The battle for the playoffs in the English Championship will become even fiercer from next season onwards. On Thursday, the clubs voted in favor of a reform. With 66 points each, Millwall FC, eighth in the table, and Blackburn Rovers, seventh, missed out on the playoffs by two points each in the last Championship season. From 2026/27, they will have to continue dreaming of promotion to the Premier League from this position.
On Thursday, the clubs in England’s second division voted in favor of a reform of the promotion rules. According to the reform, from next season onwards, the teams in third to eighth place will compete for the third promotion spot, whereas previously it was the teams in third to sixth place. The top two teams will continue to be promoted directly to the Premier League.
A playoff round will be added
Specifically, from 2026/27, the third and fourth-placed teams will enter a playoff semifinal, for which the four teams behind them must first qualify. This means that a knockout round will be added. In this round, the fifth-placed team will host the eighth-placed team and the sixth-placed team will host the seventh-placed team, with no second leg. As before, the semifinals will be played over two legs, with the final taking place at Wembley at the end of May.
According to the English Football League (EFL), the change is intended to increase the number of games with something at stake in the final stages of the season. “Since their introduction in 1986/87, the play-offs have become a highlight of the national football calendar and embody the drama, excitement and uncertainty that make the EFL so special,” explains EFL CEO Trevor Birch.
He continues: “After several months of discussions with clubs and other stakeholders, we are confident that this change will further strengthen the championship as a competition and give more clubs and their fans a real chance of promotion.” In this physically demanding league, all 24 teams have to complete 46 match days before the playoffs.
The reform, which has been under discussion for some time, will not be extended to third-tier League One and fourth-tier League Two for the time being.
