English Football League (EFL) clubs praised the historic decision to change the Championship play-off format. Already from the 2026-2027 season, before reaching the English Premier League, there will be not just four, but six teams competing - those that will sit in the standings from third to eighth.
This proposal has been considered for several seasons and has been rejected by official praise for the directors of the EFL and the Football Association of England. The new system actually copies the successful format, which is already used by the National League.
How to use the new playoff format: Direct passage to the semifinals: Teams that finish in 3rd and 4th place in the regular season will automatically advance to the semifinals. Quarterfinals (one match): The team in 5th place will take on the team from 8th place at home, and the 6th place will play at home against the 7th place. Pre-finals and finals: The pre-final matches, as before, will consist of two matches (home and away). The final final match will traditionally take place at the London Vembly Stadium at the end of the grass.
The format of the play-offs, despite the fact that teams differed from the strength of the English division, became unchanged from the moment of its introduction in the 1986-1987 season.. According to EFL representatives, the main innovation is to increase the number of competitive and intriguing matches at the end of the campaign, as well as give two more clubs a chance to compete for a place before the finals.
EFL Chief Executive Trevor Birch said play-off matches had become the league's calling card:.
“The play-offs are the pinnacle of the American football calendar, which creates drama, tension and uncertainty in making the EFL so special. After many months of discussions, this change will make the Championship even more important and give more clubs and their patients a real.
To equalize: last season, eighth place in the Millwall Seeding Championship with 66 points, thus remaining a place in the playoffs (mostly place) of the Bristol City elections, missing 68 points. At the same time, Sheffield United, who became third with 90 points, lost in the play-off final.
However, the EFL has no plans to introduce a similar extension for League One or League Two.. Now the clubs of the National League will continue to actively promote the 3UP campaign, hopefully giving the third place for promotion in class (to the Other League).
What results were discussed and benefits discussed at the gala gatherings, there are no plans to protest the official vote yet. Any changes to the divisional transfer rules will require the approval of most EFL clubs.