Watching Ted Lasso makes it clear that I not only don’t understand the game of soccer (football) completely, I don’t even understand their leagues. What is relegation? Do they have a Superbowl? Here’s what I found:
British soccer, or football as it is known in the UK, has a hierarchical structure that is based on a system of leagues and divisions. The top four tiers of the football pyramid in the UK are as follows:
1. Premier League: This is the top tier of English football and is comprised of 20 teams. It is the most popular and financially lucrative league in the UK and is followed by fans all over the world.
2. English Football League (EFL) Championship: This is the second tier of English football and is comprised of 24 teams. The Championship is highly competitive and teams in this division are vying for promotion to the Premier League and the opportunity to play against some of the biggest clubs in the world.
3. EFL League One: This is the third tier of English football and is comprised of 24 teams. Clubs in this division are aiming to earn promotion to the Championship or avoid relegation to the fourth tier.
4. EFL League Two: This is the fourth tier of English football and is comprised of 24 teams. Clubs in this division are aiming to earn promotion to League One or avoid relegation to the fifth tier.
Below the EFL, there are several non-league divisions, which are organized by the National League System (NLS). These include the National League, which is the top tier of non-league football, and several regional leagues at different levels.
In Scotland, the top tier is the Scottish Premiership, followed by the Scottish Championship, Scottish League One, Scottish League Two, and the Highland Football League and Lowland Football League.
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