NON-LEAGUE football is currently on track to return from September, according to the Football Association.

The FA has outlined four scenarios for the start of the 2020/21 season, following a meeting with representatives from steps five and six of the National League System on Friday.

Scenario one would see an August start with a normal season to be played, with all leagues and cups being played in full.

The second scenario, which the FA currently sees as the most likely option, would see the season begin in either September or October and would ensure all leagues would be played in full but League and County cups would not run.

Scenario three is for a November-January restart, which would mean either half seasons (i.e. teams play each other once) or splitting divisions in half to create two regional sub-divisions.

The final scenario is a post-January restart, which may mean leagues are held over until the 2021/22 season.

According to the South West Peninsula League, the FA stated in the meeting that the most likely current scenario would be a September start, although this was by no means guaranteed.

While the start date is still up in the air, it was confirmed that all steps (one to seven) of the pyramid must begin at the same time, and games behind closed doors will not be permitted.

The FA stated that competitions in the NLS will only restart when the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport gives approval and is subject to any conditions that the DCMS makes.

With regards to FA competitions, the FA still intends to run the FA Cup and FA Vase in full, but that may not be possible.

Pre-season will occur before matches begin, but the FA is not as yet prepared to say what duration in weeks that timeframe would be.

The FA also offered flexibility with regards to the normal end of April deadline to finish the non-league season, which can be extended into May.

The FA will require all clubs at any level of the game to produce and publish a risk assessment and/or action plans to ensure they are Covid secure.

This risk assessment will cover a return to full training and matches, the use of facilities including clubhouses and dressing rooms, travel to and from training and matches, and the volunteer workforce at each club.

A contingency plan should next season also be curtailed due to a second wave of coronavirus was also discussed, with a move for leagues to be decided by points per game mooted, although no decision was made.

The next FA meeting will be on July 14.

League Cup could be culled

South West Peninsula League secretary Phil Hiscox has also provided an update on the Walter C Parson League Cup, which Falmouth Town reached the semi-finals of in their final game of the season on March 11.

The five sides still involved in the 2019/20 competition, namely Town, Mousehole, Bovey Tracey, Millbrook and Elmore, will be contacted next week to seek their views on playing the outstanding ties.

The SWPL had originally decided in April to play the remaining ties during pre-season, although it is unclear as to whether this proposal will remain.

Should the League Cup be unable to run in full, the SWPL has provided a fresh proposal to allow playoffs between the top clubs in the SWPL Premier East and West divisions to qualify for the semi-finals of the cup, with ties to be played in May 2021.