The English football pyramid is argued to be the best football structure in the world. From Sunday League to the Premier League, there is something for everyone. Whether it is amateur, semi-pro, or professional, there is a place for you to play.
On first glance, the pyramid can look confusing, but when you break it down you begin to see how spectacular it is.
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How does the pyramid work?
The structure is primarily made up of 11 different steps.
Steps 9, 10, and 11 are the regional leagues.
The makeup of the three leagues is pretty simple too.
For example, there are 16 regional leagues at step nine and there are between 18 and 22 teams in each division.
The next step up in the pyramid is step eight, which includes eight regional leagues with 22 clubs in each.
In terms of promotion and relegation, generally, two teams go up and four teams go down.
If you get promoted from step eight, you then move up to step seven and join one of four leagues.
The four leagues are the Northern Premier League Premier Division, Southern Football League Premier Central, Southern Football League Premier South, and Isthmian League Premier Division.
Each league is made up of 22 teams.
Once again, two teams go up and four teams go down.
After step seven comes step six, which is split into two divisions.
These are the National League North and the National League South.
Both leagues are made of 24 clubs, with two getting promoted and four getting relegated.
Step five is the final step of non-league before joining the English Football League (EFL).
The name of the division is the National League.
It is deemed as one of the most difficult leagues to escape from.
The likes of Wrexham and Notts County were stuck in there for many years.
As with most non-league divisions, two teams get promoted and four teams get relegated.
There is one automatic promotion spot and the other is gained by winning the play-offs.
If you manage to escape the National League, you join the EFL.
The EFL begins at step four - League Two - and it includes 24 teams who are battling for four promotion spots or attempting to avoid two relegation places.
The four clubs who go up join step three.
This step is also made of 24 clubs, and it is called League One.
However, in League One, three teams go up and four teams go down.
Next up is step two, which is the EFL Championship.
The Championship is also made up of 24 clubs, but there is an equal amount - three - of promotion and relegation places.
And then, of course, step one is the Premier League.
There are only 20 teams in the division with three relegation spots.
There are no promotion places as it is the top of the pyramid, but the top seven or eight teams qualify for European football.
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What is it like to play in the pyramid?
Everyone knows how professional football works in England as it is covered everywhere in the media.
But there is not often coverage of semi-professional football and what it entails for the players who turn up week in week out in the lower leagues.
VAVEL spoke exclusively to Hastings United's Davide Rodari to gain an insight into what it is like being part of a Non-League club.
Hastings are currently 20th in the Isthmian League Premier Division, which is step seven of the football pyramid.
Rodari is a 25-year-old forward who was born in Cannobio, Italy, but has Swiss citizenship.
So, how did he end up at Hastings?
"The first time, it came from Eastbourne Borough U18 where I was playing at the time in 2017 and my old manager gave me a call about joining them as it would have been the right step for me in my career."
After a successful four years with the U's, scoring 26 goals in 69 appearances, League Two Crawley Town made an offer for Rodari, and he took the next step in his career.
Unfortunately, he only scored one goal in 13 appearances for the Red Devils and was sent on multiple loan moves during the few years he was at the club.
The 25-year-old had loan spells at Worthing, Dorking Wanderers and Dartford.
He was released by Crawley in the summer of 2023 and had two trials before moving back to Hastings.
"It was near the end of pre-season and I knew the manager at the time so I called him if I could come in and get some minutes just to stay fit for the next opportunity.
"In the end, I signed as I wanted to get Hastings promoted and enjoy scoring and playing again."
Since then, Rodari has written himself into the Hastings history books and become a club legend.
Nowadays it is rare to see a player stay at a club for more than a few seasons, but in total, Rodari has been with Hastings for seven years.
When asked what has kept his heart in Hastings and how much he loves the town, Rodari said: "I just feel like I can always trust the people around the club and ask any advice if I need it.
"In football, there’s not many people you can trust which is understandable as everyone is looking out for themselves.
"Plus I love the fan base, you won’t find a better one and more dedicated one than Hastings.
"Hastings will always have a place in my heart as they are the club that helped me get to professional football."
Rodari also added that without supporters, football would not mean as much, no matter what league you play in.
In the smaller leagues, it plays an even bigger part.
One of the biggest differences between elite football and the lower leagues is the facilities and funds available to clubs and players.
But how difficult is it to keep fit and motivated in non-league?
The Swiss striker said: "I don’t think it’s that difficult as you are playing football because you enjoy it and being fit and motivated should be a non-negotiable.
"It’s obviously harder than when you are full-time time as people have other jobs so not everyone can look after themselves 24/7.
"But because I come from a fitness background, having had my brother raising me in a gym, I never found it hard to stay fit."
Later in the chat about the differences between EFL and non-league football, Rodari explained that while you do come up against better players the high up you go, there are plenty of big talents down the divisions.
"Sometimes you can find players that are actually better than players that play in the Football League," admitted Rodari.
He also added that there is a difference in technicality, as being a full-time professional makes a big difference with your touches.
At the top of the pyramid, there is an ever-growing gap between the EFL Championship and the Premier League, and Rodari also believes this is the case between the top two divisions in the non-league section of the pyramid.
"I would say the biggest jump in Non-League is probably from the National League South/North to the National League, as the National League is basically a full-time division where the National League South/North is not fully yet."
Wherever you are in the pyramid, money will always be a key factor between winning and losing.
Finally, when asked about the structure of the English football pyramid and it being the best in the world, he said: "I don’t know if it's the best as I haven’t been to other countries, but it’s definitely better than the Italian and Swiss ones."
Rodari also stated how it is "definitely the best way for younger lads in pro academies if they are looking to develop and progress".
Non-league football around the world is something that should not be taken for granted and the joy it brings to people should not be understated.
