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[[File:Maine Road vs 1874 Northwich football match (cropped).png|thumb|350px|right|A non-League match between [[Maine Road F.C.|Maine Road]] and [[1874 Northwich]] of the [[North West Counties Football League]], part of the ninth level of English football.]]
The "League" (with a capital 'L') in "non-League football" refers to the English Football League, rather than leagues in general — "non-League" clubs play most of their football in league competitions. There are many leagues below the level of the EFL, and some, such as the [[Northern Football League|Northern League]], are almost as old as the EFL itself. The most senior of these leagues are loosely organised by [[The Football Association]], the sport's governing body in England, into a [[National League System]] (NLS). The NLS has six levels or ''steps'', and includes over
Prior to the 1986–87 season, there was no automatic promotion and relegation between The Football League and the leagues of non-League football. The bottom clubs of the EFL were required to apply for [[Re-election (Football League)|re-election]] to the League at the end of the season, but this was in most cases a mere formality. The system ensured that Football League membership remained relatively static, with non-League clubs having little chance of joining.
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