2021–22 National League
The 2021–22 National League season, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, was the seventh season as English football's National League, the nineteenth season consisting of three divisions, and the forty-third season overall.
| Season | 2021–22 |
|---|---|
← 2020–21 2022–23 → | |
Due to the curtailment of the preceding season for North and South and lower levels of competition in the English football pyramid, promotion and relegation between levels 5 and 6, and between level 6 and lower levels were suspended. These, combined with the folding of Macclesfield Town in 2020–21 and the knock-on effects of Bury's collapse in 2019–20, meant that for the 2021–22 season the three divisions had the irregular complement of 23, 22 and 21 teams, respectively.
In 2019, prior to these COVID-19 related impacts, the league had intended the 2021–22 season to be the first using a new structure in which the number of teams in its North and South divisions would increase, resulting in three 24-team divisions. On 1 July 2021, the National League confirmed its intent to achieve this structure for the 2022–23 season; accordingly the following adjustments to promotion and relegation were in effect for this season:
- As before, two teams were promoted from the National League to League Two and replaced by two teams relegated from it;
- Three teams were relegated from the National League to the two level 6 divisions, and replaced by four teams (two from each of the National League North and South); and
- Two teams were relegated from the two level 6 divisions (one from the National League North and another from the National League South) to the premier divisions of the Northern Premier League, Southern League Central or South, or Isthmian League, and replaced by eight teams (two from each division). The Football Association already clarified these relegations by November.