EFL Confirms Expanded Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Format

The English Football League (EFL) has confirmed a change to the Sky Bet Championship play-off structure, with the format set to expand from the 2026/27 season.

Under the revised system, the play-offs will include six clubs rather than four, with teams finishing seventh and eighth in the league table now joining those placed third to sixth in the post-season competition.

The new format will introduce an additional eliminator round. The teams finishing fifth and sixth will host the sides placed eighth and seventh respectively in one-off ties, with the winners progressing to the two-legged semi-finals.

Those victorious clubs will then face the teams finishing third and fourth in the semi-final stage, before the two winners meet in the Championship play-off final to determine the final promotion place.

EFL Chief Executive Trevor Birch said the change is intended to strengthen the competition and give more clubs and supporters a genuine opportunity of achieving promotion to the Premier League.

The exact format of the final will be agreed later in 2026.