Promotion and Relegation Guidelines 2024/2025
Below are the guidelines for promotion and relegation from the two SCEFL Divisions for Season 2024/25
Quick guide – Premier Division – Step 5
- The Champions will be promoted plus the winners of the play-off between the teams that finish in positions 2,3,4,5
- The teams finishing in the bottom two places of the table will be relegated to Step 6.
Fixture Dates
Semi-final (2v5, 3v4): Usual midweek matchday of home club w/c Monday April 28.
Final: Monday May 5 at the home ground of club placed highest in league table
Quick guide – First Division – Step 6
- The Champions will be promoted plus the winners of the play-off between the teams that finish in positions 2,3,4,5.
- Where a Club finishes in a Play Off Position but does not meet the Criteria for participation in the Play Offs, the Club finishing in the next eligible position shall take part in the Play Off Matches.
- The teams finishing in the bottom 3 places are liable to relegation.
Fixture Dates
Semi-final (2v5, 3v4): Usual midweek matchday of home club w/c Monday April 28.
Final: Saturday May 3 at the home ground of club placed highest in league table.
DETAILED PROMOTION AND RELEGATION GUIDELINES
The criteria for entry to the NLS and the criteria for ground/stadium facilities and the criteria for participation in Play Off Matches shall be determined by the Committee. All criteria so determined shall be published by The Association from time to time.
Subject to 5.5, at the conclusion of each Playing Season, the following procedures will apply to promotion/relegation subject to the application of the Rules:
Step 1 and Step 2:
These regulations do not deal with promotion from Step 1. The Clubs finishing in the bottom four places at Step 1 at the end of the Playing Season will be relegated and placed in a feeder pool and placed in the most geographically appropriate division at Step 2 for the following Playing Season. They will be replaced by the Clubs finishing in 1st position in each of the divisions at Step 2 together with a further two Clubs determined by a series of Play Off Matches. Where a Club finishes in 1st position but does not meet the criteria for promotion to the next Step, the Club finishing in 2nd position shall be promoted. The Clubs finishing in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th positions shall be eligible to take part in the Play Off Matches. The Play Off Matches shall be played so that in each Step 2 division there is a qualifying round, semi-finals, and a promotion final with all ties being played over a single leg at the ground of the higher-placed Club. The winner of the promotion final in each Step 2 division will be promoted. If a Club is not eligible to enter Step 1, then it shall not take part in any Play Off Matches. In that event, such Club shall not be replaced and the Play Off Matches structure and draw shall be adjusted as necessary by the Competition on the basis of the remaining Clubs’ final league positions.
Step 2 and Step 3:
The Clubs in the bottom four places in each of the two divisions at Step 2 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 3 for the following Playing Season. They will be replaced by the Clubs finishing in 1st position in each of the four divisions at Step 3 together with a further four Clubs determined by a series of Play Off Matches. Where a Club finishes in 1st position but does not meet the criteria for promotion to the next Step, the Club finishing in 2nd position shall be promoted and the Club finishing in 3rd position (and so on) shall be the Club in the next eligible position to take part in the Play Off Matches. Where a Club finishes in a Play Off Position but does not meet the Criteria for participation in Play Off Matches, the Club finishing in the next eligible position shall take part in the Play Off Matches. In each division at Step 3, 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 with the home Club being the Club with the best points per match ratio in the Regular Season. If there are only three eligible Clubs, then the highest placed shall receive a bye to a second match where it will play the winner of the other Play Off Match and the winner of that match will play in the further Play Off Match described above. Clubs finishing below position 7 will not be eligible to take part in Play Off Matches. The promoted Clubs will be placed in a feeder pool and placed in the most geographically appropriate division at Step 2 for the following Playing Season.
Step 3 and Step 4:
The Clubs finishing in the bottom four places in each of the four divisions at Step 3 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 4 for the following Playing Season. They will be replaced by the Clubs finishing in 1st position in each of the eight divisions at Step 4 together with a further eight Clubs determined by a series of Play Off Matches. Where a Club finishes in 1st position but does not meet the criteria for promotion to the next Step, the Club finishing in 2nd position shall be promoted and the Club finishing in 3rd position (and so on) shall be the Club in the next eligible position to take part in the Play Off Matches. Where a Club finishes in a Play Off Position but does not meet the Criteria for participation in Play Off Matches, the Club finishing in the next eligible position shall take part in the Play Off Matches. In each division at Step 4, 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 with the home Club being the Club with the best points per game ratio in the Regular Season. If there are only three eligible Clubs, then the highest placed shall receive a bye to the second match where it will play the winner of the other Play Off Match and the winner of that match will be promoted. Clubs finishing below 7th position will not be eligible to take part in Play Off Matches. The promoted Clubs will be placed in a feeder pool and placed in the most geographically appropriate division at Step 3 for the following Playing Season.
Step 4 and Step 5:
The Clubs finishing in the bottom four 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. Clubs relegated for finishing in the bottom four places in each of the eight divisions at Step 4 will be replaced by the Clubs finishing in 1st position in each of the sixteen divisions at Step 5 together with a further 16 Clubs (one Club from each of the sixteen divisions at Step 5) determined by a series of Play Off Matches.
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 a feeder pool and placed in the most geographically appropriate division at Step 6 for the following Playing Season. These Clubs will be replaced by the Clubs finishing in 1st position in each of the two divisions operated by the South West Peninsula League, the Clubs finishing in 1st position in each of the remaining fifteen divisions at Step 6, and a further fifteen Clubs determined by a series of Play Off Matches within those remaining fifteen divisions.
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.
- At Steps 1 to 6, if a Club becomes eligible to take part in a Play Off Match and refuses to take part in that match or if a Club qualifies for promotion and refuses to be promoted, then that Club shall be relegated from the division it last played in and shall play the following Playing Season in the division at the next Step level below. If the refusal/ineligibility applies to a Club currently operating at Step 6, the Club will be removed from the NLS and placed in the appropriate Regional NLS Feeder League, provided there is an eligible Club at Feeder League level to replace them.
FULL NATIONAL LEAGUE SYSTEM REGULATIONS FOR SEASON 2024/25
Peter Miller’s Unofficial Promotion and Relegation Spreadsheet