The English Football League (EFL) has confirmed a radical change to the Championship play-offs, expanding them from four to six teams starting next season. The decision was approved by EFL clubs in a vote on Thursday morning.
Under the new format, the team finishing eighth in the Championship could be promoted to the Premier League in 2027, alongside the two automatic promotion spots. Teams finishing third and fourth will progress directly to the semi-finals, while fifth will host eighth and sixth will host seventh in one-legged quarter-finals. The semi-finals remain two-legged, culminating in the final at Wembley.
EFL chief executive Trevor Birch stated: 'Since their introduction in 1986/87, the Play-Offs have become a highlight of the domestic football calendar. Following several months of discussion with Clubs and other stakeholders, we are confident this change will further strengthen the Championship as a competition and give more Clubs and their supporters a genuine opportunity of achieving promotion.'
The proposal, which has split opinion among supporters, mirrors the six-team format used in the National League since 2017-18, though that competition features one-legged semi-finals. The EFL says the change will 'increase the number of competitive fixtures during the closing stages of the campaign'.
Meanwhile, a separate general meeting is scheduled for next week to discuss the National League's '3UP' campaign, which calls for three promotion spots from the fifth tier. Currently, only two teams are promoted from the National League.
