EFL clubs are set to vote next month on expanding the Championship playoffs from four to six teams, after the Football Association’s board gave its approval. The move would see two extra clubs enter the promotion race, with a new format beginning next season if passed.
The proposal, which requires a simple majority of the 72 EFL clubs and 24 Championship sides, will be decided at an extraordinary general meeting on 5 March. The EFL board has already backed the change, and the FA is understood to have given its approval in December despite opposition from the Premier League, which is concerned about a potential drop in standards.
The new format would introduce an eliminator round: the fifth-placed team would host the eighth-placed team in a one-off match, and sixth would host seventh. The winners would then face the third- and fourth-placed sides in two-legged semi-finals, with the victors meeting at Wembley for promotion to the Premier League, as is currently the case.
The EFL is confident the change will be approved, having consulted widely with clubs since the idea was first proposed at a Championship divisional meeting in September. Sky Sports, the EFL’s rights holder, has also backed the expansion, welcoming the prospect of two extra games due to the drama and jeopardy of the playoffs.
If successful, the new format could be extended to League One and League Two in subsequent seasons. The expansion has been discussed before but failed to gain sufficient traction; this time, the EFL believes the time is right for the change.
