Last updated : Sunday, 30 June 2024
FA Women's National League
The FA Women's National League (FAWNL) is a group of six football divisions in England. It is the third and fourth tiers of the women's football pyramid, below the FA Women's Super League and the Women's Championship.
History
The FAWNL was founded in 1991 as the WFA National League. It was renamed the FA Women's Premier League in 1997. In 2014, the league was restructured and rebranded as the FAWNL.
Format
The FAWNL consists of two tiers: the Northern Premier Division and the Southern Premier Division. Each division is further divided into two groups of 12 teams. The top teams from each group at the end of the season are promoted to the next tier, while the bottom teams are relegated to the next tier.
There are also four regional divisions in the FAWNL: Division One North, Division One Midlands, Division One South East, and Division One South West. These divisions are all at the fourth tier of the women's football pyramid.
Cup competitions
The FAWNL also has two cup competitions: the FA Women's National League Cup and the FA Women's National League Plate. The FAWNL Cup is contested by all teams in the FAWNL, while the FAWNL Plate is contested by teams in the regional divisions.