The Football League has confirmed clubs have voted to expand the Championship play-offs from four to six teams from next season.
From the 2026-27 season, Championship clubs in seventh and eighth place will be included and will play a new one-off “knockout” match against teams in fifth and sixth place.
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The winner will then advance to a two-leg semi-final against the third and fourth placed teams for a chance to advance to Wembley for a Premier League spot.
EFL chief executive Trevor Birch said: “Following months of discussions with clubs and other stakeholders, we believe this change will further enhance the competitiveness of the Championship and provide more clubs and their supporters with a real chance of promotion.”
The change was announced following the EFL shareholders’ meeting, with the decision to expand the play-offs requiring a majority vote of all clubs, as well as a majority vote of the 24 Championship clubs.
The new play-off format, a single-leg knockout format, will replicate the format currently used in the National League, with the fourth and seventh-placed teams playing first against the second- and third-placed teams.
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