Step 2 of the National League System
Step two of the National League system includes two leagues, the National League North and the National League South. The two leagues make up the sixth tier of the English game overall, with 24 teams in both the regional leagues.
The promotion and relegation system works similarly to the one in the National League, but four teams win promotion to the National League. One team from each league will go up by finishing as champions of their respective leagues.
Meanwhile, the second promotion spot will go to the team that finished between second and seventh place in the league table and wins the play-offs. Once again, the two leagues have two separate play-off tournaments.
When it comes to relegation, three teams from the North and three teams from the South leagues are demoted to the Northern Premier League, the Southern Football League Central, The Southern League South and the Isthmian League, depending on the club’s location and availability of spots in the seventh and eighth tiers of the English game.
The National League North tends to house teams from the north of England, east Midlands and also east Anglia. However, it can also be home to teams in south Wales and the south east of England. Meanwhile, the National League South contains teams from the South East, London, the South West, and Essex.