Promotion and Relegation Guidelines – 2022/23
The FA have announced the Promotion and Relegations Guidelines for Season 2022/23.
Step 4 and Step 5
The Clubs finishing in the bottom two places in each of the eight divisions at Step 4 at the end of the Regular Season will be relegated and placed in a feeder pool and placed in the most geographically appropriate division at Step 5 for the following Playing Season.
They will be replaced by the Clubs finishing in 1st position in each of the sixteen divisions at Step 5.
The Clubs finishing in third and fourth from bottom in each of the eight divisions at Step 4 at the end of the Regular Season will take part in Inter-Step Play-Off Matches against the Clubs finishing in 2nd position in each of the sixteen divisions at Step 5 to determine whether they remain at Step 4 or are relegated to Step 5 for the following Playing Season.
Inter-Step Play Off Matches:
Each Club at Step 4 which finishes the Regular Season in an Inter-Step Play Off Position will be drawn at home against a Club from Step 5 which finishes the Regular Season in an Inter-Step Play Off Position.
Ties will be a one-off match with the winner being allocated to Step 4 for the following Playing Season and the defeated Club being allocated to Step 5 for the following Playing Season. The Clubs allocated to Step 4 will be placed in a feeder pool and placed in the most geographically appropriate division at Step 4 for the following Playing Season.
Step 5 and Step 6
The Clubs in the bottom two places in each of the sixteen divisions at Step 5 at the end of the Regular Season will be relegated and placed in the most geographically appropriate division at Step 6 for the following Playing Season.
These Clubs will be replaced by:
(i) the Clubs finishing in 1st position in each of the two divisions operated by the South West Peninsula League;
(ii) the Clubs finishing in 1st position at the end of the Regular Season in each of the remaining fifteen divisions at Step 6;
(iii) a further fifteen Clubs determined by a series of Play Off Matches within those remaining fifteen divisions.
In each division at Step 6, the Play Off Matches shall be played so that the highest placed of the eligible Clubs plays against the lowest placed and the other two Clubs play each other.
The ties will be played on a single match basis.
The promoted Clubs will be placed in a feeder pool and placed in the most geographically appropriate division at Step 5 for the following Playing Season.
Step 6 and relegation
At the end of the Regular Season the Clubs in the bottom three positions of each of the seventeen Step 6 divisions will be liable to relegation.
The final number of Clubs to be relegated will be confirmed once promotion candidates from Feeder Leagues and any vacancies are known.
If reprieves are required the Clubs third from bottom will be ranked on a points per match basis (then goal difference, then goals scored if required) – the Club(s) with the best points per match will be reprieved.
If all third from bottom Clubs are reprieved, and a further reprieve(s) is required, the same process will apply for Clubs in second from bottom (and so on).
At Steps 2-5 the Club finishing in last place in the table at the end of the Regular Season will be relegated and not reprieved.
Full National League System Regulations can be found within the FA Handbook for season 2022/23 here
Summary
- SCEFL Premier Division champions will be promoted
- Premier Division runners-up will take part in an ‘inter-step play-off game’ against a Step 4 side.
- Bottom 2 down from SCEFL Premier Division
- SCEFL First Division champions will be promoted
- First Division play off between positions 2,3,4 and 5. Winners promoted.
- Bottom 3 in First Division liable to relegation.