Structure & Governance
80 clubs make up the Alliance Semi-Pro tier — four divisions of 20 clubs each: Semi-Pro Division One, Two, Three and Four. It is the entry point to the professional pyramid, sitting directly below Alliance Division Four.
Non-League rules follow the same playing rulebook as the Alliance Divisions above — scoring, match format and match-day conduct are identical throughout the pyramid. The differences are financial and structural, reflecting the part-time, community nature of the Semi-Pro game.
Scoring & Season Format
- 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss — same as every division above.
- Level on points → goal difference decides. Still level → goals scored decides.
- 20 clubs per division, played home and away — 38 league matches per team per season.
- Season runs August–May, in line with the rest of the pyramid.
Match Format
- 11 players per side (10 outfield + 1 goalkeeper). 90 minutes, two 45-minute halves, 15-minute half-time.
- Up to 10 substitutes on the bench; up to 5 may be used across the match, same as the Alliance Divisions.
- 1 referee + 2 linesmen. Yellow/red cards for misconduct; two yellows equal a red.
- No VAR at Semi-Pro level — it remains an Elite Division-only technology.
Squad & Club Rules
- Squads are part-time: most players hold jobs outside football alongside their playing contracts.
- Non-League players can be signed by a professional club at any time during the season — there is no fixed transfer window restriction from the Semi-Pro side, reflecting how frequently pro clubs monitor and move for Semi-Pro talent.
- Squad staff typically include an owner or ownership group, a manager, and (where the club can support it) a small coaching staff. Smaller clubs may run with no dedicated coaching staff at all.
Promotion & Relegation
| Division | Automatic promotion | Play-off route | Relegation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-Pro Division One | Champions → Alliance Division 4 | 2nd-placed club plays off against the 24th-placed Alliance Division 4 club — winner into (or stays in) Division 4, loser stays in (or returns to) Semi-Pro Division One | Bottom 2 → Semi-Pro Division Two |
| Semi-Pro Division Two | Top 2 → Semi-Pro Division One | — | Bottom 2 → Semi-Pro Division Three |
| Semi-Pro Division Three | Top 2 → Semi-Pro Division Two | — | Bottom 2 → Semi-Pro Division Four |
| Semi-Pro Division Four | Top 2 → Semi-Pro Division Three | — | Bottom 2 leave the tracked Semi-Pro pyramid |
Unlike Divisions Two–Four, Semi-Pro Division One promotes only its champion automatically — the second promotion place is decided by a play-off against the professional pyramid's own Division Four side, making it the one Semi-Pro division with direct cross-tier jeopardy every season.
Cup Competitions
- The Football Cup — all 80 Semi-Pro clubs enter from Round 1, drawn against other Semi-Pro sides; professional clubs join the competition from Round 3 onward.
- The Alliance Cup — reserved for the 100 professional league clubs only; Semi-Pro clubs do not enter.
The Oldest Clubs in the Game
Nottingham Foresters (1857, Elite Division) are the oldest club in the entire league. Hallam Originals, founded in Sheffield in 1860, are the second-oldest club anywhere in the pyramid — and the oldest club in the Semi-Pro tier, predating every other Semi-Pro and Alliance club. Gainsborough Trinity (1873), Darlington Quakers (1883) and Chester Cestrians (1885) round out the four Victorian-era founding clubs still playing in Semi-Pro Division One today.
Just three years separate Nottingham Foresters and Hallam Originals — the two oldest clubs in the entire league — which is why both hold a particular place in the game's folklore.