Tier 1: Cymru Premier At the top is the
Cymru Premier, which is the only national league in Wales and is run by the
Football Association of Wales.
Tier 2: Cymru North and Cymru South Following a review of the Welsh league pyramid, since 2019–20 the
Football Association of Wales runs the second tier for the first time. Tier 2 is split into a north and central Wales league,
Cymru North, and a corresponding league for south Wales,
Cymru South. The champions of each of these leagues can be promoted to the Cymru Premier, subject to acceptable ground facilities, and if the champions cannot meet the criteria the runner-up team may be considered. The Cymru North replaced the
Cymru Alliance whilst the Cymru South incorporated most of the clubs of the then highest division of the
Welsh Football League.
Tier 3: Ardal Leagues Following a review of the Welsh league pyramid, since the 2020–21 season the
Football Association of Wales has run the third tier. Tier 3, called the
Ardal Leagues, is split into a Northern and Southern League, with each league further divided into two regionally based divisions, giving North East, North West, South East and South West leagues, each consisting of a maximum of 16 clubs. To avoid dividing the previous Mid-Wales teams across all four leagues, the North-East league contains a large contingent of the Mid-Wales teams. The North-West league contains the sides near the North Wales coast. To be eligible to join the league, clubs need to meet the criteria for FAW tier 3 certification. The new structure replaces the former tier 3 leagues:
Welsh Football League Division One,
Mid Wales Football League Division One,
Welsh Alliance League Division 1 and the
Welsh National League Premier Division, which were based in South Wales, Mid Wales, North West Wales and North East Wales respectively. Three clubs are relegated from each of the tier 3 leagues at the end of each season.
Tier 4: Area leagues Below this are six local tier 4 leagues, each run by one of the area associations of Welsh football: •
Central Wales Football League (run by Central Wales Football Association) •
North East Wales Football League Premier Division (run by North East Wales Football Association) •
North Wales Coast East Football League Premier Division and
North Wales Coast West Football League Premier Division (run by North Wales Coast Football Association) •
Gwent Premier League Premier Division (run by Gwent County Football Association) •
West Wales Premier League (run by the
West Wales Football Association) •
South Wales Premier League Premier Division (run by South Wales Football Association) The winners of each league are eligible for promotion to the Ardal Leagues subject to meeting FAW tier 3 certification. In the event that winners do not meet the criteria, the runner-up is also eligible for promotion, again subject to meeting the same tier 3 certification requirements.
Lower tier leagues North Wales Below the
North Wales Coast East and
West there are Division One leagues at tier 5 and
North East Wales Football League has a championship division, also at tier 5.
Central Wales In this area there are four leagues at tier 5: the
Ceredigion League, the
Montgomeryshire League, the
Mid Wales South League, and the
Aberystwyth League. These offer promotion to the tier 4
Central Wales Football League Northern and Southern divisions.
South Wales Local leagues are affiliated to Gwent County FA, South Wales FA, and West Wales FA respectively, with promotion up the pyramid possible. In the Gwent County FA Area, clubs from the
Newport and District,
East Gwent,
Gwent Central and
North Gwent leagues have a promotion pathway to Division Two of the
Gwent County League (tier 6). Champions (or runners-up) of these leagues are eligible for promotion if they satisfy FAW criteria. The
South Wales Alliance League offers a promotion pathway to leagues affiliated to the South Wales Football Association. Champions of local leagues in the towns and cities of South Wales play off to be promoted into the South Wales Alliance Division Two (tier 6), subject to meeting licensing requirements. The West Wales FA area has had its own
Premier League since its creation in 2020, having previously having been the only FA area to not have one. Promotion to this tier 4 league is possible from the champions of the
Pembrokeshire,
Carmarthenshire,
Swansea Senior and
Neath & District Leagues, subject to meeting FAW licensing requirements. The top divisions of each of these leagues are at tier 5. ==Current system (until 2025-26)==