At the end of the current season, the club that finishes top of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division shall be promoted to Step 4. Should the team finishing top decline promotion to Step 4 then they will be relegated to Step 6.

In addition, the second placed club will be ranked, on an ‘average points per game’ basis, amongst the eleven second placed clubs from eleven of the fourteen Step 5 Divisions (this excludes North West Counties League, Northern League and Northern Counties East). The first four second-placed clubs in this ranking will be automatically promoted to Step 4. The remaining seven clubs will take part in a single play-off match against one of the teams that finished bottom of a Step 4 Division. The match will take place on the ground of the Step 4 club. These matches will be arranged to be as geographically appropriate as possible. The winner of each match will play at Step 4 in the 2021-22 season and the loser will play at Step 5.

The team that finished bottom of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division will be ranked, on an ‘average points per game’ basis amongst the bottom clubs from each of the fourteen Step 5 Divisions. The twelve lowest ranked clubs will be relegated to Step 6.

The top four clubs playing in each of the Eastern Counties League First Division (North) and the Eastern Counties League First Division (South) shall be promoted to Step 5.

The teams finishing in the bottom two places in each of the Eastern Counties League First Division (North) and the Eastern Counties League First Division (South) will be liable to relegation.

All clubs promoted or relegated within the National League System will be placed in an appropriate geographical division by the Leagues Committee of the Football Association.