Guide to the Non-League Pyramid

Here is BBC Sport's guide to the National League System - also commonly known as the "Pyramid".

The senior non-league divisions in England administered by the Football Association, are often known as Football's "Pyramid" - as each level (or "Step") below the Football League comprises an increasing number of divisions and clubs.

Promotion at all levels within the National League System is subject to FA Ground Grading requirements as well as other rules and requirements of the various leagues.

The FA announced on 29 May 2009 that there would be a complete review of the current league boundaries during the course of the 2009/10 season.

(Details of leagues, including numbers of clubs, relate to the 2009/10 season)

FA OFFICIAL WEBSITE: FA Ground Grading requirements

STEP ONE

Blue Square Premier (aka Conference National) - 24 clubs
Full coverage including club-by-club indexes

Live scores

Table

Results

Fixtures

Top scorers

Official league sites:

Blue Square Football

Football Conference

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Promotion: Champions automatically promoted to Football League Two. Next four teams play off for the second promotion place.
Relegation: Bottom four clubs automatically relegated to Blue Square North or South (can be either depending on geographic spread of clubs).

STEP TWO

(FA Ground Grading Category B is required)

Blue Square North (aka Conference North) - 22 clubs
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Full table

Results

Fixtures

Official league sites:

Blue Square Football

Football Conference

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Promotion: Champions automatically promoted to Blue Square Premier. Next four teams play off for the second promotion place.
Relegation: Bottom three clubs automatically relegated to Step Three leagues.
(King's Lynn demoted at the end of the 2008/09 season because their ground does not meet Conference standards, reprieving Hyde)

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Blue Square South (aka Conference South) - 22 clubs
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Full table

Results

Fixtures

Official league sites:

Blue Square Football

Football Conference

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Promotion: Champions automatically promoted to Blue Square Premier. Next four teams play off for the second promotion place.
Relegation: Bottom three clubs automatically relegated to Step Three leagues.
(Team Bath voluntarily resigned from the Conference at the end of the 2008/09 season, reprieving Thurrock)

STEP THREE

(FA Ground Grading Category C is required)

Ryman Premier Division (aka Isthmian Premier Division) - 22 clubs
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Official league site
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Promotion: Champions automatically promoted to Step Two leagues. Next four teams play off for the second promotion place.
Relegation: Bottom four clubs automatically relegated to Step Four leagues.

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Unibond Premier Division (aka Northern Premier Division) - 21 clubs
(Normally 22 clubs, but 21 for 2009/10 following Newcastle Blue Star's resignation)
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Official league site
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Promotion: Champions automatically promoted to Step Two leagues. Next four teams play off for the second promotion place.
Relegation: Bottom four clubs automatically relegated to Step Four leagues.

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Zamaretto League Premier Division (aka Southern League Premier Division) - 22 clubs
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Official league site
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Promotion: Champions automatically promoted to Step Two leagues. Next four teams play off for the second promotion place.
Relegation: Bottom four clubs automatically relegated to Step Four leagues.

STEP FOUR

(FA Ground Grading Category E is required for clubs seeking promotion from Step Five. Clubs have to achieve Category D no later than 31 March in the season following promotion)

Ryman Division One North(aka Isthmian Division One North) - 22 clubs

Promotion: Champions automatically promoted to Step Three leagues. Next four teams play off for the second promotion place.
Relegation: Bottom two clubs automatically relegated to Step Five leagues.

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Ryman Division One South (aka Isthmian Division One South) - 22 clubs

Promotion: Champions automatically promoted to Step Three leagues. Next four teams play off for the second promotion place.
Relegation: Bottom two clubs automatically relegated to Step Five leagues.

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Unibond Division One North
(aka Northern Premier Division One North) - 22 clubs

Promotion: Champions automatically promoted to Step Three leagues. Next four teams play off for the second promotion place.
Relegation: Bottom club automatically relegated to Step Five leagues.

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Unibond Division One South
(aka Northern Premier Division One South) - 22 clubs

Promotion: Champions automatically promoted to Step Three leagues. Next four teams play off for the second promotion place.
Relegation: Bottom club automatically relegated to Step Five leagues.

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Zamaretto League Division One Midlands
(aka Southern League Division One Midlands) - 22 clubs

Promotion: Champions automatically promoted to Step Three leagues. Next four teams play off for the second promotion place.
Relegation: Bottom club automatically relegated to Step Five leagues.

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Zamaretto League Division One South & West
(aka Southern League Division One South & West) - 22 clubs

Promotion: Champions automatically promoted to Step Three leagues. Next four teams play off for the second promotion place.
Relegation: Bottom two clubs automatically relegated to Step Five leagues.

STEP FIVE

(FA Ground Grading Category F is required)

Aspire Midland Football Alliance (22 clubs)
Bulmers Cider Kent Football League Premier Division (16 clubs)
Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League Premier Division (22 clubs)
Essex Senior League (18 clubs)
Hereward Teamwear United Counties League Premier Division (21 clubs)
FTL Futbol Hellenic League Premier Division (22 clubs)
Kool Sport Northern Counties East League Premier Division (20 clubs)
Molten Spartan South Midlands Premier Division (22 clubs)
Ridgeons (Eastern Counties) League Premier Division (22 clubs)
Skilltrainingltd Northern League Division One (22 clubs)
Sussex County League Division One (20 clubs)
Sydenhams Wessex League Premier Division (22 clubs)
Toolstation Western League Premier Division (20 clubs)
Vodkat (North West Counties) League Premier Division (22 clubs)

Promotion: Clubs must have applied to the Football Association for promotion to Step Four for the 2009/10 season by 31 December 2009, must then pass ground grading requirements, and must finish in the top two places in their league to be eligible for promotion. If there are more clubs applying than places available, priority is given to champion clubs.

FA OFFICIAL WEBSITE: FA statement on the 64 teams applying for promotion to Step Four for 2009/10

Relegation: Subject to agreements beween Step Five and Step Six leagues, as approved by the FA.

STEP SIX

(FA Ground Grading Category G is required)

Carlsberg South West Peninsula Football League Premier (20 clubs)
Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League Division One (21 clubs)
East Midlands Counties Football League (20 clubs)
FTL Futbol Hellenic League Division One East (18 clubs)
FTL Futbol Hellenic League Division One West (17 clubs)
Hereward Teamwear United Counties League Division One (16 clubs)
Kool Sport Northern Counties East League Division One (18 clubs)
Midland Football Combination Premier Division (22 clubs)
Molten Spartan South Midlands Division One (21 clubs)
Ridgeons (Eastern Counties) League Division One (19 clubs)
Skilltrainingltd Northern League Division Two (20 clubs)
Sussex County League Division Two (18 clubs)
Sydenhams Wessex League Division One (21 clubs)
Toolstation Western League Division One (20 clubs)
Vodkat (North West Counties) League Division One (17 clubs)
West Midlands Regional League Premier Division (21 clubs)

Promotion: Subject to agreements between Step Five and Step Six leagues, as approved by the FA, and subject to ground grading.

Relegation: Subject to agreements between Step Six and Step Seven leagues, as approved by the FA.

STEP SEVEN

Bridgewater Office Supplies Manchester Football League Premier Division (18 clubs)
Buckingham Insurance Central Midlands League Supreme Division (19 clubs)
Carlsberg South West Peninsula Football League Division One East (18 clubs)
Carlsberg South West Peninsula Football League Division One West (18 clubs)
Carlsberg West Cheshire Amateur Football League Division One (16 clubs)
Cherry Red Books Middlesex County Football League Premier Division (17 clubs)
Cheshire Building Society Cheshire Football League Division One (16 clubs)
Crawley & District Premier Division (9 clubs)
Dolphin Autos Anglian Combination Premier (16 clubs)
Dorset Premier League (18 clubs)
East Berkshire Football League Premier Division (12 clubs)
Errea Somerset County League Premier Division (18 clubs)
Everards Brewery Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division (16 clubs)
Gray Hooper Holt LLP Mid-Sussex Football League Premier Division (14 clubs)
Hertfordshire Senior County League Premier Division (16 clubs)
Ian Hart Funeral Service Worthing & District Football League Premier Division (12 clubs)
Juice Radio 107.2 Brighton, Hove & District Football League Premier Division (12 clubs)
K&P Motoring World East Sussex Football League Premier Division (11 clubs)
Kent Blaxill Essex & Suffolk Border Football League Premier Division (16 clubs)
Kershaw Cambridgeshire County League Premier Division (18 teams)
Kingsley Healthcare Suffolk & Ipswich Football League Senior Division (16 clubs)
LFC Insurance Group Essex Olympian Football League (14 clubs)
Liverpool County Premier League Premier Division (16 clubs)
Marshall Peterborough & District Football League Premier Division (16 clubs)
MDH Teamwear Northamptonshire Combination Premier Division (14 clubs)
Midland Football Combination Division One (17 clubs)
Molten Spartan South Midlands Division Two (16 clubs)
North Berkshire Football League Division One (12 clubs)
Oxfordshire Senior Football League Premier Division (14 clubs)
Peter Smith Recruitment Northampton Town Football League Premier Division (12 clubs)
Pin Point Recruitment Northern Football Alliance Premier Division (17 clubs)
Plaister Auto Services Wiltshire Football League Premier Division (17 clubs)
Puma Engineering Hampshire Premier League (18 teams)
Reading Football League Senior Division (12 clubs)
Sports 360 West Lancashire Football League Premier Division (17 clubs)
Sportsform Bedfordshire Football League Premier Division (16 clubs)
Staffordshire County Senior League Premier Division (18 clubs)
Surridge Gloucestershire County Football League (18 clubs)
Sussex County League Division Three (15 clubs)
Vandanel Kent County Football League Premier Division (16 clubs)
Wearside Football League (19 clubs)
West Midlands Regional League Division One (18 clubs)
West Sussex Football League Premier Division (10 clubs)

Promotion: Subject to agreements between Step Six and Step Seven leagues, as approved by the FA, and subject to ground grading.

Relegation: Subject to agreements between Step Seven leagues and their feeder leagues within county associations, as approved by the FA.