The National League is preparing to shutdown the season by cancelling all remaining fixtures in a move which could set a significant precedent for professional football.

The decision, which could be made this week, would have a knock-on effect for the EFL and Premier League, who have said they are committed to completing the campaign.

The top two tiers of England's non-league system are currently suspended until April 3, but the National League is reluctant to follow the professional game in extending the postponement, with clubs fearing for their futures and eager for certainty.

If the National League and Football Association opt to cancel the outstanding fixtures, they are not expected to immediately determine the outcome of the unfinished season, which could yet be declared null and void or decided on a points-per-game basis.

Voiding the season entirely would lead to further complications because the EFL is currently one club short of 72 following the expulsion of Bury.

Barrow are four points clear at the top of the National League with nine fixtures remaining and targeting an historic return to the Football League for the first time since 1971-72 but Harrogate and Notts County are among the clubs who could also finish top.

Handing Barrow promotion and scrapping the National League play-offs could result in legal challenges, while if the EFL opt to void relegations from League Two, it would lead to significant questions about the integrity of the competition, should it resume.

The Isthmian Premier League, the Northern Premier League and Southern Leagues – which make up steps three and four of non-league – said last night they are "unanimous in wanting to terminate the 2019-20 season immediately" but could not determine the final placements until the National League has officially reached a decision.

In now-deleted tweets by the Essex Senior League last night, the FA had reportedly told clubs at steps 5 and 6 that their season "must end immediately".

In Pictures | Every major sporting event affected by coronavirus 30 show all In Pictures | Every major sporting event affected by coronavirus 1/30 Action Images via Reuters 2/30 Euro 2020 The European Championship will now be playing from June 11 to July 11 in 2021. AP 3/30 Premier League The Premier League has been postponed until April 3, with a view to fixtures being held on April 4 at the earliest. Getty Images 4/30 EFL The EFL - the Championship, League 1 and League 2 - will see no further action until April 3 at the earliest.



Grassroots football has been postponed until further notice. Getty Images 5/30 Champions League The remaining last-16 ties, and future draws for the quarter-finals and beyond, have been postponed indefinitely. UEFA via Getty Images 6/30 Europa League As with the Champions League, the remaining Europa League last-16 ties and future draws have been postponed indefinitely. UEFA via Getty Images 7/30 LaLiga All professional leagues in Spain have been postponed for the next two weeks. AFP via Getty Images 8/30 Bundesliga All games have been suspended until April 2. Bongarts/Getty Images 9/30 England internationals Scheduled friendlies against both Italy and Denmark for late March have been cancelled. Getty Images 10/30 Scottish football All Scottish Premiership and Scottish Football League fixtures have been postponed until further notice. Getty Images 11/30 Six Nations Ireland vs Italy (March 7) and Italy vs England and France vs Ireland (March 8) postponed. Guinness Pro14 has been suspended indefinitely. REUTERS 12/30 French Open The French Open is the first grand slam to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, moving from May to September. AFP via Getty Images 13/30 London Marathon The 2020 London Marathon has been moved to October 4.



The London Landmarks Half Marathon has been postponed, with a new date yet to be confirmed. AFP via Getty Images 14/30 Olympic Games Tokyo will now host the Olympics in 2021, with new dates yet to be confirmed. AFP via Getty Images 15/30 Grand National Locked gates at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool, following yesterday's announcement that the 2020 Randox Health Grand National, due to take place on Saturday April 4, 2020, has been cancelled PA 16/30 Horseracing The Grand National has been called off. PA 17/30 Premiership Rugby Cup Final The final between Sale and Harlequins on Sunday 15 March has been postponed Getty Images 18/30 Rugby League Rugby Football League and Super League has been suspended until April 3. Getty Images 19/30 Athletics World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China (Mar 13-15) called off.



Paris Marathon (Apr 5) postponed until Oct 18 and Rome Marathon (Mar 29) cancelled.



Boston Marathon (Apr 20) also postponed. AFP via Getty Images 20/30 Basketball NBA season suspended “until further notice”. USA TODAY Sports 21/30 Baseball MLB season delayed for at least two weeks. REUTERS 22/30 Cricket England's tour of Sri Lanka has been called off due to coronavirus.



The 2020 IPL season has been postponed until April 15. PA 23/30 Cycling UAE Tour race cancelled with two stages left, while Team INEOS among teams to withdraw from racing until Mar 23. AFP via Getty Images 24/30 Darts European Darts Grand Prix in Sindelfingen, European Darts Open in Leverkusen and next month’s German Darts Grand Prix in Munich cancelled as well as the Rotterdam leg of the Premier League. Getty Images 25/30 Golf The Masters has been postponed, following a similar fate for the Players Championship at Sawgrass.



Meanwhile, the European Tour postponements include the Maybank Championship, China Open, Kenya Open, Indian Open and Czech Masters.



Next three tournaments on LPGA Tour postponed. Getty Images 26/30 Ice Hockey NHL season has been suspended. AP 27/30 Ice Skating World Short Track Speed Skating Championships (Mar 13-15) and World Figure Skating Championships (Mar 16-22) cancelled. Getty Images 28/30 Motorsport Sunday’s opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne called off, followed soon by Bahrain and Vietnam GPs.



Formula E races at Sanya, Rome and Jakarta postponed, while the opening four races of the MotoGP season in Qatar, Thailand, US and Argentina called off. AFP via Getty Images 29/30 Snooker China Open (Mar 30-Apr 5) in Beijing cancelled. Getty Images 30/30 Other tennis ATP and WTA Tours suspended until late April. Major tournaments that have fallen include Paribas Open at Indian Wells while next month’s Fed Cup finals in Budapest and Fed Cup play-offs, due to be held in eight locations, are off. Getty Images 1/30 Action Images via Reuters 2/30 Euro 2020 The European Championship will now be playing from June 11 to July 11 in 2021. AP 3/30 Premier League The Premier League has been postponed until April 3, with a view to fixtures being held on April 4 at the earliest. Getty Images 4/30 EFL The EFL - the Championship, League 1 and League 2 - will see no further action until April 3 at the earliest.



Grassroots football has been postponed until further notice. Getty Images 5/30 Champions League The remaining last-16 ties, and future draws for the quarter-finals and beyond, have been postponed indefinitely. UEFA via Getty Images 6/30 Europa League As with the Champions League, the remaining Europa League last-16 ties and future draws have been postponed indefinitely. UEFA via Getty Images 7/30 LaLiga All professional leagues in Spain have been postponed for the next two weeks. AFP via Getty Images 8/30 Bundesliga All games have been suspended until April 2. Bongarts/Getty Images 9/30 England internationals Scheduled friendlies against both Italy and Denmark for late March have been cancelled. Getty Images 10/30 Scottish football All Scottish Premiership and Scottish Football League fixtures have been postponed until further notice. Getty Images 11/30 Six Nations Ireland vs Italy (March 7) and Italy vs England and France vs Ireland (March 8) postponed. Guinness Pro14 has been suspended indefinitely. REUTERS 12/30 French Open The French Open is the first grand slam to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, moving from May to September. AFP via Getty Images 13/30 London Marathon The 2020 London Marathon has been moved to October 4.



The London Landmarks Half Marathon has been postponed, with a new date yet to be confirmed. AFP via Getty Images 14/30 Olympic Games Tokyo will now host the Olympics in 2021, with new dates yet to be confirmed. AFP via Getty Images 15/30 Grand National Locked gates at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool, following yesterday's announcement that the 2020 Randox Health Grand National, due to take place on Saturday April 4, 2020, has been cancelled PA 16/30 Horseracing The Grand National has been called off. PA 17/30 Premiership Rugby Cup Final The final between Sale and Harlequins on Sunday 15 March has been postponed Getty Images 18/30 Rugby League Rugby Football League and Super League has been suspended until April 3. Getty Images 19/30 Athletics World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China (Mar 13-15) called off.



Paris Marathon (Apr 5) postponed until Oct 18 and Rome Marathon (Mar 29) cancelled.



Boston Marathon (Apr 20) also postponed. AFP via Getty Images 20/30 Basketball NBA season suspended “until further notice”. USA TODAY Sports 21/30 Baseball MLB season delayed for at least two weeks. REUTERS 22/30 Cricket England's tour of Sri Lanka has been called off due to coronavirus.



The 2020 IPL season has been postponed until April 15. PA 23/30 Cycling UAE Tour race cancelled with two stages left, while Team INEOS among teams to withdraw from racing until Mar 23. AFP via Getty Images 24/30 Darts European Darts Grand Prix in Sindelfingen, European Darts Open in Leverkusen and next month’s German Darts Grand Prix in Munich cancelled as well as the Rotterdam leg of the Premier League. Getty Images 25/30 Golf The Masters has been postponed, following a similar fate for the Players Championship at Sawgrass.



Meanwhile, the European Tour postponements include the Maybank Championship, China Open, Kenya Open, Indian Open and Czech Masters.



Next three tournaments on LPGA Tour postponed. Getty Images 26/30 Ice Hockey NHL season has been suspended. AP 27/30 Ice Skating World Short Track Speed Skating Championships (Mar 13-15) and World Figure Skating Championships (Mar 16-22) cancelled. Getty Images 28/30 Motorsport Sunday’s opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne called off, followed soon by Bahrain and Vietnam GPs.



Formula E races at Sanya, Rome and Jakarta postponed, while the opening four races of the MotoGP season in Qatar, Thailand, US and Argentina called off. AFP via Getty Images 29/30 Snooker China Open (Mar 30-Apr 5) in Beijing cancelled. Getty Images 30/30 Other tennis ATP and WTA Tours suspended until late April. Major tournaments that have fallen include Paribas Open at Indian Wells while next month’s Fed Cup finals in Budapest and Fed Cup play-offs, due to be held in eight locations, are off. Getty Images

In a statement, the governing body insisted no decisions on the National League and below had been made, with a spokesperson saying: "We remain in regular dialogue and consultation with all stakeholders regarding next steps across both the Men’s and Women’s National League Pyramid and grassroots football, following the impact of the Coronavirus. No official decision has been made yet, but we will make a further announcement at the appropriate time. Our primary concern is for the safety and welfare of clubs, players, staff and supporters during this unprecedented time."

The FA are understood to want the same situation to apply all the way down the pyramid.

Meanwhile, the National League have met with the FA to appeal for government support of £17million to ensure all 68 clubs remain afloat during the shutdown. The figure works out at exactly £250,000 per club.

In the absence of fixtures, non-league clubs are facing an unprecedented cashflow crisis and many are due to pay their contracted staff this week.

Some of the shortfall could be covered by the government scheme to pay 80 percent of wages to furloughed workers, although it is still unclear if it applies to footballers.