national

The National League is the top tier of non-League football in England. It is a nationwide division of 24 clubs, and is the lowest level with a single nationwide league.

The league is also known as "step 1" of the National League System (NLS), which is a set of leagues that run from level 5 to level 10 of the English football league system.

The National League was founded in 2004, following the merger of the Football Conference and the Isthmian League Premier Division.