis. Although the Conference is the top level of the non-league pyramid, it is not the highest level of English football (it is actually the fifth overall division). The Premier League and The Football League
comprise the top 92 clubs in the English game, and two teams from the Conference are able to achieve promotion to the lowest division of The Football League each season.
Below the Conference, the layers have progressively more leagues and cover ever smaller geographic areas. Some 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.
All the leagues are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. Clubs that are successful in their league can rise higher in the pyramid, whilst those that finish at the bottom can find themselves sinking further down. In theory it is possible for a lowly local amateur club to rise to the pinnacle of the English game and become champions of the Premier League. While this may be unlikely in practice, there certainly is significant movement within the pyramid. The number of teams promoted between leagues or divisions varies, and promotion is usually contingent on meeting criteria set by the higher league, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances.
In particular, clubs that hope to be promoted from Step 5 leagues to Step 4 must apply in advance to be assessed for whether they meet the grading requirements. The teams must then also finish in the top 3 in their league to be considered for promotion, which is not automatic. For instance, in the 2005-06
season 100 clubs applied to be considered for promotion, of which 51 met the grading requirements, and 29 of those finished in the top 3 in their leagues (With an additional division commencing at Step 4 in 2006-07
, all 29 clubs had their promotions accepted).
Under the direction of The Football Association, the National League System evolved over many years. Today's pyramid can be said to be barely twenty years old. Leagues have formed and dissolved over the years and reorganizations have taken place every few years as a result. Beginning with the 2004-05
season, Phase One of the latest change was introduced with the formation of a Conference North
and Conference South
immediately below the Football Conference, renamed Conference National, forcing the top divisions of the Southern League
, Isthmian League
, and Northern Premier League
down one level.
. Two teams from the Football Conference can be promoted to Football League Two
at the end of each season. This structure was the result of changes made after the 2005-06
season..
The official name is given for all the leagues listed, and the sponsorship name is also provided for the leagues in the top four steps. All divisions in the top four steps have 22 clubs each, except the Northern Premier League
Division One North and Division One South which have 20 or 21 teams each, and Conference National
, with 24 teams. The FA's National League System Committee determine promotion and relegation between leagues shown, mainly based on location. The NLS Committee also has the power to transfer clubs between divisions and even leagues at the same level of the pyramid should this be deemed necessary in order to maintain geographically practical and numerically balanced divisions and leagues at every level.
All clubs in the NLS are eligible to compete in the FA Cup
, but are seeded into it according to tier standing. Tiers 1 to 4 clubs are eligible for the FA Trophy
and tiers 5 to 7 for the FA Vase
, as well as their respective regional and county cups. With the arrival of the new sponsors for the Football Conference starting in the 2007-08 season, the administrators of the Conference announced the reintroduction of the short-lived Football Conference Challenge Cup, now to be known as the Setanta Shield. This competition, as its predecessor, will be open to clubs in tiers 1 and 2 of the NLS.
and the Kent League
to consider merging (now the only two remaining leagues with one level rather than two at this level). However, no merger has occurred as of the 2011–12 season.
A further possible future change is the increase of the NLS's remit to an eighth step.
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
immediately below the level of the Premier League and The Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
. It contains 91 league competitions and more than 1,600 clubs. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
. The National League System has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels. For details of leagues above and below the National League System, see the English football league system
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
.
Recently the system has undergone a rearrangement. Phase one went into operation in 2004-05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
. At the start of the 2006-07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season, phase two was introduced, and a further phase three started from 2007-08 with the starting of a second Step 4 league in the north of England.
Organisation
At the top of the National League System pyramid is the Football ConferenceFootball Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
. Its top division, the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
(currently called the Blue Square
Blue square
Blue square may refer to:*a gambling company owned by The Rank Group*a rating for ski trails* Blue Square - Israel, an Israeli company operating multiple supermarket chains....
Premier), is the only division in the System which is organised on a national rather than regional basis. Although the Conference is the top level of the non-league pyramid, it is not the highest level of English football (it is actually the fifth overall division). The Premier League and The Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
comprise the top 92 clubs in the English game, and two teams from the Conference are able to achieve promotion to the lowest division of The Football League each season.
Below the Conference, the layers have progressively more leagues and cover ever smaller geographic areas. Some 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.
All the leagues are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. Clubs that are successful in their league can rise higher in the pyramid, whilst those that finish at the bottom can find themselves sinking further down. In theory it is possible for a lowly local amateur club to rise to the pinnacle of the English game and become champions of the Premier League. While this may be unlikely in practice, there certainly is significant movement within the pyramid. The number of teams promoted between leagues or divisions varies, and promotion is usually contingent on meeting criteria set by the higher league, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances.
In particular, clubs that hope to be promoted from Step 5 leagues to Step 4 must apply in advance to be assessed for whether they meet the grading requirements. The teams must then also finish in the top 3 in their league to be considered for promotion, which is not automatic. For instance, in the 2005-06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season 100 clubs applied to be considered for promotion, of which 51 met the grading requirements, and 29 of those finished in the top 3 in their leagues (With an additional division commencing at Step 4 in 2006-07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
, all 29 clubs had their promotions accepted).
Under the direction of The Football Association, the National League System evolved over many years. Today's pyramid can be said to be barely twenty years old. Leagues have formed and dissolved over the years and reorganizations have taken place every few years as a result. Beginning with the 2004-05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
season, Phase One of the latest change was introduced with the formation of a Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
and Conference South
Conference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
immediately below the Football Conference, renamed Conference National, forcing the top divisions of the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
, Isthmian League
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area...
, and Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
down one level.
The system
This table includes the seven steps of the National League System (NLS). Above the NLS are the Premier League and The Football LeagueThe Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
. Two teams from the Football Conference can be promoted to Football League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
at the end of each season. This structure was the result of changes made after the 2005-06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season..
The official name is given for all the leagues listed, and the sponsorship name is also provided for the leagues in the top four steps. All divisions in the top four steps have 22 clubs each, except the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
Division One North and Division One South which have 20 or 21 teams each, and Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
, with 24 teams. The FA's National League System Committee determine promotion and relegation between leagues shown, mainly based on location. The NLS Committee also has the power to transfer clubs between divisions and even leagues at the same level of the pyramid should this be deemed necessary in order to maintain geographically practical and numerically balanced divisions and leagues at every level.
All clubs in the NLS are eligible to compete in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, but are seeded into it according to tier standing. Tiers 1 to 4 clubs are eligible for the FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
and tiers 5 to 7 for the FA Vase
FA Vase
The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing below Step 4 of the English National League System...
, as well as their respective regional and county cups. With the arrival of the new sponsors for the Football Conference starting in the 2007-08 season, the administrators of the Conference announced the reintroduction of the short-lived Football Conference Challenge Cup, now to be known as the Setanta Shield. This competition, as its predecessor, will be open to clubs in tiers 1 and 2 of the NLS.
| Step | League/Division | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conference National Conference National Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system... (Blue Square BET Premier) | ||||||
| Promoted to League Two of The Football League: Champion and winner of 2nd-5th playoff. Relegated to either Conference North or Conference South: 4 clubs. | |||||||
| 2 | Conference North Conference North The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of... (Blue Square BET North) | Conference South Conference South Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National... (Blue Square BET South) | |||||
| Promoted to Conference National: Champions of each division; the winners of a 2nd-5th playoff in each division will also be promoted. Relegated to Step 3 leagues: 3 clubs from each division. | |||||||
| 3 | Northern Premier League Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one... (Evo-stik League) Premier Division Northern Premier League Premier Division The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League... | Southern League Southern Football League The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... (Evo-stik League Southern) Premier Division | Isthmian League Isthmian League The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area... (Ryman League) Premier Division | ||||
| Promoted to Conference North or South: Champion and winner of 2nd-5th playoff for each league. Relegated to Step 4 leagues: 4 clubs from each league. | |||||||
| 4 | Northern Premier League Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one... (Evo-stik League) Division One North Northern Premier League Division One North Division One North is one of the two second-tier divisions of the Northern Premier League. It is at tier 4 of the National League System, tier 8 of the English football league system... | Northern Premier League Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one... (Evo-stik League) Division One South Northern Premier League Division One South Division One South is one of the two second-tier divisions of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 4 of the National League System, placing it seven divisions below the Premier League... | Southern Football League Southern Football League The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... (Evo-stik League Southern) Division One Central | Southern Football League Southern Football League The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... (Evo-stik League Southern) Division One South & West | Isthmian League Isthmian League The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area... (Ryman League) Division One South | Isthmian League Isthmian League The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area... (Ryman League) Division One North | |
| Promoted to Step 3 leagues: Champion and winner of 2nd-5th playoff for each league. Relegated to Step 5 leagues determined by NLS Committee: 2 clubs from each league. | |||||||
| 5 | Combined Counties League Combined Counties Football League The Combined Counties Football League is a regional English football league currently comprising teams from southwestern Greater London, Surrey, small parts of Hampshire and Berkshire, and Guernsey... Premier Division | Eastern Counties League Eastern Counties Football League The Eastern Counties Football League is an English football league at levels 9 and 10 of the English football league system. It currently contains clubs from Norfolk, Suffolk, northern Essex and eastern Cambridgeshire, and is a feeder to the regional divisions of the Isthmian League and Southern... Premier Division | Essex Senior League Essex Senior Football League The Essex Senior Football League is an English football league covering Essex, northeast Greater London and the eastern part of Hertfordshire. It is a feeder to Division One North of Isthmian League and has a single division which sits at step 5 of the National League System.There is no automatic... | Hellenic League Hellenic Football League The Hellenic Football League is an English football league covering an area including the English counties of Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, southern Buckinghamshire, southern Herefordshire, western Greater London, and northern Wiltshire. There is also one team from Hampshire.The league... Premier Division | Kent League Kent League The Kent League is an English football league for teams based in Kent and south east London, which was established in 1966. It was also the name of a similar league which existed from 1894 until 1959.-History:... Premier Division | Midland Alliance Midland Football Alliance The Midland Football Alliance is an English association football league for semi-professional teams. It covers Leicestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire and also southern parts of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire... | Northern Counties East League Northern Counties East Football League The Northern Counties East Football League is an English football league that was founded in 1982 by the merger of the former Yorkshire League and Midland League. The league has two divisions at present; The Premier Division and Division One which stand at the ninth and tenth levels of the football... Premier Division | Northern League Northern League (football) The Northern League is a football league in North East England for semi-professional and amateur teams. Having been founded in 1889, it is the oldest surviving football league in the world after the Football League.... Division One | North West Counties League North West Counties Football League The North West Counties Football League is a football league in North west of England. As of 2011, the league covers Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Southern Cumbria, Northern Staffordshire, the High Peak area of Derbyshire, and the far west of West Yorkshire. In the past, the... Premier Division | Spartan South Midlands League Spartan South Midlands Football League The Spartan South Midlands Football League is an English football league covering Hertfordshire, northwestern Greater London, central Buckinghamshire and southern Bedfordshire... Premier Division | Sussex County League Sussex County Football League The Sussex County Football League is a football league broadly covering the counties of East Sussex, West Sussex and southeastern Surrey, England.Formed in 1920, the league now has six divisions - three for first teams and three for reserve sides... Division One | United Counties League United Counties Football League The United Counties Football League is an English football league covering Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire, as well as parts of Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk. It has a total of four divisions, two for first teams and two for reserve teams... Premier Division | Wessex League Wessex League The Wessex League is an English association football league formed in 1986, with its premier division currently at the fifth step of the National League System, or the ninth tier of the overall English football league system... Premier Division | Western League Western Football League The Western Football League is a football league in the south west of England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and parts of South Wales... Premier Division | ||||||
| Promoted to Step 4 leagues determined by NLS Committee: Total of 14 League champions. Relegated: Arranged according to separate agreements with Step 6 leagues. | |||||||
| 6 | Combined Counties League Combined Counties Football League The Combined Counties Football League is a regional English football league currently comprising teams from southwestern Greater London, Surrey, small parts of Hampshire and Berkshire, and Guernsey... Division One | East Midlands Counties League East Midlands Counties Football League The East Midlands Counties Football League is a football league at level 10 of the football league system in England. It commenced at the start of the 2008–09 season, drawing clubs from the Central Midlands League, Leicestershire Senior League and two teams from the Northern Counties East League.On... | Eastern Counties League Eastern Counties Football League The Eastern Counties Football League is an English football league at levels 9 and 10 of the English football league system. It currently contains clubs from Norfolk, Suffolk, northern Essex and eastern Cambridgeshire, and is a feeder to the regional divisions of the Isthmian League and Southern... Division One | Hellenic League Hellenic Football League The Hellenic Football League is an English football league covering an area including the English counties of Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, southern Buckinghamshire, southern Herefordshire, western Greater London, and northern Wiltshire. There is also one team from Hampshire.The league... Division One East | Hellenic League Hellenic Football League The Hellenic Football League is an English football league covering an area including the English counties of Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, southern Buckinghamshire, southern Herefordshire, western Greater London, and northern Wiltshire. There is also one team from Hampshire.The league... Division One West | Kent Invicta Football League Kent Invicta Football League The Kent Invicta Football League is a football league in England, formed in 2011 to commence operations for the 2011–12 season.-Formation:Negotiations to form a new Step 6 division began in 2009 to make promotion and relegation between the Kent League and Kent County League easier, as there had... | Midland Combination Midland Football Combination The Midland Football Combination is an English football league covering parts of the West Midlands. It comprises five divisions, a Premier Division, Divisions One and Two and two Reserves Divisions... Premier Division | Northern Counties East Northern Counties East Football League The Northern Counties East Football League is an English football league that was founded in 1982 by the merger of the former Yorkshire League and Midland League. The league has two divisions at present; The Premier Division and Division One which stand at the ninth and tenth levels of the football... Division One | Northern League Northern League (football) The Northern League is a football league in North East England for semi-professional and amateur teams. Having been founded in 1889, it is the oldest surviving football league in the world after the Football League.... Division Two | North West Counties League North West Counties Football League The North West Counties Football League is a football league in North west of England. As of 2011, the league covers Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Southern Cumbria, Northern Staffordshire, the High Peak area of Derbyshire, and the far west of West Yorkshire. In the past, the... Division One | South West Peninsula League South West Peninsula League The South West Peninsula League is a league of football clubs in England, which was formed in 2007 from the merger of the Devon County League and the South Western League... Premier Division | Spartan South Midlands League Spartan South Midlands Football League The Spartan South Midlands Football League is an English football league covering Hertfordshire, northwestern Greater London, central Buckinghamshire and southern Bedfordshire... Division One | Sussex County League Sussex County Football League The Sussex County Football League is a football league broadly covering the counties of East Sussex, West Sussex and southeastern Surrey, England.Formed in 1920, the league now has six divisions - three for first teams and three for reserve sides... Division Two | United Counties League United Counties Football League The United Counties Football League is an English football league covering Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire, as well as parts of Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk. It has a total of four divisions, two for first teams and two for reserve teams... Division One | Wessex League Wessex League The Wessex League is an English association football league formed in 1986, with its premier division currently at the fifth step of the National League System, or the ninth tier of the overall English football league system... Division One | West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division | Western League Western Football League The Western Football League is a football league in the south west of England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and parts of South Wales... Division One | ||||||
| Promotion and relegation: Arranged according to separate agreements with appropriate leagues. | |||||||
| 7 | Anglian Combination Anglian Combination The Anglian Combination Football League is an English football league that operates in the East Anglia area. The league specifically covers Norfolk and northern Suffolk and is also known as the Dolphin Autos Anglian Combination Football League after its principal sponsor... Premier Division | Bedfordshire County League Bedfordshire Football League The Bedfordshire County Football League , is an English football competition for clubs in and close to the county of Bedfordshire. It has run with five divisions since the 2009-10 season, headed by the Premier Division, which is at step 7 of the National League System... Premier Division | Brighton, Hove & District League Brighton Hove and District Football League The Brighton, Hove & District Football League is a football competition involving teams in and around Brighton and Hove, in England. It was established in 1903 and amalagated in 1919. It has 4 divisions, headed by a Premier Division, with Divisions One to Three below that. There also used to be a... Premier Division | Cambridgeshire League Cambridgeshire Football League The Cambridgeshire Football League, currently styled as the Kershaw Cambridgeshire League for sponsorship purposes is a football competition covering Cambridgeshire and western parts of Suffolk in England. It has a total of 15 divisions, headed by the Premier Division. The Premier Division sits at... Premier Division | Central Midlands League North Division | Central Midlands League South Division | Cheshire League Division One | Dorset Premier League Dorset Premier Football League The Dorset Premier Football League is a football league based in Dorset, England, which sits at Step 7 of the National League System, or level 11 of the overall English football league system.-History:... | East Berkshire League East Berkshire Football League The East Berkshire Football League is a football competition based in England. It has a total of six divisions headed by the Premier Division and five lower divisions numbered One to Five. The Premier Division sits at step 7 of the National League System... Premier Division | East Sussex League East Sussex Football League The East Sussex Football League is a football competition based in England. It has a total of 8 divisions including the East Sussex Football League Premier Division. The Premier Division sits at step 7 of the National League System and is a feeder to the Sussex County League... Premier Division | Essex & Suffolk Border League Essex and Suffolk Border Football League The Essex and Suffolk Border Football League is a football competition based in England. The league has a total of two divisions headed by the Premier Division which sits at step 7 of the National League System. The top club may apply for promotion to Division One of the Eastern Counties League... Premier Division | Essex Olympian League Premier Division | Gloucestershire County League Gloucestershire County League The Gloucestershire County League is a football league in England, founded in 1968. The league is affiliated to the Gloucestershire County FA.... | Hampshire Premier League | Hertforshire Senior County League Hertfordshire Senior County League The Hertfordshire Senior County League or Herts Senior County League is a football competition based in England. It was founded in 1898. It currently has two divisions for first teams along with two divisions for reserve teams and is a feeder to the Spartan South Midlands Football League... Premier Division | Kent County League Kent County League The Kent County League, currently known as the haart of Kent County League for sponsorship reasons, is a football competition based in Kent, England. The league has four senior divisions - a Premier Division, Division One Division Two East and West, plus reserve divisions... Premier Division | Leicestershire Senior League Leicestershire Senior League The Leicestershire Senior League is a football competition based in Leicestershire, England.-History:... Premier Division | Liverpool County Premier League Liverpool County Premier League The Liverpool County Premier League is a football competition based in Merseyside, England. It was founded in 2006 as a merger of the Liverpool County Football Combination and the I Zingari League.... Premier Division | Manchester League Manchester Football League The Manchester Football League, currently known under terms of sponsorship as Bridgewater Office Supplies Football League, is a football league in England, covering a 20-mile radius from Manchester Town Hall. It was formed in 1893, although play ceased between 1912 and 1920. The 2010–11 champions... Premier Division | Mid-Sussex League Mid-Sussex Football League The Mid-Sussex Football League is a football competition in England. It has a total of 13 divisions headed by the Premier Division which sits at step 7 of the National League System... Premier Division | Middlesex County League Premier Division | Midland Combination Midland Football Combination The Midland Football Combination is an English football league covering parts of the West Midlands. It comprises five divisions, a Premier Division, Divisions One and Two and two Reserves Divisions... Division One | North Berkshire League North Berks Football League The North Berks Football League is a football competition in England. The league was founded in 1908. It has a total of five divisions, with Division One sitting at Step 7 of the English football league system. Despite its name, the vast majority of clubs are based in South Oxfordshire... Division One | Northamptonshire Combination Premier Division | Northampton Town League Premier Division | Northern Alliance Northern Football Alliance The Northern Football Alliance is a football competition based in the Northeast of England and Cumbria. It has three divisions headed by the Premier Division, which sits at step 7 of the National League System... Premier Division | Oxfordshire Senior League Oxfordshire Senior Football League The Oxfordshire Senior Football League is an association football competition based in Oxfordshire, England. The league has four divisions; the Premier Division and Division One contain clubs' first teams, while Division Two and Division Three are mainly made up entirely of reserve sides... Premier Division | Peterborough & District League Premier Division | Reading League Senior Division | Somerset County League Premier Division | South West Peninsula League South West Peninsula League The South West Peninsula League is a league of football clubs in England, which was formed in 2007 from the merger of the Devon County League and the South Western League... Division One East | South West Peninsula League South West Peninsula League The South West Peninsula League is a league of football clubs in England, which was formed in 2007 from the merger of the Devon County League and the South Western League... Division One West | Spartan South Midlands League Spartan South Midlands Football League The Spartan South Midlands Football League is an English football league covering Hertfordshire, northwestern Greater London, central Buckinghamshire and southern Bedfordshire... Division Two | Staffordshire County Senior League Staffordshire County Senior League The Staffordshire County Senior League is a football competition based in Staffordshire, England. It was formed in 2005 as a merger of the Midland League and the Staffordshire County League.... Premier Division | Suffolk & Ipswich League Suffolk and Ipswich Football League The Suffolk and Ipswich Football League is a football competition based in Suffolk, England. The league has a total of nine divisions; the Senior Division, divisions 1–6 and two reserve divisions. The Senior Division is at step 7 of the National League System.The Senior Division champions may... Senior Division | Sussex County League Sussex County Football League The Sussex County Football League is a football league broadly covering the counties of East Sussex, West Sussex and southeastern Surrey, England.Formed in 1920, the league now has six divisions - three for first teams and three for reserve sides... Division Three | Wearside League | West Cheshire League Division One | West Lancashire League Premier Division | West Midlands (Regional) League Division One | West Sussex League Premier Division | Wiltshire League Premier Division | Worthing & District League Worthing and District Football League The Worthing and District Football League is a football competition based in Sussex, England, currently known as the Ian Hart Funeral Service Worthing & District Football League after its main sponsor.... Premier Division | ||||||
| Promotion and relegation: Arranged according to separate agreements with appropriate leagues. Note: If Step 7 leagues have other divisions below this level, then only the division at Step 7 is considered part of the National League System. | |||||||
Future
The National League System is expected to continue to operate in a broadly similar manner to how it does currently with the only public plans being the intent to reduce the number of Step 5 leagues down to twelve. The 2006 abolition of the Isthmian League Division Two had this in mind and, in 2006, it asked the Essex Senior LeagueEssex Senior Football League
The Essex Senior Football League is an English football league covering Essex, northeast Greater London and the eastern part of Hertfordshire. It is a feeder to Division One North of Isthmian League and has a single division which sits at step 5 of the National League System.There is no automatic...
and the Kent League
Kent League
The Kent League is an English football league for teams based in Kent and south east London, which was established in 1966. It was also the name of a similar league which existed from 1894 until 1959.-History:...
to consider merging (now the only two remaining leagues with one level rather than two at this level). However, no merger has occurred as of the 2011–12 season.
A further possible future change is the increase of the NLS's remit to an eighth step.