Walk past any grassroots pitch on a Saturday afternoon and you’ll likely catch a team fighting for three points with no cameras, no crowds beyond family and a handful of devoted fans, and no sky-high salaries. The United Counties League is exactly that world — a competition sitting deep in the English football pyramid, at what the Football Association officially calls Steps 5 and 6 of the National League System. Understanding what that designation actually means is the key to making sense of promotion, relegation, and the path that separates a village club’s dream from the professional game’s edge.
Founded: 1898 · Number of divisions: 5 · Level in English system: Step 5 and 6 (tiers 9 and 10) · Governing body: United Counties League Committee · Promotion to: Northern Premier League Division One (Step 4)
Quick snapshot
- Exact number of teams in each division for the 2025-26 season has not been officially released by the FA
- Specific promotion and relegation playoff formats for the 2025-26 season remain unconfirmed
- Founded in 1898, the league operated outside the formal pyramid for over a century before entering the National League System
- On 12 April 2021, the FA announced a new Step 5 division, splitting the Premier division into North and South
- Clubs finishing at the top of UCL Premier divisions can earn promotion to Northern Premier League Division One Midlands at Step 4
- Clubs below the cut-off in Division One may face relegation to county-level leagues outside the formal National League System
Key specifications and status for the United Counties League within the English football structure appear in the table below.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | United Counties League |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Country | England |
| Level on pyramid | Step 5 and Step 6 (tiers 9 and 10) |
| Promotion to | Northern Premier League Division One |
| Current champion (2024-25) | Varies by division |
What level is the United Counties League?
The United Counties League (UCL) is an English football competition that forms part of the National League System — the formal structure of non-league football administered by the Football Association — rather than a standalone county league. It currently operates under the official designation of Steps 5 and 6, which means its Premier divisions sit one level below the Northern Premier League and two levels above the local county competitions that feed into it.
United Counties League position in the National League System
The National League System spans Steps 1 through 6 immediately below the English Football League. According to the National League official documentation, the top tier — called the National League — sits at Step 1, followed by National League North and National League South at Step 2. Steps 3 through 6 cover the regional feeder leagues, with Step 5 and Step 6 specifically covering the level where the UCL competes.
The English football league system itself runs from the Premier League at level 1 down to the National League at level 5, with anything below level 5 falling under the National League System’s step terminology. This dual-naming system — steps for the non-league structure and levels for the entire pyramid — is a common source of confusion, which the National League System Wikipedia article explicitly acknowledges.
Grassroots clubs at the UCL level operate on limited budgets, with volunteers keeping grounds playable and managers balancing coaching with full-time jobs. The step designation determines not just prestige but concrete opportunities including FA Cup qualifying entry and formal promotion pathways.
Step 5 and Step 6 explained
The FA’s step terminology maps to tier numbers that fans commonly use. The mapping — where Step 1 corresponds to tier 5 of English football, Step 2 to tier 6, Step 3 to tier 7, Step 4 to tier 8, Step 5 to tier 9, and Step 6 to tier 10 — appears widely in explanatory sources, though official FA documentation does not formally use the tier terminology. This informal mapping provides useful context for comparing UCL position to the broader pyramid.
The Football Association’s own NLS club allocations for 2025-26 officially classifies UCL divisions within Steps 5 and 6, providing the most authoritative confirmation of the league’s position. Wikipedia’s United Counties League article corroborates this with verified details on the league’s current structure.
What step is United Counties League Premier division North?
United Counties League Premier Division North is a Step 5 league, meaning it sits at tier 9 of the overall English football pyramid. This places it one tier below the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands — the direct Step 4 destination for clubs earning promotion from the UCL’s top division. The Football in Berkshire analysis of the pyramid structure confirms how this feeder relationship operates.
Step designation for Premier Division North
The Premier Division North currently consists of 20 clubs at Step 5, as documented in the UCL Wikipedia entry. The division was created as part of the National League System restructure that the FA announced on 12 April 2021, with the new structure implemented for the 2021-22 season after a one-year delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This split the existing single Premier division into two parallel Step 5 divisions — North and South — each with regional identities tied to the geography of central England.
Relation to other Step 5 leagues
The UCL Premier Division North operates alongside other Step 5 competitions including the Combined Counties League Premier, Eastern Counties League Premier, Essex Senior League, Hellenic League Premier, and Midland Football League Premier, as Football in Berkshire details. Each of these leagues feeds into different Step 4 divisions — the Northern Premier League, Southern League, or Isthmian League — depending on their geographic location and the specific allocation decisions made by the FA each season.
Geographic allocation decisions mean the exact Step 4 destination for promoted UCL clubs can shift slightly between seasons. Clubs promoted from the UCL Premier Division North typically move into Northern Premier League Division One Midlands or Northern Premier League Division One East, but the FA’s official NLS allocations remain the authoritative reference for each season.
What are the 7 tiers of English football?
The English football league system uses a pyramid structure with the Premier League at its apex. While the term “tiers” is informal, it has become standard in football conversation, particularly around non-league football. The system above the National League System is clearly numbered, making it relatively straightforward to understand the broader context before diving into the step-based non-league structure.
Overview of tiers 1-7
The professional levels of the English football system are: Premier League at level 1, Championship at level 2, League One at level 3, and League Two at level 4, as documented in the English football league system article. Level 5 is the National League — the top tier of the National League System — which consists of 24 clubs competing in a national division directly below League Two, according to the National League’s official documentation.
Below the National League, Step 3 of the National League System corresponds to tier 7, covering the Northern Premier League Premier Division, Southern League Premier Division Central, and Isthmian League Premier Division. Steps 4 through 6 cover tiers 8, 9, and 10 respectively, with each step dividing further into regionalised divisions that eventually feed into county-level competitions outside the formal NLS structure.
Where the United Counties League fits
The UCL sits at tiers 9 and 10 of this system — specifically, its two Premier divisions (North and South) occupy Step 5 at tier 9, while Division One operates at Step 6 at tier 10. This places the league firmly in the lower-middle section of the non-league pyramid, roughly 8 tiers below the Premier League and separated from professional football by the English Football League’s four divisions, the National League, and the regional Step 3 and Step 4 leagues.
Clubs in UCL Premier divisions are eligible to enter the FA Cup starting at the preliminary round stage, as Wikipedia confirms, and are also eligible for the FA Vase, reflecting their status within the non-league hierarchy. The FA’s Full-Time system hosts the official UCL competition administration pages, providing fixtures, results, and league tables.
What is the 7th tier of English football?
The 7th tier of English football corresponds to Step 3 of the National League System, which is a significant step up from the United Counties League. Understanding tier 7 helps contextualise just how far a UCL club would need to progress to reach the level just below League Two — the threshold of professional football.
Definition of tier 7
Tier 7 of the English football system consists of three national divisions operating at Step 3: the Northern Premier League Premier Division, Southern League Premier Division Central, and Isthmian League Premier Division. Each of these leagues contains roughly 20-24 clubs competing across regional footprints, with winners and playoff finishers earning promotion to Step 2 regional divisions — National League North, National League South, or their successors.
Leagues at tier 7
The three Step 3 leagues are geographically structured: the Northern Premier League covers northern England and parts of the Midlands; the Southern League covers central and southern England; the Isthmian League covers the southeast, including London. According to the National League documentation, clubs at this level are expected to meet increasingly stringent criteria for facilities, finances, and administration as they progress through the NLS structure.
The gap between UCL Step 5 and Step 3 tier 7 is enormous in practical terms. Clubs would need to win promotion at least twice — first reaching Step 4, then Step 3 — and meet progressively demanding FA criteria at each level. For most UCL clubs, the financial and logistical jump required to compete at tier 7 is simply unattainable without significant external investment or a dramatic shift in operational capacity.
United Counties League Division One and team overview
United Counties League Division One represents the third tier of first-team football within the UCL structure — the entry point into the league’s formal National League System membership. Operating at Step 6 (level 10), Division One clubs compete with the goal of promotion into the Step 5 Premier divisions, while those finishing at the bottom risk relegation to county-level leagues outside the NLS entirely.
Division One structure
According to the UCL Wikipedia article, Division One currently has 23 member clubs — slightly more than each Premier division’s 20. The expanded UCL now has five divisions total: three for first teams and two for reserve teams, with the reserve divisions merged into a single section from the 2013-14 season. This structure places Division One firmly in the middle tier of UCL competition, feeding promotion candidates upward while receiving relegated clubs or new entrants from county feeder leagues.
Local feeder leagues immediately below UCL Division One include the Central Midlands League, Leicestershire Senior League, Lincolnshire League, Northamptonshire Combination League, and Nottinghamshire Senior League. As documented in Wikipedia’s UCL entry, these competitions operate at county level rather than within the NLS steps, meaning promotion from them to Division One is possible but not guaranteed by formal NLS rules — clubs must meet UCL entry criteria and receive acceptance.
List of member teams
While specific team lists change season by season, Division One clubs have historically included teams such as AFC Mansfield, Aylestone Park, Belper United, and others drawn from the East Midlands and surrounding counties. The UCL’s geographic footprint — documented in Wikipedia as covering parts of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Rutland, and the West Midlands — provides the pool of clubs eligible for Division One membership.
Upsides
- Clubs gain access to the formal FA National League System structure
- Premier division clubs can qualify for FA Cup and FA Vase competitions
- Clear promotion pathway to Northern Premier League Division One at Step 4
- Official league administration through the FA Full-Time platform
- Geographic coverage across six central English counties
Downsides
- Clubs at Steps 5 and 6 remain largely amateur or semi-professional
- Promotion to Step 4 requires meeting increasingly demanding FA criteria
- Division One clubs near the bottom risk relegation to county leagues outside the NLS
- Limited financial resources compared to Step 3 and above
- Annual uncertainty around exact league allocations from the FA
The pattern is straightforward: three divisions at two steps, feeding upward into one Step 4 destination. Clubs at Step 5 in either Premier division compete directly for promotion to Northern Premier League Division One Midlands, while clubs in Division One at Step 6 fight for the fewer promotion spots available upward. The distance between these levels and professional football — roughly eight tiers above — illustrates why the UCL represents grassroots football’s ceiling, not the start of a quick journey to the Football League.
The English Football Pyramid system is the structure of football divisions within the Football Associations’ remit and allows promotion and relegation from a county league right up to the Premier League.
— FA National League System documentation, as cited in Wikipedia’s English football league system article
Below Step 6, many county or regional competitions sit outside the formal National League System and typically act as feeders to leagues like the United Counties League Division One but do not guarantee promotion via NLS rules.
— Football in Berkshire analysis of the English Football Pyramid system
For a grassroots club in Leicestershire or Lincolnshire, the UCL represents the highest achievable level without either exceptional financial backing or a dramatic transformation in operational capacity. The step system governs not just prestige but concrete opportunities — entry to FA Cup qualifying rounds, exposure through FA Full-Time’s official administration, and a structured pathway upward. The promotion route is narrow and the financial realities are stark, but for clubs and supporters who understand where they sit in the pyramid, the UCL is where dreams of climbing further become possible.
For context on similar regional leagues, the Cheshire Leagues pyramid placement offers useful comparison at the grassroots level.
Frequently asked questions
How does promotion work from the United Counties League?
Clubs finishing at the top of UCL Premier divisions can earn promotion to Northern Premier League Division One Midlands at Step 4, though the exact number of promotion places varies by season based on FA criteria and reallocation decisions. Promotion from Division One to Premier divisions also operates on a points-based or playoff system determined annually by the UCL Committee.
What is the difference between United Counties League Premier North and South?
Both are Step 5 leagues at tier 9 of the English football pyramid. The split into North and South occurred in 2021 as part of the National League System restructure. The North covers clubs from the northern parts of the UCL’s geographic footprint, while the South covers the southern areas. Both feed into Step 4 Northern Premier League divisions, though their exact Step 4 destinations can differ slightly based on FA geographic allocations.
How many teams are in the United Counties League?
The UCL currently has three first-team divisions: two Premier divisions (North and South, each with 20 clubs at Step 5) and one Division One (with 23 clubs at Step 6). This totals approximately 63 first-team clubs, plus two reserve divisions.
When does the United Counties League season start?
The UCL season typically begins in mid to late August, running through to early May. The FA sets key dates for each season, with the 2025-26 NLS allocations published by the FA on 15 May 2025, giving clubs time to prepare before the summer pre-season period.
Can a team be promoted to the Northern Premier League directly?
Yes — clubs finishing at the top of UCL Premier divisions (Step 5) are eligible for promotion to Northern Premier League Division One Midlands or Northern Premier League Division One East (both Step 4). There is no intermediate step; promotion from Step 5 goes directly to Step 4, subject to the promoted club meeting FA licensing and ground criteria for the higher division.
William Sondergaard
Fact-Checking Editor — William Sondergaard reviews football facts, biographical details, competition records, and historical claims before publication. He helps ensure that sensitive or disputed information is handled carefully and that corrections are reviewed promptly.