Let’s talk leagues. They’re the reason your hometown heroes probably aren’t facing off against last season’s big dogs. One of the reasons, anyway.

Leagues are pretty straightforward, but we’ll give you a quick sum-up of what’s what. Because you don’t want to end up all out of sorts not knowing if your team is about to be relegated. So grab your Snickers chocolate bar and let’s get into it.

Tier 1: The Premier League

This is the crème de la crème of English football. The peanuts of the Snickers. There are 20 football clubs in the Premier League, and it’s one of the most popular (and profitable) leagues in the world.

At the end of the season, the three lowest-ranked teams in the Premier League are relegated to the Championship. It’s never pretty.

Tier 2: The Championship

Next, you’ve got the Championship. There are 24 clubs in this league, all vying to get bumped up to the Premier League. The top two teams get automatically promoted to the Premier League, as well as the winner of the Championship playoffs. 

So three teams total. On the flip side, the three bottom teams get relegated to League One.

Tier 3: League One

Speaking of League One, it’s the third tier of English football. Ironic, that. There are 24 clubs, with the same promotion rules as the Championship. But four teams are relegated to League Two.

Tier 4: League Two

The last of the professional leagues. There are 24 clubs – three will get automatically bumped up to League One, as well as the winner of the playoffs. The bottom two teams get booted to the National League.

Non-Leagues

Then there’s non-league football. They’re still technically leagues, but not professional level. This tier includes lots of regional and national leagues with their own promotion and relegation drama.

Welsh and Scottish Leagues

In Wales, the Welsh Premier League (Cymru Premier) leads the charge, then the second tier is split into Cymru North and Cymru South, with Ardal Leagues and Area Leagues below that.

Scotland’s got its top tier Scottish Premiership, then the Scottish Championship, League One, and League Two.

And there you have it. The dicey bit is moving between leagues. No team is safe if they’re not on top of their game. 

So if your team is on the verge of relegation, keep a Snickers on hand for when you get all out of sorts. Happens to the best of us.