Scottish football league system

The current system has been in place since 2013–14, when the Scottish Professional Football League was formed by a merger of the Scottish Premier League (tier 1) and the Scottish Football League (tiers 2–4). At the same time, the Lowland Football League (tier 5) was founded, and a year later the leagues below (tier 6) were incorporated into the system. For each division, its official name, sponsor name, number of clubs, number of games ‡, and promotion/relegation spots are given:

‡ indicates the league is playing a fewer games than normal in the 2020–21 season.

The leagues below level four are classed as "non-league football", meaning they are outside the Scottish Professional Football League and are played on a regional not a national basis. The Lowland League is parallel to the Highland League. These divisions created level five on the pyramid and since season 2014–15, the two league winners have played off against each other, with the winner then playing the team finishing 10th in League Two in a promotion/relegation play-off.

Below the Lowland League is the East of Scotland Football League (49 clubs, including one reserve team, split into a 18-team Premier Division and two First Division conferences each containing 15 or 16 teams); the South of Scotland Football League (14 clubs, including two reserve teams, in a single division); and the West of Scotland Football League (67 clubs, split into a 20-team Premier Division and three conferences at Tier 7 each containing 15 or 16 teams). An end of season promotion three match round robin play-off takes place between the champions of each league (subject to meeting licensing criteria) for a place in the Lowland League.

As of 2020–21 this totals 206 teams across 14 divisions.

There remains one Senior league - the North Caledonian Football League - which has not yet been incorporated into the pyramid system. It is based in the north of Scotland, including a club from the island of Orkney, and currently contains 13 teams. They will play in divisions of 7 and 6 in 2020–21 - respectively 12 and 10 games - before forming a single division from 2021–22. Discussions have taken place about adding the league to tier 6 below the Highland League.[4]

All clubs in tier 5 and above automatically enter the Scottish Cup, along with clubs in other divisions who are full members of the Scottish Football Association. Up to three non-SFA members can qualify for the Scottish Cup each season by winning the East or South leagues, or the East & South Cup-Winners Shield. All 42 SPFL clubs compete in the Scottish League Cup, along with the Highland and Lowland champions. The Scottish Challenge Cup features 30 SPFL clubs from outside the Premiership, Under 21s teams, and four from the Highland and Lowland leagues, along with guest teams from England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.

The SFA South Region Challenge Cup is for all non-league clubs in the Lowland area, a total of 144 (excluding reserve teams). There are also a variety of smaller cup tournaments at league and regional level.

Also outside of the national structure, overseen by the Scottish Junior Football Association, are the two junior regions: the SJFA East Region of 30 clubs - split into two separate districts; and the SJFA North Region of 33 clubs (3 clubs withdrew for 2020-21) - split into four separate districts. As of 2020–21 this represents a total of 60 teams across 6 divisions. The term 'junior' refers not to the age of the players but the level of football played.[5][6][7]

These clubs operate separately from the Scottish Football Association, except Banks O' Dee who became a full SFA member in 2013. Junior clubs participate in a number of their own regional cup competitions, as well as the Scottish Junior Cup. Up to three non-SFA members can qualify for the Scottish Cup each season by winning one of the two Regions or the Junior Cup. Banks O' Dee also enter Senior tournaments the Aberdeenshire Cup and Shield, and run an Under-20s team in the Senior development structure (the Aberdeenshire & District League).

In 2020, as part of a long process to form an integrated footballing pyramid structure, all 63 West Region Junior clubs decided to depart and join the newly-founded West of Scotland Football League, a feeder to the Lowland League. Since 2017 more than half of the East Region clubs have departed the Junior ranks, joining the senior East of Scotland Football League which is also below the Lowland League.

Again separate from the above, and generally agreed to lie 'below' the senior and junior levels, are the hundreds of clubs in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association which oversees 50 different leagues[8][9][10] - although this includes a number of Sunday League football and futsal competitions. Prestige centres around the historic Scottish Amateur Cup. A number of Senior and Junior clubs run reserve teams in Amateur football.

As of 2020–21 there are 417 teams – in 12 geographic leagues containing a total of 37 league divisions – playing Saturday football under a regular August–May season. In addition there are 143 teams playing in four specialist Saturday Morning leagues (including one for Colleges) in Dundee and Glasgow, plus 28 clubs playing in Churches leagues. Student and Police football is also affiliated to the SAFA.

Roughly concurrent with the Scottish Amateur Football Association is the Scottish Welfare Football Association, which has a very low profile nationally. The SWFA was established in the aftermath of World War I, and oversees leagues mainly operating Sunday and summer or midweek football, predominantly in the north of Scotland.

As of 2020–21 there are 85 teams in 8 geographic leagues and divisions. From a peak of over 500 clubs, there were 158 teams in membership in November 2012,[11] down from 238 teams in 2007.[12]

The reserve & youth leagues are mostly governed by the relevant adult leagues.