EFL Championship play-offs revamp - what the approved changes mean & when will they come into effect?
Everything you need to know regarding the EFL Championship play-offs changes including new format, structure, the number of teams & why clubs opted to vote in favour of the change.
EFL Clubs have agreed an historic change to the format of the Championship play-offs, with six teams set to feature from next season (2026/27) onwards.
The decision is intended to increase the number of competitive fixtures during the closing stages of the campaign, while also giving two additional clubs the opportunity to reach the Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium and progress to the Premier League.
EFL Chief Executive, Trevor Birch, said: "Since their introduction in 1986/87, the Play-Offs have become a highlight of the domestic football calendar, capturing the drama, suspense and jeopardy that make the EFL so special.
"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."
Here's everything you need to know about the changes...
How many teams will make up the EFL Championship play-offs?
Under the current guise, four teams feature in the EFL Championship play-offs, teams finishing third, fourth, fifth and sixth.
However, from the 2026/27 campaign, the number of teams will expand to six, with those finishing seventh and eighth also qualifying.
What is the new structure of the EFL Championship play-offs?
The changes will see see seventh and eighth in the table play one-off fixtures at the grounds of the teams finishing sixth and fifth respectively.
The winners of those matches will then play two-legged ties against teams finishing third and fourth, before the two victors meet in a one-off encounter at a neutral venue for a lucrative spot in the Premier League.
The EFL have also stated that exact final format will be agreed later in 2026.
EFL Championship new play-offs structure
Round One:
Fifth v Eighth
Sixth v Seventh
Semi-Finals:
Fifth / Eighth v Fourth - 1st Leg
Fourth v Fifth / Eighth - 2nd Leg
Sixth / Seventh v Third - 1st Leg
Third v Sixth / Seventh - 2nd Leg
Final:
Semi Final 1 Winner v Semi-Final 2 Winner
Why did EFL Championship clubs want to make the change?
The idea of the change was to offer more clubs the opportunity of securing a spot in the Premier League given the opinion within England's second tier that parachute payments have distorted the competition and made it much harder for clubs without those extra payments to compete at the top end of the table.
It was also acknowledged that the revamp would minimise the number of dead rubber matches towards the end of the season, thus adding more high-profile / important games to the calendar.
Will the changes be implemented this season?
All agreed changes to the play-off system in the second-tier will come into effect from the 2026/27 season meaning there is no chance that any changes would be made to the current campaign.
Given the competition has already started, EFL rules stipulate that no changes can be implemented after the first game of the season.
Could League One & League Two implement similar play-off revamps?
In theory the move could be applied to League One and League Two, although it's understood there would be greater resistance from clubs operating in those leagues to that of the Championship.
One complexity is that the National League has repeated its calls for a three-up/three-down system of promotion, which the EFL has so far resisted.
A move to offer more teams the chance of winning promotion from each of League One and League Two would likely strengthen the National League's desire for that sought after third promotion spot.
