The National League
The National League is the fifth tier of the English game and the first step of the National League system. Most clubs in the National League now operate on a professional basis.
The increase in professionalism is due to the number of former Football League clubs dropping into the fifth tier, with over half of the clubs in the National League last season being former EFL members.
How does the National League work?
The National League contains 24 clubs situated across England. It is the feeder league to League Two. Every season, two clubs are promoted from the fifth tier: the champions and the team that wins the end-of-season six-team play-offs involving the teams that finished from second to seventh position in the table.
- There is only one automatic promotion to League Two for the first placed team after 46 matches.
- Teams placed 2nd-7th enter into a play-off round.
- Teams placed 2nd and 3rd go directly to the play-off semi-final.
- Teams placed 4th-7th play in an eliminator (introduced in 2017-18), 7th place plays 4th place (eliminator 1) and 6th place plays 5th place (eliminator 2) with the highest placed team at home. If no team wins in 90 minutes extra time and penalties are played. The winners of these two eliminators meet the 2nd and 3rd placed teams in the semi-final.
- The semi-finals see the winner of eliminator 1 play the 2nd placed team and the winner of eliminator 2 play the 3rd placed team. The teams that win the eliminator will be away from home with 2nd/3rd placed teams at home. This is another single match with extra time and penalties if there is no winner after 90 minutes.
- The final is played at Wembley between the two semi-final winners, 90 minutes plus extra time and pens if needed. The winner of this joins the first placed team and is promoted to League Two.
The teams that finish in the league’s bottom four are relegated to the sixth tier, either the National League North or the National League South, depending on their location. Two teams are promoted to the National League from each of the National League North and National League South. As with the National League the league winners come up directly with those placed 2nd-7th entering the play-offs.
The history of the National League

The fifth tier of English football has not always been called the National League. In fact, it has been known by various names. It was initially called the Alliance Premier League before the start of the 1979/80 season.
However, the league experienced another identity change in 1986 when it became the Football Conference. In 2015, the Football Conference became what is currently known as the National League.
Who are the record-breakers?

Over the years, certain clubs have been highly successful in the English fifth tier. The two most successful teams in the history of the fifth tier are Macclesfield Town and Barnet, who have each won the title on three occasions.
While the pair may have been the most successful, Wrexham hold the record for the most wins in a fifth-tier season, having won 34 games in the 2022/23 season. The Welsh club also hold the record for the least defeats in a season alongside Yeovil Town and Crawley Town, with a total of just three losses.
Crawley also holds the record for the longest unbeaten run, which was 30 games during the 2010/11 season, which was also when they suffered the three defeats.
Wrexham’s 2022/23 campaign also saw the Red Dragons pick up a record-breaking 111 points in the National League. Notts County have the honour of being the most prolific team during a single season of National League action, as the Magpies scored 117 goals in season 2022/23, finishing as runners-up to Wrexham but winning promotion via the play-offs.
Dover Athletic holds the record for the fewest points in a fifth-tier season. In 2021/22, they finished the campaign with just one point after being deducted 12 points for failing to complete fixtures in the previous season.
When it comes to crowds, the biggest attendance ever for a normal-season National League game was at Meadow Lane in November 2022, when Notts County played Yeovil Town.
However, the 2015 play-off final between Bristol Rovers and Grimsby Town at Wembley attracted a whopping 47,029 fans.
Recent Winners
Season | Winners | Play-off winners |
---|---|---|
2023/24 | Chesterfield | Bromley |
2022/23 | Wrexham | Notts County |
2021/22 | Stockport County | Grimsby Town |
2020/21 | Sutton United | Hartlepool United |
2019/20 | Barrow | Harrogate Town |
2018/19 | Leyton Orient | Salford City |
2017/18 | Macclesfield Town | Tranmere Rovers |
2016/17 | Lincoln City | Forest Green Rovers |
2015/16 | Cheltenham Town | Grimsby Town |
2014/15 | Barnet | Bristol Rovers |
Did you know?
A former Premier League club, Oldham Athletic, currently plays their football in the National League. The Latics are the only club to have played in the English top flight since the start of the Premier League and suffered relegation to the National League.
Luton Town have gone from the top tier to the fifth tier. However, when they were in the top flight, it was the old First Division. The Hatters have also climbed all the way from the fifth tier to the Premier League.
Only two other clubs have reached the English top flight after playing in the fifth tier. The original Wimbledon (now MK Dons) was the first club to do so.
Wigan Athletic followed in the Dons footsteps when winning promotion to the Premier League in 2005. Both clubs are currently outside the English top flight.