NEW National League Systems regulations have been released for the 2018/19 season affecting how promotion and relegation will apply at the end of the campaign.

The changes have been put in place following the addition of an extra league at Steps Three and Four of the non-league pyramid.

It means that three clubs will be relegated from the National League South and Southern League Premier Division, which feature Chippenham Town and Swindon Supermarine respectively.

Meanwhile, only the winners of the Southern Premier and Southern League West below it, which features Wiltshire sides Melksham Town and Highworth Town, are guaranteed to be promoted. Additional promotion spots will be decided through a series of complex play-off matches.

Clubs finishing in the bottom three places in National League North and South at Step Two will be relegated to a feeder pool and placed in the most geographically appropriate division at Step Three for the following season.

They will be replaced by the clubs finishing first in each of the four divisions at Step Three, including the Southern League Premier, together with a further two clubs determined by a series of play-off matches.

Where a club finishes first but does not meet the criteria for participation at the next step, the club finishing second shall be promoted and the club finishing third shall be the next eligible to take part in the play-offs.

Where a club finishes in a play-off position but does not meet the criteria for participation, the club finishing in the next eligible position shall take part in instead.

In each division at Step Three, the play-off matches shall be played so that the highest placed of the eligible clubs plays against the lowest placed and the other two clubs play each other.

The winners of these matches will then play each other, resulting in one winner in each of the four Step Three divisions.

The Step Three divisional play-off winners will play a further match against each other, with the ties decided by the committee and pairing clubs on the most suitable geographical basis.

The ties will be played on a single match basis, with the home club being that with the best points per match ratio in the regular season.

If there are only three eligible clubs, then the highest placed shall receive a bye to a second match where it will play the winner of the other play-off match. Clubs finishing below seventh in the table will not be considered for play-off matches.

The promoted clubs will be placed in a feeder pool and placed in the most geographically appropriate division at Step Two.

Clubs in the bottom three places in each of the four divisions at Step Three at the end of the season will be relegated to a feeder pool and placed in the most geographically appropriate division at Step Four.

They will be replaced by the club finishing in first position in each of the seven divisions at Step Four together with a further five clubs to be determined by a series of play-off matches.

Where a Club finishes first but does not meet the criteria for participation at the next step, the club finishing second shall be promoted and the club finishing third shall be the next eligible to take part in the play-offs.

Where a club finishes in a play-off position but does not meet the criteria for participation, the club finishing in the next eligible position shall take part instead.

In each division at Step Four, the play-off matches shall be played so that the highest placed of the eligible clubs plays against the lowest placed and the other two clubs play each other.

The winners of each of the Step Four initial play-off matches will play each other and the winner of those matches shall result in seven teams eligible for promotion.

The five clubs to be promoted shall be the five clubs out of the seven divisional play-off winners with the best points per match ratio in the regular season.

If there are only three eligible clubs, then the highest placed shall receive a bye to a second match where it will play the winner of the other play-off match and the winner of that match will be promoted. Clubs finishing below seventh in the table will not be considered for the play-offs.

The promoted clubs will be placed in a feeder pool and placed in the most geographically appropriate division at Step Three.