ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

National League System

Okay, imagine you love playing soccer (or football). And you are really good at it! The national league system is like a ladder or a staircase for soccer players and teams to move up and down.

At the very bottom of the ladder, we have lots and lots of small local teams. These are like kids playing soccer in their neighborhood park. They play against other small local teams in their town or city. This is called grassroots or amateur level.

Now, if a team is really good and wins many matches, they will get a chance to move up the ladder to the next level. This is like climbing up a step on the staircase. The next level is called a regional league. Here, the team will play against other teams from nearby towns or cities, not just their own. They will have to travel a bit more to go to these matches.

If a team does well enough in the regional league, they can go up another step on the ladder. This is called a semi-professional league. Here, the teams are even better and they might get paid a little bit to play. This means they can start treating football more like a job than just a hobby. They might have to travel even farther to play against teams from other parts of the country.

Now, if a team is really, really good and wins many matches at the semi-professional level, they can finally reach the top of the ladder - the professional level! This is where the big and famous football teams play. They have lots of fans, play in big stadiums, and even get to play on TV. This is where the competition is the toughest and the players are super talented.

But here's the thing, if a team doesn't do well at the professional level and loses too many matches, they might have to go down a step on the ladder. This means they will have to play in a lower league, against less famous teams, and maybe even in smaller stadiums. This is like going down the stairs.

So, the national league system is like a big staircase that allows football teams to climb up if they do well and go down if they don't do so well. It helps to organize the teams and make sure they are playing against other teams of similar skills and abilities. And who knows, if you keep playing and practicing, maybe one day you can play for a team in the national league system too!