Non-league players fear financial ruin as they are set to earn as little as £200 per month in May and June — with no current chance to make up the shortfall by joining a new club in July.
Many contracts in the National League include dramatic reductions in salary for players in the final stages of their deals.
Though most expire on June 30, the lack of football in May and June means the agreements are structured so players receive the majority of their money when they are in competitive action.
This will have a particularly strong impact in the top tier of the National League, where the vast majority of clubs are full-time.
And last week the the National League advised clubs in its three divisions to vote to end the regular season.
Though some players earn more than £1,000 per week, a typical non-league salary is thought to be around the £600-700 per week mark, with others on far less.
These deals are often heavily performance-related, with attractive bonuses for wins, goals and clean sheets - which have been unattainable since the leagues were suspended in mid-March.
Many players may therefore be forced to look for other short-term work to ensure they have an income for as long the coronavirus crisis prevents games from taking place.
Under normal circumstances, a large number of these players would be able to arrange to join new clubs on July 1, but the uncertainty over when football will resume means they little chance of doing so this year.
FIFA have proposed that contracts expiring on June 30 be extended to allow players to complete seasons, though this may be more difficult to deliver in practice.
To make matters more complicated, several clubs in the three National League divisions have furloughed playing staff, meaning the out-of-contract players’ pay for May and June could be even lower than they were expecting.
The National League was suspended indefinitely following a board meeting on March 31.