Page 25 - Deal Round Up Feb-March-April-May 2021

60 clubs will move from Step 6 to Step 5 (20 to backfill those Clubs elevated to Step 4,
and 40 to populate the two new divisions).
30 clubs will move from Regional NLS Feeder Leagues to Step 6 (to bring Step
6 divisions to their full quota, taking into account the reduced number of divisions going
forwards).
How will promotions be decided into Step 4 and 5?
Each club will be allocated an unweighted points per game figure on the basis of its
completed fixtures in both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, i.e. the club’s total points
across both seasons will be added together and divided by the number of games it has
played across both seasons (A club must have played in each of the two seasons (both at
the same Step) in order to be eligible for upward movement via this process).
Clubs will then be ranked within their respective leagues on the basis of those calcula-
tions.
Step 5 – The top 3 ranked clubs from each of the North West Counties League, Northern
Counties East League and Northern League, along with the top ranked Club from the re-
maining eleven Step 5 divisions, will be considered eligible for upward movement to Step
4 and will be invited to make an application to do so.
Multiple clubs will be upwardly moved from these specific leagues, as per the previous
ratification by FA Council, in order to address specific challenges with travelling distance
and time which exist at Step 4.
Step 6 – The top 2 ranked clubs in each of the South West Peninsula League divisions,
along with the top 3 ranked clubs from the eighteen remaining Step 6 divisions, will be
considered eligible for upward movement to Step 5 and will be invited to make an appli-
cation for upward movement.
Fewer clubs will be upwardly moved from the South West Peninsula League Divisions, as
per the previous ratification by FA Council, on the basis of geographical reasons for the
relevant divisions at Step 5.
The Committees are currently considering what additional requirements clubs who are
eligible based on sporting merit will be required to meet in order to be upwardly moved
via this process and further details will be communicated on this in due course.
It will not be mandatory for any club which is eligible for upward movement to make
an application. If an eligible club decides not to do so, the next best ranked club will be
invited (and so on) subject to any cut off point deemed appropriate by the Committees.
What about vacancies at Step 6?
The process outlined above will lead to a need to backfill in certain divisions at Step 6 to
bring them up to quota.
Where there is a need to do so, the Committee will liaise with the relevant Step 6 Leagues
and ask them to consider applications that were made by clubs on or before 31 December
2020 from clubs in Regional NLS Feeder Leagues within their relevant geographical area.
Given the degree of variation in the number of fixtures completed by clubs in Regional
NLS Feeder Leagues, the Committees did not consider it appropriate to utilise sporting
data in the same way to determine upward movement.
Accordingly, the proposed upward movement will be determined by the relevant Leagues
on the basis of a subjective application process (although sporting data may be taken into
account), with the final decision to allocate Clubs being with the Committee.
All applications will be assessed by the Committees on the basis of the principles above
and clubs will be allocated accordingly.

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