National League matches to start three minutes late as part of drive to increase EFL promotion places
The National League, English football’s fifth division, will delay the kick-off of all matches by three minutes on November 15, as part of a campaign to increase the number of promotion places in the division.
Currently, two clubs enjoy promotion to the English Football League (EFL), with one place awarded to the league champions and one to the team that triumphs in the play-offs.
However, the National League, with the support of National League North and South teams, is now pushing for an extra place to be granted – something the EFL has so far resisted – and will, in symbolic protest, push back the start times of all 12 fixtures from November 15 to 3.03pm.
National League chairman Jack Pearce said the club “will not accept the current circumstances that prevent them from achieving parity and fairness” and claimed a number of EFL clubs had privately supported the campaign, called 3UP, which began in February 2025.
Pearce said: “Our 72 clubs, the majority of which are over a century old and well-known, simply will not accept the current circumstances which prevent them from achieving parity and fairness with every other professional team in England.
“Since the launch of 3UP, we have been contacted by a remarkable number of EFL clubs who privately support the change, but have not even had the chance, as a group of clubs, to formally discuss it.
“EFL Chairman Rick Parry said almost two years ago that the EFL “must look down as well as up” and that 3UP is a “perfectly logical argument”. We remain grateful for this broad perspective, but unfortunately no significant action has been taken by the league since then.”
Any changes to the promotion and relegation structure between the National League and League Two, the EFL said, should be part of a wider package of reforms at all levels of the game.
The rule change would require a majority of the EFL’s 72 clubs to vote in favor, as well as a majority among Championship clubs.
However, the reaction to the 3UP campaign appears to be largely positive among football fans. A recent poll commissioned by the Football Supporters’ Association found that 93% of supporters surveyed across all divisions supported the idea of an additional promotion place, with 83% of supporters following EFL clubs.
The meetings concerned on November 15 are:
Altrincham v Brackley Town
Boreham Wood v Tamworth
Braintree Town v Truro
Carlisle United v Eastleigh
Forest Green Rovers v Gateshead
Hartlepool United v Wealdstone
Rochdale v Aldershot Town
Solihull Moors v Scunthorpe United
Sutton United v FC Halifax Town
Woking v Boston United
Yeovil Town v Southend United
York City v Morecambe
