The FA is considering allowing WSL and Championship B teams to compete in the Women’s National League from the 2026/27 season.

The proposal comes as a part of a plan to restructure the lower tiers of the English women’s football pyramid, with the expansion of the regional leagues also up in the air. A document outlining the potential changes has been sent to clubs, allowing them to have a say in the pyramid overhaul.

If the proposal goes through, WSL and Championship sides will be allowed to enter their B teams anywhere between the fourth and sixth tiers. To keep things balanced, no B team can achieve promotion higher than tier three, and all teams must play in a league at least two tiers below their first team.

Expanded leagues offer more spaces for not only B teams from the top two tiers, but National League reserves to get their time on the pitch. With the number of teams increasing to 420 from 366 in tiers three through six, and a potential 52 vacancies in the sixth tier alone, women’s football just got bigger than ever before.

Though an expansion of the lower leagues is something many have wanted for years, there are concerns over the inclusion of B teams from the top tiers. With the disparity in funding apparent even within the WSL and Championship, the access to resources and facilities that Manchester City or Arsenal’s B team would have compared to a club like Bournemouth or Leeds would only highlight those discrepancies.

An official decision won’t be made until later this year, but big changes could be coming to the football pyramid very soon.

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