The Northern Ireland football league system is categorised into three levels: senior, intermediate and junior. Clubs attain intermediate status by fulfilling certain criteria (e.g. owning or leasing its own enclosed ground). Senior status requires clubs to reach stricter criteria. National leagues exist at senior and intermediate level. All junior leagues and some intermediate are organised on a regional basis. Regionally, there are four regional football associations: the

North East Ulster Football Association The County Antrim & District Football Association (also known as the North East Ulster Football Association but more commonly as the Co. Antrim FA) is the largest of the four regional football associations within Northern Ireland and affiliated to ...

(also known as the County Antrim & District Football Association), the Mid-Ulster Football Association, the North West of Ireland Football Association and the Fermanagh & Western Football Association.

Senior

The

Northern Ireland Football League The Northern Ireland Football League (commonly abbreviated to NIFL), known historically, and still colloquially, as the Irish League, is the national football league of Northern Ireland. The Irish League was originally formed in 1890, with the l ...

, which is the national league of Northern Ireland, has two senior divisions, the NIFL Irish Premiership and the

NIFL Championship The Northern Ireland Football League Championship (known as the Lough 41 Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the second level of the Northern Ireland Football League, the national football league in Northern Ireland. Clubs in the Championshi ...

, which consists of twenty-four semi-professional clubs. Members of the Premiership must possess a domestic licence in order to retain membership and members of the Championship must possess a championship licence. Clubs that wish to be promoted to the Championship from intermediate football must attain a Championship Licence. At national level there are two senior cup competitions: the

Irish Cup The Irish Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly referred to as the Irish Cup (currently known as the Samuel Gelston's Whiskey Irish Cup for sponsorship purposes) is the primary football knock-out cup competition in Northern Ireland. Ina ...

and the

Northern Ireland Football League Cup The Northern Ireland Football League Cup (BetMcLean League Cup for sponsorship purposes), also known colloquially as the Irish League Cup, is a national football knock-out cup competition in Northern Ireland open to all member clubs of the North ...

, although intermediate teams are entitled to enter both. At regional level, three of the four regional FAs organise their own senior cup competition. The

runs the

County Antrim Shield The County Antrim & District Football Association Senior Shield (more commonly known as the County Antrim Shield) is a football competition in Northern Ireland. The competition is open to senior teams who are members of the North East Ulster Fo ...

; the Mid-Ulster Football Association organises the

Mid-Ulster Cup The Mid-Ulster Cup is a senior football competition in Northern Ireland run by the Mid-Ulster Football Association (founded 2 April 1887). The competition has historically featured teams based in County Armagh, east County Tyrone, and west Cou ...

and the North West of Ireland Football Association organises the

North West Senior Cup The North West Senior Cup or North West Cup is a senior football competition in Northern Ireland run by the North West of Ireland Football Association. Senior and intermediate teams from the North West FA's jurisdiction (which covers County Lon ...

Intermediate

The national league has one intermediate division: the

NIFL Premier Intermediate League The NIFL Premier Intermediate League is the third division of the Northern Ireland Football League, the national association football league in Northern Ireland, and the highest intermediate division in Northern Ireland, occupying level three in ...

. Two clubs are automatically promoted from the Premier Intermediate League to the Championship at the end of each season, and two clubs are relegated to the Premier Intermediate League from the Championship. In the event, however, that either of the Premier Intermediate League teams does not possess a Championship Licence, they are not promoted. The

NIFL Premiership Development League The NIFL Development League (prior to 2016, the NIFL Reserve League) is an intermediate Association football league in Northern Ireland consisting of the reserve teams of the twelve NIFL Premiership clubs. Current members (2021–22) * Ballymena ...

, which is also an intermediate league, comprises the reserve teams of the twelve senior

NIFL Premiership The NIFL Premiership, known as the Danske Bank Premiership for sponsorship purposes, and colloquially as the Irish League or Irish Premiership, is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the Northe ...

clubs. In 2010-11, a "pyramid" system was introduced, with the possibility of promotion and relegation between the national league and the four regional intermediate leagues, namely: *

Ballymena & Provincial League Ballymena ( ; from ga, an Baile Meánach , meaning 'the middle townland') is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is part of the Borough of Mid and East Antrim. The town is built on land given to the Adair family by King Charles I i ...

Mid-Ulster Football League The Daily Mirror Mid-Ulster Football League, or simply referred to as the Mid-Ulster League, is an association football league in Northern Ireland. It contains 9 divisions. These comprise two intermediate sections: the Intermediate A and Intermed ...

* Northern Amateur League *

Northern Ireland Intermediate League The Northern Ireland Intermediate League is an amateur intermediate league based in the north-west region of Northern Ireland. As one of the leagues in the 4th tier of Northern Irish football, the league champions can be promoted to the NIFL Prem ...

Clubs in these leagues may only gain promotion to the Premier Intermediate League if they win their respective league championship and meet the necessary criteria. If more than one league champion meets the criteria, then only one will be promoted, to be decided by a play-off or series of play-offs. At national level there is one intermediate cup competition: the Intermediate Cup. At regional level, three of the four regional FAs organise their own cup competitions. The

runs the

Steel & Sons Cup The Steel & Sons Cup (also referred to as the Steel Cup) is an intermediate football competition in Northern Ireland run by the North East Ulster Football Association (also known as the County Antrim & District Football Association). The compe ...

; the Mid-Ulster Football Association organises the

Bob Radcliffe Cup The Bob Radcliffe Memorial Cup is an intermediate football competition in Northern Ireland run by the Mid-Ulster Football Association. It was introduced in 1978. The competition culminates in the final which has traditionally been played on Boxi ...

; and the North West of Ireland Football Association organises the

Craig Memorial Cup The Craig Memorial Cup, also known as the William Craig Memorial Cup is an intermediate football competition in Northern Ireland run by the North West of Ireland Football Association. The competition culminates in the final which has traditionall ...

. The Fermanagh & Western Football Association organised the

Fermanagh & Western Intermediate Cup The Fermanagh & Western Intermediate Cup was an intermediate soccer competition in Northern Ireland run by the Fermanagh & Western Football Association. It was introduced in 2009 as the first-ever intermediate competition within the Fermanagh & ...

for three seasons, but it is now defunct.

Junior

There are numerous junior leagues in Northern Ireland, including junior divisions of the Northern Amateur League and the Mid-Ulster League. The term "junior" is not related to the age of the players but the fact that the clubs are at amateur level. There is one national junior cup competition: the Irish Junior Cup. At regional level, each of the four regional FAs organises its own cup competition. The

runs the County Antrim Junior Shield; the Mid-Ulster Football Association organises the Mid-Ulster Shield, the North West of Ireland Football Association organises the North-West Junior Cup, and the Fermanagh & Western Football Association organises the Mulhern Cup.

The current pyramid system

For each division, its official name and number of clubs is given:

Previous systems

At national level, from 1890 until 1915 there was only one league the

Irish Football League Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, which operated at senior level. In 1915, the

Irish Intermediate League The Irish Intermediate League was a Northern Irish football competition for teams of intermediate status, which also included reserve sides of senior teams. The league ran from 1915 until 1954. History It began in 1915 after the amalgamation of ...

was created at intermediate level. In 1951, the

B Division B Division, Division B, or variant may refer to: * ''B Division'' (New York City Subway) * ''B Division'' (Irish League), association football * ''Division B'' (Scottish Football League) * ''Divizia B'' (Romanian Football League) * Moldovan "B ...

was also created at intermediate level. By 1954, the Irish Intermediate League had become defunct as many clubs left to join the B Division. In 1977, the B Division split into Section 1 and Section 2. In 1995, the

split into two senior divisions: the Premier Division and the First Division. In 1999, the B Division Section 1 was renamed the Second Division and Section 2 was renamed the Reserve League. In 2003, the Irish Premier League was created as the single senior league in Northern Ireland. The Irish Football League First Division reverted to intermediate status alongside the Second Division. In 2004, the IFA Intermediate League (First and Second Divisions) replaced the Irish Football League. In 2008, the

IFA Premiership The NIFL Premiership, known as the Danske Bank Premiership for sponsorship purposes, and colloquially as the Irish League or Irish Premiership, is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the Northe ...

replaced the Irish Premier League, and the

IFA Championship The Northern Ireland Football League Championship (known as the Lough 41 Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the second level of the Northern Ireland Football League, the national football league in Northern Ireland. Clubs in the Championshi ...

and

IFA Interim Intermediate League The IFA Interim Intermediate League was a temporary league in Northern Ireland for one season only (2008–09), consisting of the former members of the IFA Intermediate League (dissolved in 2008) who did not meet the criteria for the new IFA Cha ...

replaced the IFA Intermediate League. In 2009, the IFA Championship was expanded and divided into two divisions and the IFA Interim Intermediate League folded. In 2010, a pyramid system was introduced, with the possibility of promotion and relegation between the Championship and the four regional intermediate leagues. In 2013, the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) took control of the senior league and the two intermediate divisions below, as well as the Reserve League. In 2016, Championship 1 acquired senior status and was renamed the 'Championship'; Championship 2 was renamed the 'Premier Intermediate League'; the Reserve League became the Development League.

National league system since 1890

† Senior clubs' reserve teams have intermediate status and compete against other intermediate teams in many competitions.

Women's system

The women's system currently has six steps. Each step has only one division. There is promotion and relegation between all levels. They are: *1: Women's Premier League *2: Women's Championship *3: Women's Divisions North 1-2 and South 1-2

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Northern Ireland Football League System Football league systems in Europe