2021–22 Southern Football League
The 2021–22 Southern Football League season was the 119th in the history of the Southern League since its establishment in 1894. The league has two Premier divisions (Central and South) at Step 3 of the National League System (NLS) and two Division One divisions (Central and South) at Step 4. These correspond to levels 7 and 8 of the English football league system. The allocations for Step 4 this season were announced by The Football Association (FA) on 17 May 2021. The scheduled restructuring of the non-League system took place at the end of the  2020–21 season and a new division was added to the Northern Premier League at Step 4 for 2021–22, which resulted in some reallocations into or out of, and promotions to, the Southern League's Step 4 divisions. Premier Division Central. Premier Division Central comprises 21 teams, one fewer than the set of 22 which competed in the aborted competition the previous season. Transferred to Premier Division South Premier Division Central table. <onlyinclude></onlyinclude> Premier Division South. Premier Division South comprises 22 teams, 20 of which competed in the previous season. Returned after one-season absence Team changes. Transferred from  Premier Division Central Premier Division South table. <onlyinclude></onlyinclude> Division One Central. Division One Central comprises 20 teams, 14 of which competed in the aborted competition the previous season. Transferred from the Isthmian League South Central Division Team changes. Promoted from the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division Transferred to the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands Division One Central league table. <onlyinclude></onlyinclude> Division One South. Division One South comprises 19 teams, 17 of which competed in the aborted competition the previous season. Moneyfields' voluntary relegation left a vacancy in this division. Promoted from the Wessex League  Premier Division Team changes. Promoted from the Western League Premier Division Transferred to the Isthmian League South Central Division Relegated to the Wessex League Premier Division Division One South league table. <onlyinclude></onlyinclude> Relegation reprieves. Step 3. Seven clubs at Step 3, all four fourth-from-bottom teams and those placed third-from-bottom that are the top three on a points per game (PPG) basis, were reprieved from relegation. The remaining team was relegated to Step 4. The final points-per-game ranking of the third-from-bottom placed teams in Step 3 divisions was as follows: Source : Step 4. Ten of the 16 clubs at Step 4, all eight fourth-from-bottom teams and two clubs placed third-from-bottom, one at the top and the other in third place on a points per game (PPG) basis, were reprieved from contesting relegation play-offs. The FA granted third-placed Sheffield a reprieve after demoting Yorkshire Amateur from the Northern Premier League for non-compliance with Step 4 ground grading reuqirements. The remaining six teams contested one-off matches with six runners-up from Step 5 that had the fewest PPG at the end of the 2021–22 season . Three winners of their matches stayed at Step 4 for the 2022–23 season, while three others lost theirs and were relegated to Step 5. The final points-per-game ranking of the 3rd-from-bottom-placed teams in Step 4 divisions was also as follows: Source: