Page 4 - Deal Round Up September 2019

Here We Go For
2019/2020
By David Richardson

Here we go! Nine months of twists and turns, shocks and surprises and everything in between
is about to start all over again! It seems pre-season has raced by during this sweltering
summer and we’re now set for the big season openers.
There is a few changes for the 2019-20 season as part of The FA’s National League System
restructuring, working towards a ‘Pure Pyramid’ for the 2020-21 season of 1-2-4-8-16-17.
One interesting law being introduced across all levels of grassroots football is temporary
dismissals also known as ‘sin bins’. Players dissent will result in 10-minute temporary dismissals
from the pitch. The mandatory rule change will be implemented up to Step 5 and Tier 3 and
below in women’s football.
Perhaps the main headline in terms of promotion and relegation this season is there won’t be
Super Play-offs at Step 3. Last season the four play-off winners faced off in two one-off finals
for a place at Step 2. This year, only the bottom two in the National League North and South
with be relegated which allows for the four champions and four play-off winners at Step 3 to
be promoted. This is because from the 2020-21 season, Step 2 will be increasing from 22 clubs
to 24, with four teams being relegated from each division.
Relegation from Step 3 this season will see two teams go down from each division along with
two third bottom clubs with the worst points-per-game ratio. This means, at Step 4, the seven
champions and seven play-off winners will all be promoted. There is an eighth Step 4 division
being introduced for the 2020-21 season and that will be run by the Northern Premier League
– addressing some of the travelling challenges in the north of the country.
There will be 24 clubs promoted from Step 5 to 4. The 14 champions across Step 5 will go
up, with second and third place in the North West Counties, Northern League and Northern
Counties East also automatically promoted. The remaining 11 second-place clubs will then be
ranked on points-per-game and the four highest will be promoted.
With the remaining seven second-placed clubs – a one-season scenario – will play-off with the
seven bottom-placed clubs at Step 4 for a winner-takes-all game.
There will be 76 clubs from Step 6 promoted to Step 5 – two clubs from each of the two South
West Peninsula divisions and the top four from all other Step 6 divisions. The bottom two clubs
in each of the 20 divisions are liable to relegation.
From 2020-21, Step 5 will increase from 14 divisions to 16 and Step 6 will reduce from 20
to 17. The United Counties League and Combined Counties Leagues have been awarded an
additional Step 5 division each. The West Midlands Regional and East Midlands Counties are
due to lose their Step 6 status. The clubs within those divisions will remain at Step 6 subject to
promotion and relegation on completion of the 2019-20 season. The Hellenic League will have
its current two Step 6 divisions reduced to one which avoids operating with two divisions that
are under-subscribed. Step 7 is also being aligned with County FAs to become the “pinnacle
of county football”.
So there you have it! Plenty of change for this season and beyond as the FA works towards a
better Non-League structure.
All the best for the season ahead and enjoy!
Why we love the start of the Non-League season.. By Edd Paul
So here we are again, the summer is finally done and competitive football is back for us all
to enjoy. As a football fan this is the time of year that we all love. It is the moment where
anything seems possible, a battle for the play-offs or maybe even a push against all the odds
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