How do the National League play-offs work?

We take a look at how the National League play-offs work.

In the existing English football pyramid structure, there are two teams who are relegated from League Two to the National League and two teams promoted in their place.

The team which finish top of the National League are promoted to League Two as champions, with the second promoted team determined following the National League play-offs.

In the National League play-offs, the teams ranked second and third are fast-tracked through to the semi-finals.

The first stage of the play-offs sees the fourth-placed team take on the seventh-placed team and fifth-placed team face the sixth-placed team in one-off eliminator encounters.

The winners of these two eliminator ties will then play the two semi-finalists for a place in the Wembley National League play-off final.

The 2024/25 National League play-offs schedule is as follows:

National League play-off eliminators:

• Rochdale v Southend
• Oldham v Halifax

National League play-off semi-finals:

• York City v TBC
• Forest Green v TBC

National League play-off final:

• TBC v TBC

National League play-offs previous winners

Since the National League's establishment under its current name in 2015/16, the following teams have been promoted as play-off winners:

• 2023/24 - Bromley
• 2022/23 - Notts County
• 2021/22 - Grimsby Town
• 2020/21 - Hartlepool United
• 2019/20 - Harrogate Town
• 2018/19 - Salford City
• 2017/18 - Tranmere Rovers
• 2016/17 - Forest Green Rovers
• 2015/16 - Grimsby Town