Non-league football refers to football in England played at a level below that of the FA Premier League and The Football League. The term non-league came into common use before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football League were therefore non-League clubs. Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Confederation of African Football (CAF) Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) The Current Laws of the Game (LOTG) The Rec. ... Football is the unofficial national sport of England, and as such has an important place within English national life. ... FA Premier League logo The FA Premier League (which, for sponsorship/legal reasons, is often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in the UK and the Barclays English Premier League internationally) is a league competiton for English Football clubs located at the top of the English football league system (above... The Football League logo The Football League (often referred to as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons) is a league competition for English football (soccer) clubs (though a few Welsh clubs also take part) containing three divisions (the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League Two... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... This is a list of football clubs located in England and the leagues and divisions they play in (though note that not all play in the English football league system). ...

Despite the non-league name, there are many leagues below the level of The Football League, and some, such as the Northern League, are almost as old as the League itself. Most of these are regional leagues organised by The Football Association, the sport's governing body in England, into a National League System (NLS). The NLS has seven levels or steps, and includes over 50 separate leagues, many with more than one division. The Northern League (currently sponsored by the Albany Uninsured Loss Recovery Service and known as the Albany Northern League) is a football league in North East England for semi-professional and amateur teams. ... The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England (and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man). ... The National League System, otherwise known as the football pyramid, is a comprehensive league structure for football clubs in England playing below the level of the FA Premier League and The Football League. ...

Prior to 1987 there was no automatic promotion and relegation between The Football League and the leagues of non-league football. The bottom clubs of The Football League were required to apply for re-election to the League at the end of the season, but this was in most cases a mere formality. The system ensured that League membership remained relatively static, with non-league clubs having almost no chance of joining. 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

However major change came in 1987 when automatic promotion and relegation of one club between The Football League and The Football Conference, the top league in non-league football, was introduced, subject to the eligible club meeting the required facility and financial standards. Scarborough became the first non-league club to be win automatic promotion to The Football League, and Lincoln City became the first League club to be relegated to the ranks of non-league football. Since 2003 two clubs from the Conference have been promoted at the end of each season. Football Conference logo The Football Conference is a football league at the top of the National League System of so-called non-league football in England. ... Scarborough Football Club are an English football team currently playing in the Nationwide Conference. ... Lincoln City F.C. are an English football team currently playing in Football League Two. ... 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The entire English football league system includes the Premier League, The Football League, the NLS leagues, and local leagues that in some cases have feeder relationships into NLS leagues. The English football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England (though for historical reasons — namely that the league system was originally intended to be United Kingdom-wide — a small number of Welsh clubs also compete). ...