EFL Championship

The Old Championship Play-Off System. Under the previous format, the top two teams in the Championship earned automatic promotion to the Premier League. The teams finishing from third to sixth entered the play-offs:

• Third played sixth over two legs.
• Fourth played fifth over two legs.
• The two winners met in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium.
• The winner of the final gained promotion to the Premier League. This meant that a club finishing seventh or lower had no chance of promotion once the regular season ended.

The English Football League has introduced a major change to the Championship play-offs. Beginning with the 2026/27 season, six clubs—rather than four—will compete for the final promotion place to the Premier League.The change gives teams finishing as low as eighth position an opportunity to reach the Premier League. From the 2026/27 season, the play-offs will expand from four to six clubs. Teams finishing between third and eighth will be involved.The new system is expected to work as follows:

Eliminator Round. The teams finishing from fifth to eighth will compete in two single-match eliminators:

• Fifth place will play eighth place.
• Sixth place will play seventh place.

The higher-ranked team is expected to host each match.

Semi-Finals. The teams finishing third and fourth will receive a bye into the semi-finals. The two eliminator winners will then join them in the traditional two-legged semi-finals. The proposed structure gives the highest-ranked remaining team the lowest-ranked available opponent.

Play-Off Final. The two semi-final winners will meet in a one-match final at Wembley Stadium. The winner will become the third club promoted to the Premier League. The EFL has officially confirmed the expansion to six teams, although some operational details of the format may still be finalised before the play-offs begin.

Why Did the EFL Introduce the New Rule?

One of the main reasons is to make the closing weeks of the Championship season more competitive.Under the previous system, teams falling several points behind sixth place could lose realistic hope of promotion before the final matches. Allowing seventh- and eighth-placed clubs to enter the play-offs means more teams could remain involved in the promotion race for longer. The change may also:

• Create more meaningful matches near the end of the season.
• Increase interest among supporters.
• Give more clubs an opportunity to reach the Premier League.
• Introduce two additional play-off fixtures.
• Increase television and commercial interest in the Championship.

The EFL believes the new system will strengthen the Championship and provide more promotion opportunities.The expansion was officially announced by the English Football League.