The Football Association of Ireland has launched a third tier in the League of Ireland pyramid.
The National League will be integrated into the existing football pyramid in Ireland, offering a route for promotion and relegation to and from the League of Ireland.
The FAI aims to recruit 20 clubs in total for the new League, split into North and South divisions.
The teams will play against other teams in their respective divisions first to qualify for playoffs, where top teams from North and South will compete for a chance to be promoted to the LOI Men’s First Division.
Conversely, teams from the LOI Men’s First Division may face relegation to the National League.
It is the first time a third tier has been active in the league of Ireland since the A Championship ceased after the 2011 season.
The A Championship consisted of reserve teams from top flight League of Ireland sides as well as the likes of Castlebar Celtic, Fanad United, FC Carlow and Tullamore Town.
CK United (Carlow/Kilkenny), Klub Kildare and Mayo FC are currently running teams within the League of Ireland at academy level.
For the latest Waterford News and Sport, tune into WLR News on the hour and download the WLR App for news on demand.
