What is promotion and relegation?

Each season the best teams in a league move up a level and the worst move down. There are no franchises: any club can climb from the semi-pro leagues to the Premier League, as Wrexham have been doing since 2023.

How do play-offs work in English football?

In the Championship, the teams finishing 3rd to 6th play two-legged semi-finals, then a one-off final at Wembley. The winner takes the last promotion place. The title itself has no play-off: the team with the most points wins the league.

What league are Wrexham in?

The Championship, the second tier, in 2026-27. Promotion from it is into the Premier League.

What cups do English clubs play in?

The FA Cup, open to hundreds of clubs from every level; the EFL Cup (the Carabao Cup) for the 92 Premier League and EFL clubs; and the EFL Trophy for League One and League Two clubs plus invited academy sides.

When can English clubs sign players?

In two transfer windows: the summer window, which runs until the start of September, and the January window. Loans let a club borrow a player for part or all of a season.

How English football works

English football is a pyramid with no franchises: every season the top teams in each league are promoted and the bottom ones relegated, so a club can rise from the semi-pro game to the Premier League. Wrexham are in the Championship, the second tier, where the top two go up automatically and the next four play off for the third place.

The pyramid

Tier	League	Size	Up and down
1	Premier League	20 clubs	Bottom 3 go down
2	Championship (Wrexham, 2026-27)	24 clubs	Top 2 up; 3rd to 6th play off for the third place; bottom 3 down
3	League One	24 clubs	Top 2 up; 3rd to 6th play off; bottom 4 down
4	League Two	24 clubs	Top 3 up; 4th to 7th play off; bottom 2 down
5	National League	24 clubs	Champions up; 2nd to 7th play off; bottom clubs drop to the regional leagues

Sources: English football league system, English Football League (Wikipedia).

What it means for Wrexham

Wrexham were in the National League, the fifth tier, when Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds took over in 2021. Three promotions in a row, in 2023, 2024 and 2025, took them to the Championship, one step from the Premier League. Follow the live race on are Wrexham in the Premier League?, and every season since 2020 on season by season.

The EFL has 72 clubs across the Championship, League One and League Two. Together with the 20 Premier League clubs they are the 92 "league" clubs. Below them, the National League is the top of the semi-professional game.

Watching from the US? Wrexham for US fans has game times in ET and PT, and how to watch covers Paramount+ and CBS.

The new Kop under construction at the Racecourse, June 2026

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Quick answers

What is promotion and relegation?: Each season the best teams in a league move up a level and the worst move down. There are no franchises: any club can climb from the semi-pro leagues to the Premier League, as Wrexham have been doing since 2023.
How do play-offs work in English football?: In the Championship, the teams finishing 3rd to 6th play two-legged semi-finals, then a one-off final at Wembley. The winner takes the last promotion place. The title itself has no play-off: the team with the most points wins the league.
What league are Wrexham in?: The Championship, the second tier, in 2026-27. Promotion from it is into the Premier League.
What cups do English clubs play in?: The FA Cup, open to hundreds of clubs from every level; the EFL Cup (the Carabao Cup) for the 92 Premier League and EFL clubs; and the EFL Trophy for League One and League Two clubs plus invited academy sides.
When can English clubs sign players?: In two transfer windows: the summer window, which runs until the start of September, and the January window. Loans let a club borrow a player for part or all of a season.