Championship news: EFL play-off shake-up looms – Clubs set to vote on new six-team format

The EFL’s iconic play-offs could be on the brink of their biggest transformation since their introduction in 1987. 

A proposal to expand the Championship play-offs to include six teams rather than the current four is set to go to a vote at a meeting with clubs in March.

The drama of the play-offs has always been guaranteed, but soon there could be even more of it.

Here, Sports News Blitz’s Liberty Nicholson-Hulse takes a closer look at the potential changes, the controversy, and what an expanded play-off system could mean for English football.

What will change?

As it stands, the teams finishing third to sixth compete in two-legged semi-finals before a winner is decided at the Wembley final.

In the new structure, instead of four teams below the automatic promotion places being given a chance at promotion, this will expand to six.

An additional round will be added in which the team in fifth place would host eighth in a one-off ‘eliminator’ round, whilst six would host seventh in another single-leg tie.

The winners will then progress to face the third- and fourth-place teams in the semi-finals, with the competition still culminating in the traditional Wembley showdown.

In effect, the route for the final promotion spot becomes longer and potentially more dramatic.

The proposed shake-up would also give teams finishing as low as eighth place in the table a chance at promotion to the Premier League.

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Raising the stakes

Supporters of the change argue that it would bring even more intensity to an already explosive end to the season.

Expanding the play-off potential to eighth place keeps more clubs in contention for longer, increasing competition in the latter stages of the campaign.

Broadcasters are likely to favour the move too as more games, after all, means more profit.

Increased viewership and revenue will be a gift to brands such as Sky Sports, who already thrive on the high-stakes narrative of the play-offs and would gain additional high-profile fixtures.

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Fans fear dilution

Some fans have already voiced their opposition to the potential change, with many labelling it a ‘cash grab’ from those who will benefit most.

The Championship play-offs are widely regarded as one of the most thrilling parts of both the season and English football itself, with supporters arguing the format’s intense stakes and exclusivity are exactly what make it so beloved.

There are also fears that the change may compromise the competitive intensity central to the play-offs’ appeal.

By broadening participation, some argue it prioritises quantity over quality, potentially lowering standards and further widening the already significant gap between promoted clubs and established Premier League sides.

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Setting a precedent

The proposed system mirrors the National League’s expanded play-off format, where more teams are given a shot at promotion.

For now, there are no immediate plans to replicate the model in League One or League Two.

However, if adopted successfully in the Championship, it is widely expected that the rest of the pyramid could see similar changes, particularly given the support that has been reported amongst clubs.

For the plans to move forward, a majority of Championship clubs and a majority of the 72 EFL clubs overall will need to vote in favour.

Approval from the FA has already been granted to the new format, and if successful, the system could be in place as early as the 2026/27 season.

The decision now rests with the clubs.

The historic shift is a real possibility, and it could redefine the race for promotion and reshape one of English football’s most celebrated traditions.

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