Twelve teams competed in the Championship for the 2021–22 season, an increase of one team from the previous season. This was a planned progression of the restructuring of the English women's game, a move prompted to provide for a fully professional
Women's Super League (WSL) starting with the
2018–19 season. The expansion was originally scheduled from the
2019–20 season but the demotion of
Yeovil Town directly from the WSL to the third-tier in 2019 and then the season's curtailment the following year as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic had twice delayed this. Movement between the WSL and Championship was granted on purely sporting merit as both the
2020–21 FA WSL and
Championship seasons were completed in full.
Leicester City earned promotion and their place was taken by
Bristol City who were relegated after finishing bottom of the WSL.
London Bees finished bottom of the 2020–21 Championship and were relegated to the National League. Upward movement from the National League was granted via application based on a set criteria including points-per-game over the previous two seasons in order to support the stability and integrity of the women's football pyramid after the previous two National League seasons had both been curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result,
Sunderland were promoted from the National League North and
Watford were promoted from the National League South. On 24 December 2021, directors at Coventry United confirmed the club was going into voluntary
liquidation. They had accelerated the team into becoming fully-professional prior to the start of the season. With a formal deadline set for 4 January 2022, investor Lewis Taylor made a bid to acquire the club and clear the debts to ensure the club could complete the season. The offer was accepted and the club was rescued although the FA handed down a 10 points deduction for triggering an insolvency event.
Managerial changes ==Table==