Member clubs of the English Football League voted in favour of expanding the Championship play-off format during a meeting on Thursday. The new system will include teams finishing between third and eighth in the league table. These changes are scheduled to take effect from the 2026-27 season, according to Sky Sports.
Under the revised structure, the third and fourth-placed teams will receive a bye to the semi-finals. The remaining four clubs will compete in a new quarter-final round. The fifth-placed team will play the eighth-placed side, while the sixth-placed team faces the seventh-placed side in single-leg ties.
Winners of these matches will progress to two-legged semi-finals against the top two seeded play-off teams. The final will remain a single match at Wembley Stadium to determine the third promoted club. The EFL stated the adjustment aims to maintain sporting interest for more clubs deeper into the domestic campaign, per The Guardian. No changes were made to the League One or League Two play-off formats.
