The BSF’s 2023 NSL league season came to a conclusion on the weekend of 29-30 July at Farnham Park, with Championships 
determined, promotion and relegation issues mostly settled and qualifications for the NSL1 and NSL2 Nationals in September decided.
Although a full schedule of NSL league games was completed on the weekend, rain that descended on Sunday afternoon prevented the usual playoff games, which have no bearing on the league standings, from being played.
NSL1
NSL1 has a new champion this year, with Legends following up on their table-topping performances on the first two NSL weekends in May and June by doing enough on the final weekend to hang on to the top spot, even though they could only finish fifth on the weekend.
Instead, it was the Greensox who surprisingly topping the table.
For the Greensox, success on the final weekend allowed them to avoid relegation, but for Legends, winning the NSL1 title means they will qualify for the European Co-ed Slowpitch Super Cup in 2025, as qualification is now based on league standings rather than on winning the NSL1 Nationals.
The usual suspects, Pioneers and Chromies, finished second and third in the final NSL1 table, the 2019 National Champion Knights finished fourth, and last year’s National Champions, H2O, finished fifth.
The two teams relegated to NSL2 for 2024 are the KKs and Tempest, with the Spittin’ Camels, Greensox and Tigers all having their best NSL results of the season on the final weekend to pull themselves out of danger.
The top eight teams in the final NSL1 standings will contest the NSL1 Nationals to be played on the weekend of 2-3 September at Farnham Park. The top eight includes the Spittin' Camels, who were promoted to NSL1 at the end of last season.
NSL2
The Mob topped the NSL2 table in May, finished second in June, and topped the table again in July.
This was enough for The Mob to finish as 2023 NSL2 Champions, just a single game ahead of the second place Blitz Bombers, and both of these teams will be playing in NSL1 next season.
The MK NSL Team had their best weekend of the season, going 3-3 over the two days, but it wasn’t quite enough to save them from relegation. MK will be playing in NSL3 next season along with the Ninos.
The top eight teams in the final NSL2 standings will contest the NSL2 Nationals at Farnham Park on 2-3 September. The two draws earned during the course of the season by the Terriers and Blitz Havoc turned out to be the difference between making the Nationals and finishing just out of the running. Blitz Havoc were only promoted to NSL2 at the end of last season.
NSL3
The Meerkats and Bracknell NSL were fighting for the lead in NSL3 all season, though it was the Sharks who topped the table on the final weekend.
But it was the consistency of Bracknell – the team that finished dead last in last year’s eight-team NSL3 – that brought them the title of Champions, and Bracknell and the Meerkats will be tasting the more rarified air of NSL2 next year.
How did Bracknell turn their fortunes around so dramatically? For Bracknell’s Paul Vernon, the answer was quite straightforward: “We had a far more settled squad this season over the three tournaments and everyone got a break: there's a definite physical benefit to being able to sit the odd game. Last season we were pretty effective in the first and third tournaments but the second tournament was our downfall due to a large number of players not being available. I feel like a lot of hard work over a period of years is coming to fruition. Most of the players on the NSL squad started playing seven or eight years ago. I'd say we do a pretty good job of following a philosophy of working hard, having fun, and being relentlessly supportive of each other.”
Meanwhile, there are still some unsettled issues for NSL3.
The provision of extra pitches at Farnham Park this September by the Council has made it possible to have an NSL3 Nationals alongside the NSL1 and NSL2 Nationals on 2-3 September if enough teams are interested, and BSF Competitions Officer Liz Graham consulted the teams to find out if enough would be interested.
The outcome was positive, and the 2023 NSL3 Nationals will be contested by the following teams: Bees, fOXes, Panthers, Southern Stormers, SPAM, Storm, and Tempest 2.
The issue of relegation from NSL3 also remains to be determined, and will depend on whether a 12-team NSL3 will continue next year or is replaced by two NSL3 divisions with eight teams each, allowing four more teams to join the NSL structure.
The latter can only happen if more grass pitches are available at Farnham Park next year than were available this year, and while we wait for that to be determined by the Council, consultation with NSL3 teams is ongoing.
If NSL3 continues as a 12-team division next year, then Panthers and Maidenhead will be relegated out of NSL3 and replaced by two new teams.