2023/24 National League play-offs and schedule

Chesterfield dominated the National League regular season, taking the title by a comfortable 12-point margin despite easing up after winning promotion and losing five of their final seven games.

There is another place in the EFL available, though, and the teams who finished second to seventh behind the Spireites begin their play-off battle with quarter-finals on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Here we look at the promotion contenders as they all attempt to win a place in the elite 92.

How the National League play-offs work

Unlike the EFL play-offs, which feature fields of four teams, the National League play-offs use an expanded six-team format. 

The clubs who finished second and third in the regular season get a bye to a home game in the semi-finals as a benefit of their performance and will host the winners of the quarter-final matches between the teams who finished fourth to seventh.

The quarter-finals see the teams who came sixth and seventh going on the road to the clubs who finished fifth and fourth respectively.

There has however been a dramatic late change to this year's schedule as Gateshead have been denied a place in the National League play-offs over a lease issue at the International Stadium. The club have since appealed the decision.

2023/24 National League play-off draw 

Barnet were the runners-up this season and the Bees will host fifth-placed Solihull Moors, who received a bye to the last four following the Gateshead announcement (subject to an appeal).

The Londoners last played in the Football League in 2018 and are in the play-offs for a second successive season, having lost to Boreham Wood in the quarter-finals last season.

The Bees picked up 86 points this season, finishing at least five points clear of all of their play-off rivals. 

They need to win back-to-back home games to earn promotion and they had a strong record at The Hive this season, winning 16 of their 23 games there with four draws and only three defeats. 

The second semi-final will see third-placed Bromley hosting either Altrincham or FC Halifax Town. 

The Ravens have never reached the Football League in their history but made the play-off semi-finals last season, beating Woking away before losing at Chesterfield in the semi-finals after extra-time.

Bromley lost only four of their 23 home league games but have suffered recent defeats to play-off rivals Solihull (in the FA Trophy) and Gateshead.

They recently secured a 1-1 draw at Barnet in a potential preview of the final if the results follow the seedings.

Altrincham v Halifax National League play-off quarter-final odds

Altrincham face FC Halifax Town in the second National League play-off quarter-final on Wednesday.

Alty are 1/1 favourites to progress with Halifax 11/4 and the draw available at 23/10.

Fourth-placed Altrincham finished six points ahead of Halifax but have not been able to beat them in 90 minutes in three meetings this season. 

The teams played out goalless draws in the FA Trophy and their league game in Halifax, while the Shaymen won 2-1 at Moss Lane in a league match on Boxing Day. Alty did win a shootout to progress in the Trophy, however.

Altrincham went through a tough spell in February and early March, suffering five straight league losses, but finished strongly to take 16 points from their final six games.

Halifax won at Eastleigh on the final day to pip Aldershot to the final play-off place, but had won only one of their previous six games.

View the full market and more odds for Altrincham v Halifax on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.