The National League is a men’s football league in England, formed in 1979. Follow live scores, fixtures, results and standings, and explore player and team statistics on this competition page. It brings key National League information together for a clear view of the competition across its recorded seasons.
Upcoming matches, National League
Regular Season - 9
-
- Regular Season - 9
Yeovil Town
Solihull Moors
-
- Regular Season - 9
Hartlepool
Worthing
-
- Regular Season - 9
Tamworth
Wealdstone
-
- Regular Season - 9
Gateshead
Southend
-
- Regular Season - 9
Forest Green
Boston United
-
- Regular Season - 9
Woking
Kidderminster Harriers
-
- Regular Season - 9
AFC Fylde
Altrincham
-
- Regular Season - 9
Barrow
Aldershot Town
-
- Regular Season - 9
Boreham Wood
Harrogate Town
-
- Regular Season - 9
Eastleigh
Carlisle
Latest played matches, National League
Regular Season - 8
National League Standings
Conference
| Rank | Club | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Last 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Boreham Wood | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 20 | WDWWW |
| 2 |
|
AFC Fylde | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 17 | WWDWW |
| 3 |
|
Southend | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 17 | WDWDL |
| 4 |
|
Kidderminster Harriers | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 17 | WWWDW |
| 5 |
|
Harrogate Town | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 12 | 7 | 16 | LWWWL |
| 6 |
|
Aldershot Town | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 15 | DWWDW |
| 7 |
|
Sutton Utd | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 15 | WLLLW |
| 8 |
|
Forest Green | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 13 | DWWLL |
| 9 |
|
FC Halifax Town | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 12 | WWLWL |
| 10 |
|
Yeovil Town | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 12 | DLLWW |
| 11 |
|
AFC Hornchurch | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 12 | LLLWW |
| 12 |
|
Altrincham | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 14 | -4 | 12 | WLWWW |
| 13 |
|
Worthing | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 11 | WDDLL |
| 14 |
|
Eastleigh | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 11 | LDLDW |
| 15 |
|
Carlisle | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 10 | DDLWD |
| 16 |
|
Hartlepool | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 9 | LLWLL |
| 17 |
|
Woking | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 8 | DWLDL |
| 18 |
|
Boston United | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 8 | DLDLL |
| 19 |
|
Wealdstone | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 13 | -3 | 8 | LWLWD |
| 20 |
|
Scunthorpe | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 14 | -3 | 7 | LWLLW |
| 21 |
|
Barrow | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 6 | LDWDL |
| 22 |
|
Tamworth | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 22 | -8 | 5 | LLDLW |
| 23 |
|
Gateshead | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 14 | -9 | 4 | LLDLL |
| 24 |
|
Solihull Moors | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 19 | -11 | 4 | WLDLL |
National League Statistics
Top scorers 2026
| # | Player | Goals |
|---|
Top assists 2026
| # | Player | Assists |
|---|
Top key passes
Top tackles
Top yellow cards
Top red cards
National League teams participation since 2011
History
| Team | Nb participations |
|---|---|
| Aldershot Town | 13 |
| Woking | 13 |
| Eastleigh | 12 |
| Gateshead | 12 |
| Wrexham | 12 |
| FC Halifax Town | 12 |
| Boreham Wood | 10 |
| Solihull Moors | 10 |
| Barnet | 9 |
| Dagenham & Redbridge | 9 |
| Braintree | 9 |
| Bromley | 9 |
| Forest Green | 8 |
| Torquay | 8 |
| Dover | 8 |
| Maidenhead | 8 |
| Altrincham | 8 |
| Hartlepool | 7 |
| Barrow | 7 |
| Sutton Utd | 7 |
| Ebbsfleet United | 7 |
| Chesterfield | 6 |
| Grimsby | 6 |
| Yeovil Town | 6 |
| Lincoln | 6 |
| Macclesfield | 6 |
| Southport | 6 |
| York | 6 |
| Kidderminster Harriers | 6 |
| Wealdstone | 6 |
| Southend | 5 |
| Chester | 5 |
| AFC Fylde | 5 |
| Stockport County | 5 |
| Tamworth | 5 |
| Notts County | 4 |
| Maidstone Utd | 4 |
| Alfreton Town | 4 |
| Rochdale | 3 |
| Oldham | 3 |
| Luton | 3 |
| Cambridge United | 3 |
| Tranmere | 3 |
| Guiseley AFC | 3 |
| AFC Telford United | 3 |
National League top scorer teams
National League About
National League is the men’s nationwide league competition in England, also commonly known as the English National League. It is a league rather than a knockout cup and occupies the highest tier of the National League System (NLS), placing it at level five of the English football pyramid. Administered by the National League under the jurisdiction of the Football Association (FA), it is the principal national competition between regional non-League football and the English Football League (EFL).
Identity and purpose
The competition provides a national platform for ambitious clubs seeking promotion into EFL League Two, while also giving established professional and semi-professional sides a competitive setting outside the EFL. Its position makes it an important bridge between the regional divisions and the professional game. Although based in England, the league can include Welsh clubs and attracts supporters well beyond its immediate geographic footprint because promotion leads directly into the EFL.
Formed in 1979, the competition was created to bring the leading level of non-League football into a unified national division. Over time, it has developed from a largely semi-professional environment into a highly competitive national league containing clubs with varied histories, resources and ambitions. Its documented statistical coverage extends across 15 seasons from 2011 through 2025.
Governance, entry and eligibility
Clubs normally reach the National League through two routes. Promotion is available from the National League North or National League South, the regional divisions at the level below. Clubs can also enter after relegation from EFL League Two. This creates a distinctive mix of former EFL members, long-established non-League clubs and ambitious sides progressing through the NLS.
Promotion and participation are subject to ground-grading and other regulatory requirements. Stadium standards include a certified capacity of at least 4,000, with a minimum of 500 seats. A club reaching the EFL must then meet the higher requirement of 5,000 capacity, including 2,000 seats, within three seasons. Clubs must also comply with FA registration and competition regulations, alongside the operational and financial standards required at this level.
League format
The National League is a single-division competition involving 24 clubs. Each team plays every other club twice, once at home and once away, producing a 46-match regular season. The standard points system awards three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat.
League positions are decided first by points. When teams are level, goal difference is used, followed by goals scored and then head-to-head criteria where required by the competition rules. This makes every goal potentially significant across a long campaign, particularly when clubs are competing for automatic promotion, play-off places or survival.
The regular season is followed by a six-team promotion play-off. The clubs finishing second through seventh qualify. The fourth-placed club plays the seventh-placed club, while the fifth-placed club meets the sixth-placed club in single-leg eliminator matches. These ties are hosted by the higher-placed team.
The second- and third-placed clubs enter at the semi-final stage, receiving the benefit of a later start and home advantage. The second-placed team hosts the winner of the fifth-versus-sixth eliminator, while the third-placed team hosts the winner of the fourth-versus-seventh tie. The two semi-final winners then contest the Promotion Final, staged as a one-off match at Wembley Stadium.
All play-off ties are decided over a single match. If the score is level after 90 minutes, the teams play two 15-minute periods of extra time. A penalty shoot-out determines the winner if the scores remain level. The format gives higher finishers meaningful advantages, but it also preserves a dramatic route to promotion for clubs that qualify in sixth or seventh place.
Promotion, relegation and the season calendar
The league champion earns automatic promotion to EFL League Two. The play-off winner takes the second promotion place, making the Wembley final one of the most consequential fixtures in the English football calendar. For the clubs at the other end of the table, the bottom four are relegated to the National League North or National League South according to geographic placement.
A typical season runs from August to May. The 46-match league programme generally reaches its conclusion in late April, with the promotion play-offs following soon afterwards and the final taking place in May. This calendar creates a clear progression: sustained performance over the regular season determines league position, then a short knockout sequence decides the final promotion place.
The competition’s enduring appeal lies in that contrast. It rewards consistency across a demanding national schedule, yet preserves the tension of decisive one-off matches. For clubs outside the EFL, the National League represents both a major sporting destination and the final step before entry into England’s professional league structure.