English football league system: Difference between revisions

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The '''English football league system''', also known as the '''football pyramid''', is a series of [[League system|interconnected leagues]] for men's [[association football]] clubs in [[England]], with five teams from [[Wales]], one from [[Guernsey]], one from [[Jersey]] and one from the [[Isle of Man]] also competing. The system has a hierarchical format with [[promotion and relegation]] between leagues at different levels, allowing even the smallest club the theoretical possibility of ultimately rising to the very top of the system, the [[Premier League]]. Below that are levels 2–4 organised by the [[English Football League]], then the [[National League System]] from levels 5–10 administered by [[the FA]], and thereafter Regional feeder leagues run by relevant county FAs on an ''[[ad hoc]]'' basis. It also often happens that the Premier Division of a Regional Feeder League (Step 7 or Level 11) has its constitution given to it by the FA. They have to accept it or appeal but cannot reject it at an annual general meeting.

 

 

==Structure==<!-- This section is linked from [[Tournament]] -->

 

 

Next down from the National League are four regional leagues, each associated with different geographical areas, although some overlap exists. They are the [[Northern Premier League]] (which covers the north of England), Southern Football League Central (which covers the Midlands), Southern Football League South (which covers south and southwest of England, with [[Merthyr Town F.C.|one club from South Wales]]) and the [[Isthmian League]] (which includes clubs from the south-east of England as well as [[Guernsey F.C.|Guernsey]] from the [[Channel Islands]]). All of the leagues have Premier Divisions of 22 teams (level 7). Below these, and split by region, the Southern Football Leagues has two parallel divisions of 20 teams (level 8). The Isthmian League and Northern Premier League each have three parallel level 8 divisions of 20 teams each.

==Cup eligibility==

Being members of a league at a particular level also affects eligibility for Cup, or single-elimination, competitions.

*[[EFL Cup]]: Levels 1 to 4

*[[EFL Trophy]]: Levels 3 to 4 ''(16 U21 teams from clubs in Levels 1 and 2 compete since 2016–17)''

*[[FA Vase]]: Levels 9 to 10

*[[FA Inter-League Cup]]: Level 11 ''(contested by representative teams from each league)''

 

In the case of the FA Cup, entrance from Level 10 clubs depends upon ranking within the league the club is in, and depends on the number of Level 9 clubs participating. For instance, the [[2017–18 FA Cup]] saw 77 teams compete from level 10 out of the 338 in total at that level.

[[Bedfordshire County Football League|Bedfordshire County League]] Premier Division – ''14 clubs''<br/>

[[Cambridgeshire County League]] Premier Division – ''13 clubs''<br/>

[[Cheshire Association Football League|Cheshire League]] Premier Division – ''16 clubs''<br/>

[[Dorset Premier League]] – ''17 clubs''<br/>

[[Essex Alliance Football League|Essex Alliance League]] – ''16 clubs''<br/>

[[Hampshire Premier League]] Senior Division – ''16 clubs''<br/>

[[Herefordshire Football League]] Premier Division – ''14 clubs''<br/>

[[Humber Premier League]] Premier Division – ''16 clubs''<br/>

[[Kent County League]] Premier Division – ''17 clubs''<br/>

[[Leicestershire Senior League]] Premier Division – ''16 clubs''<br/>

[[Liverpool County Premier League]] Premier Division – ''14 clubs''<br/>

[[Manchester Football League|Manchester League]] Premier Division – ''16 clubs''<br/>

[[Northern Football Alliance|Northern Alliance]] Premier Division – ''16 clubs''<br/>

[[North Riding League]] Premier Division – ''15 clubs''<br/>

[[Suffolk & Ipswich League]] Senior Division – ''17 clubs''<br/>

[[Surrey Premier County Football League]] – ''15 clubs''<br/>

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[[Anglian Combination]] Division One – ''16 clubs''<br/>

[[Bedfordshire County Football League|Bedfordshire County League]] Division One – ''14 clubs''<br/>

[[Bristol Premier Combination]] Premier Division – ''14 clubs''<br/>

[[Manchester Football League|Manchester League]] Division One – ''13 clubs''<br/>

[[Mid-Sussex League]] Championship – ''12 clubs''<br>

[[Middlesex County League]] Division One Central & East – ''10 clubs''<br/>

[[Middlesex County League]] Division One South West – ''11 clubs''<br/>

[[Middlesex County League]] Division One North West – ''10 clubs''<br/>

[[Midland Football League|Midland League]] Division Three – ''16 clubs''<br/>

[[North Berks Football League|North Berks League]] Division One – ''11 clubs''<br/>

[[Surrey County Intermediate League (Western)]] Premier Division – ''14 clubs''<br/>

[[Surrey South Eastern Combination]] Intermediate Division One – ''12 clubs''<br/>

Thames Valley Premier League Division One – ''10 clubs''<br/>

Trowbridge & District League Division One – ''12 clubs''<br/>

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Aldershot & District League Division One – ''9 clubs''<br/>

[[Liverpool County Premier League]] Division Two – ''11 clubs''<br/>

[[Manchester Football League|Manchester League]] Division Two – ''15 clubs''<br/>

Middlesex County League Division Two – ''12 clubs''<br/>

Mid-Sussex League Division One – ''11 clubs''<br/>

North Berks League Division Two – ''11 clubs''<br/>

North Bucks and District League Intermediate Division – ''13 clubs''<br/>

North Devon League Senior Division – ''16 clubs''<br/>

Northamptonshire Combination League Division Two – ''14 clubs''<br/>

Peterborough and District League Division Two – ''15 clubs''<br/>

Plymouth and West Devon League Division One – ''11 clubs''<br/>

Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division Two – ''12 clubs''<br/>

Somerset County League Division Two – ''14 clubs''<br/>

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Aldershot & District League Division Two – ''6 clubs''<br/>

Beckett Football League Division Two – ''10 clubs''<br/>

Bedfordshire County League Division Three – ''16 clubs''<br/>

[[Bristol and District League]] Senior Division – ''14 clubs''<br/>

[[Bristol and Suburban Association Football League|Bristol and Suburban Association League]] Division One – ''14 clubs''<br/>

[[Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur Football League|Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League]] Premier Division – ''10 clubs''<br/>

Leicestershire County League Premier Division – ''13 clubs'' <br />

Mid-Sussex Football League Division Two North – ''9 clubs''<br/>

Mid-Sussex Football League Division Two South – ''10 clubs''<br/>

Thames Valley Premier League Division Three – ''11 clubs''<br/>

Wakefield and District League Premier Division – ''11 clubs''<br/>

West Sussex League Division Two North – ''12 clubs''<br/>

West Sussex League Division Two South – ''11 clubs''<br/>

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Aldershot & District League Seedling Group - ''10 clubs'' <br/>

[[Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur Football League|Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League]] Division One – ''8 clubs''<br/>

Leicestershire County League Championship Division – ''12 clubs'' <br />

Mid-Lancashire Football League Premier Division – ''10 clubs''<br/>

Mid-Sussex Football League Division Three North – ''10 clubs''<br/>

Thames Valley Premier Football League Division Four – ''12 clubs''<br/>

Wakefield and District League Division One – ''11 clubs''<br/>

West Sussex League Division Three Central – ''10 clubs''<br/>

West Sussex League Division Three North – ''10 clubs''<br/>

Anglian Combination Division Five South – ''16 clubs''<br/>

Ashford & District League Division One – ''8 clubs''<br/>

Bristol and District League Division Two – ''15 clubs''<br/>

Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Division Three – ''13 clubs''<br/>

[[Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur Football League|Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League]] Division Two – ''11 clubs''<br/>

Leicestershire County League Division One – ''12 clubs'' <br />

[[Mid-Essex League]] Premier Division – ''10 clubs''<br/>

Mid-Lancashire Football League Division One – ''12 clubs''<br/>

[[Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur Football League|Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League]] Division Three – ''10 clubs''<br/>

Leicestershire County League Division Two – ''12 clubs'' <br />

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Mid-Essex League Division One – ''11 clubs''<br/>

Central and South Norfolk League Division Two – ''12 clubs''<br/>

Devon and Exeter Football League Division Six – ''14 clubs''<br/>

Huddersfield and District Association Football League Division Four – ''10 clubs''<br/>

[[Lancashire Amateur League]] Division Four – ''12 clubs''<br/>

Lowestoft & District League Division One – ''13 clubs''<br/>

Mid-Essex League Division Two – ''10 clubs''<br/>

Mid-Sussex League Division Six – ''9 clubs''<br/>

North East Norfolk League Division Two – ''7 clubs''<br/>

North West Norfolk League Division Two – ''12 clubs''<br/>

Central and South Norfolk League Division Three – ''11 clubs''<br/>

Devon and Exeter Football League Division Seven – ''13 clubs''<br/>

Huddersfield and District Association Football League Division Five – ''12 clubs''<br/>

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