Football
English Football League Pyramid System Guide
The English football pyramid is one of the most extensive in the world and covers every blade of grass in the country. The football league system fuels the professional leagues. At the pinnacle of it all is the Premier League.
We break down the entire English football league system to give you an understanding of each club and league’s small parts in a much vaster picture.
Read on for the full breakdown.
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What does EFL stand for?
EFL stands for English Football League and was the first football league pyramid of its kind, acting as a template for nations worldwide to adopt and evolve into the major leagues they are today.
Who founded the EFL?
William McGregor is considered by most to be the father of modern-day football and the founder of the English Football League.
He pioneered what is considered to be the original football league competition. In 1888 he pushed for 12 of the most prominent clubs in the country to come together in a league and arrange both home and away fixtures on a season-by-season basis.
How many English leagues are there?
There are a total of 57 different leagues in England, featuring 84 different English Football League divisions that provide a feeder to the pyramid.
What are the different football leagues?
Football leagues in England are broken down into different tiers of football; professional, semi-professional and amateur leagues, the top of which is the Premier League. After that, the Championship, League One and League Two are the remaining professional leagues.
After League Two, there is the National League, which is the first of the semi-pro leagues. There are two steps in the National League: The National League and the second step, the National League North/South, which cover the two halves of the country.
Next is step seven, which is made up of leagues covering the four regional corners of the country
- The Northern Premier League
- Southern League Central Division
- Southern League South Division
- Isthmian League Premier Division
After step seven, there are semi-pro and countless amateur leagues that span the entire country.
Premier League
The Premier League is the top most prestigious event in the English Football League. 20 teams compete for the grand prize and the bottom three teams are relegated.
- 20 teams
- 3 relegations
- Most titles: Manchester United – 13
- Iconic moment: Sergio Aguero wins the league for Manchester City for the first time 2011/12
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Championship
The second most important football event in the EFL is the Championship which includes 24 teams. The top two teams in the Championship are promoted leaving the next four in line to compete in the play-offs. The winner of the play-offs achieves the third promotion position. The bottom three teams out of the 24 are then relegated.
- 24 teams
- 3 promotions
- 3 relegations
- Most titles: Newcastle, Norwich, Sunderland, Reading, Wolves – 2 each
- Iconic moment: Troy Deeney winner, play-off semi-final 2012/13
League One
Like the Championship, 24 teams compete for promotion. The top two winning teams in the competition are automatically promoted with the next four competing for the third promotion in the play-offs. slightly differently from the Championship, the bottom four are relegated.
- 24 teams
- 3 promotions
- 4 relegations
- Most titles: Wigan – 3
League Two
Following a similar suit to the higher tiers, there are 24 teams in League Two competing to be promoted. However, the top three teams with the most points are automatically promoted with the next four competing for the fourth spot in the play-offs. The bottom two teams are relegated.
- 24 teams
- 4 promotions
- 2 relegations
- Most titles: Chesterfield, Swindon – 2 each
National League
The remaining tiers in English football feed the National League: the last before the professional leagues. The winners are the National League are promoted and then the next six teams compete in the play-offs for the second promotion. The bottom four teams are then relegated to the North or South divisions.
- 24 teams
- 2 promotions
- 4 relegations
National League North & South
The teams are split into the North and South dependent on their geographical location. Both competitions run in parallel to one another with 22 teams each. The winners of each division are promoted to the National League and then the next six teams compete in the play-offs for the second promotion spot. This totals four teams qualifying for the National League.
The bottom four teams in each division are then relegated. If the teams in the Norht and South divisions are not equal because of the promotions and relegations, teams are then transferred between the two divisions based on the teams location in the country until there is an even number.
- 44 teams
- 4 promotions
- 8 relegations
Northern & Southern Premier Division, Southern Premier Central and Isthmian League
In tier 7 there are four leagues that run in parallel; the Northern Premier League Division, Southern Football League Premier Central, Southern Football League Premier South and Isthmian League Premier Division. Each league has 22 teams competing to become the champion and be automatically promoted.
The next four then play in the play-offs for the second promotion spot per division. Then the bottom four teams are relegated to a level 8 division. Like the National League North & South, If the number of teams in each division is uneven, teams will be transferred.
- 88 teams
- 8 promotions
- 16 relegations
FAQ’s
What are the main football leagues in England?
The main football leagues in England are the Premier League, Championship, League One, League Two and the National League.
You may be wondering how many games there are in a league like the Championship. Read on for answers to some frequently asked questions.
How many games in the Championship?
Generally speaking, teams competing in the EFL play each other twice a season. That means The Championship has a season of 46 games for each of the 24 teams that participate. It is one of the world’s longest and hardest-fought leagues and is considered one of the most difficult to achieve promotion in Europe.
How many EFL teams get promoted?
In the Premier League, three teams are relegated every season. In the Championship, three teams get relegated, and three get promoted every season, with the top two an automatic place and the winner of the third-sixth place playoff, given the third promotion spot.
In League One, the top two are automatically promoted, with the next four competing in play-offs to determine the third promoted side. The bottom four are relegated.
In League Two, the top three are automatically promoted, with the next four competing in play-offs to determine the fourth promoted side. The bottom two are relegated.
In the National League, the bottom four teams are relegated, with the champion achieving promotion and the second – seventh place teams competing in a playoff, the winner of which fills the second promotion spot.
What is needed for a team to join/qualify for the league?
A team qualifies for a league by getting promoted and joins the league below by getting relegated. This is decided on a points basis, with the teams gaining the most points likely to be promoted and the teams with the least likely to be relegated.
A brand new team must get in touch with the FA to determine what league they will qualify for, though it will likely be low down on the pyramid.
