Until 2013, Scottish football had no pyramid
league system, and as a result it was impossible for clubs in regional leagues to progress into the national leagues, unless a vacancy opened in the
Scottish Football League. The final example of this was ahead of the
2008–09 season, where
Gretna's demise allowed
Annan Athletic to take their place. Overall, the structure of men's
football in Scotland was among the most fractured and multi-faceted in
Europe, being unique in having a plurality of adult male governing bodies (with Seniors, Juniors, Amateurs, and Welfarers - see below). It was not uncommon for a given town or county to have clubs in as many as three or four separate systems. Moves towards creating a pyramid system began in 2008 under the tenure of
Scottish Football Association (SFA) chief executive
Gordon Smith, with discussions between the SFA and the regional and junior leagues. On 7 May 2013,
Scottish Premier League clubs unanimously agreed on the introduction of a pyramid structure to Scottish football along with the reintroduction of a single governing body for the 42 clubs competing at a national level, a revised financial distribution model, and the possibility of a promotion/relegation play-off between the top two divisions.
Senior football The current system has been in place since
2013–14, when the
Scottish Professional Football League was formed by a merger of the
Scottish Premier League (tier 1) and the
Scottish Football League (tiers 2–4). At the same time, the
Lowland Football League (tier 5) was founded, and from 2014 to 2021 the leagues below (tier 6) began to be incorporated as each joined the system. For each division, its official name, number of clubs, number of games, and promotion/relegation spots are given: The leagues below level four are classed as "
non-league football", meaning they are outside the
Scottish Professional Football League and are played on a regional not a national basis. The Lowland League was created in 2013–14 and runs in parallel with the Highland League to form level five on the pyramid. Since 2014–15 the two league winners have played off against each other, with the winner then playing the team finishing 10th in League Two in a
promotion/relegation play-off for a place in the SPFL. Below the Highland League is the
Midlands League (20 clubs);
North Caledonian Football League (12 teams, including one reserve team); and the
North of Scotland Football League (31 clubs, 2 divisions). Below the Lowland League is the
East of Scotland Football League (58 clubs, including one reserve team, 4 divisions); the
South of Scotland Football League (12 clubs, including one reserve team); and the
West of Scotland Football League (80 clubs, 5 divisions). At end of season, round robin promotion play-offs take place between the winners of feeder leagues of the Highland and Lowland League respectively (subject to each club meeting licensing criteria) for promotion to tier 5. At the start of the
2024–25 season, this totalled
291 teams across 20 divisions. For the
2026–27 season, the Lowland League will split into
Lowland League East (fed by East of Scotland and Midlands Football Leagues) and
Lowland League West (fed by South of Scotland and West of Scotland Football Leagues).
Cup competitions All clubs in tier 5 and above automatically enter the
Scottish Cup, along with clubs in other divisions who are full members of the Scottish Football Association. Up to three non-SFA members can qualify for the Scottish Cup each season by winning the East, South or West leagues, or the East, South and West Cup-Winners Shield. All 42 SPFL clubs compete in the
Scottish League Cup, along with the Highland and Lowland champions, and one additional invited team. The
Scottish Challenge Cup features 30 SPFL clubs from outside the Premiership, Under 21s teams, and four from the Highland and Lowland leagues. The
SFA South Region Challenge Cup is for all 164 non-league clubs in the Lowland area (excluding reserve or B teams). The
SFA North Region Challenge Cup existed between 2007 and 2009. There are also a variety of smaller cup tournaments at league and regional level.
Junior football Of late, the
Scottish Junior Football Association (SJFA) managed two regions: the
SJFA East Region of 19 clubs; and the
SJFA North Region of 34 clubs (4 clubs withdrew for 2022–23). This represented a total of
53 teams across 3 divisions. The term 'junior' refers not to the age of the players but the level of football played. These two regions joined the pyramid system at tier 6 below the Highland League in 2021–22. Members of the SJFA, consisting of 114 teams in total from the two regions as well as the East of Scotland League and West of Scotland League (5 teams are in abeyance for 2022–23), participate in the
Scottish Junior Cup (now Scottish Communities Cup). Up to three non-SFA members can qualify for the
Scottish Cup each season by winning the Midlands League, North Superleague, or the Junior Cup. Banks O' Dee also enter senior tournaments in the
Aberdeenshire Cup and
Shield, and run an Under-20s team in the Senior development structure (the
Aberdeenshire & District League). In 2020, as part of a long process to form an integrated footballing
pyramid structure, all 63 West Region Junior clubs decided to depart and join the newly founded
West of Scotland Football League, a feeder to the Lowland League. Between 2017 and 2020 more than half of the East Region clubs departed the junior ranks, joining the senior
East of Scotland Football League which is also below the Lowland League. The remaining clubs in the East Premiership South made the same move to the East of Scotland League for season 2021–22, and the East Premiership North clubs formed the
Midlands League at tier 6 below the Highland League. The North Region also joined the pyramid structure at the same level. The northern leagues at that level entered the pyramid later in July. In February 2025, the SJFA acknowledged the request of teams participating in the East and North Regions to become autonomous within the Scottish Football Association structure, which would leave the organisation responsible for the Junior Cup only. The Junior Cup has subsequently been rebranded to the Scottish Communities Cup.
Amateur football Again separate from the above, and generally agreed to lie 'below' the senior and junior levels, are the hundreds of clubs in membership of the
Scottish Amateur Football Association which oversees 50 leagues - although this includes
Sunday League football and
futsal competitions. Prestige centres around the historic
Scottish Amateur Cup. A number of Senior and Junior clubs run reserve teams in Amateur football. Student and Police football is also affiliated to the SAFA. As of 2022–23, there are
360 teams – in 12 geographic leagues containing a total of 31 league divisions – playing Saturday football under a regular August–May season. In addition, there are
137 teams playing in four specialist Saturday Morning leagues (including one for
Glasgow Colleges Amateur Football Association) in
Dundee and
Glasgow, plus
22 teams playing in
Strathclyde Evangelical Churches Football League. There are also
90 teams playing in the Summer Saturday leagues (season 2022), most of which are located in the Highland;
244 teams are in the Sunday League system.
Saturday Leagues (Winter) Saturday Leagues (Summer) Sunday Leagues Welfare football Roughly concurrent with the Scottish Amateur Football Association is the
Scottish Welfare Football Association, which has a very low profile nationally. The SWFA was established in the aftermath of
World War I, and oversees leagues mainly operating Sunday and summer or midweek football, predominantly in the north of Scotland. From a peak of over 500 clubs, there were 158 teams in membership in November 2012, down from 238 teams in 2007. As of Season 2024 (Summer) and 2024–25 (Winter), there were 80 teams in seven geographic leagues, plus 13 clubs playing in the Warriors Premier League.
Reserve and Youth football The reserve and youth leagues are mostly governed by the relevant adult leagues. == Women's system ==