The EFL changes a long standing tradition of English football in the hopes of strengthening the Championship.
The English Football League (EFL) has confirmed the number of teams competing in the Championship play offs will increase from next season.
According to an EFL statement released on 4 March, the change will see six teams battle for a place in the Premier League rather than four. Clubs approved the expansion in a vote at a recent general meeting, with the new structure set to be introduced from the 2026/27 season.
The EFL said the expansion aims to maintain excitement in the league through to the final weeks of the campaign.
A second reason for the change is to provide two additional clubs the opportunity to reach the Play Off Final at Wembley Stadium and progress to the Premier League, the EFL added.
How will the new format work?
The Championship currently consists of 24 clubs. Two are automatically promoted to the Premier League, four compete in the play offs for the final promotion place and three are relegated to League One.
The play offs were first introduced in the 1986/87 season to give clubs that narrowly missed out on automatic promotion another route into the division above. Under the existing system, teams finishing third to sixth qualify.
In the current format, the team finishing third plays sixth and fourth faces fifth across two legged semi finals. The winners of those ties then meet in a one off final at Wembley Stadium, with the victor securing promotion to the Premier League.
From the 2026/27 season, positions third to eighth will qualify and to accommodate the additional teams, the play offs will consist of seven matches.
Teams finishing fifth will play eighth and sixth will face seventh in eliminator ties. The winners of those matches will progress to the semi finals, where they will meet the clubs that finished third and fourth in the table.
Those semi finals will again be played over two legs, with the winners advancing to the Championship play off final at Wembley.
Driven by greed?
EFL Chief Executive Trevor Birch said play offs have become one of the most anticipated parts of the domestic football calendar, adding they “capture the drama, suspense and jeopardy that make the EFL so special.”
However, many supporters have raised concerns that expanding the play offs could undermine the drama Birch highlights.
Some fans have questioned whether a team finishing eighth should realistically have a chance of promotion to the Premier League, and what impact the change could have on the competitive balance. Critics have also argued the decision is mainly driven by financial incentives.
There are clear commercial benefits to the new format because more matches in the play off schedule means there will be additional fixtures available for broadcasters, increasing the potential value of media rights.
Increasing televised games has been a particular area of focus for the EFL as of late, announcing ahead of the current season 3pm games would be shown live on Sky Sports. While the usual 3pm blackout resumed following the start of the Premier League, there were concerns about how it would affect attendance figures for lower league clubs.
There is also likely to be higher matchday income due to more clubs being involved in high stakes games, which means more supporters travelling to matches. Finally, an extended and more unpredictable play off series could also increase exposure for league sponsors and commercial partners.
Despite the concerns, Birch said he believes the expansion will strengthen the Championship and “give more clubs and their supporters a genuine opportunity of achieving promotion.”
