The EFL Championship play-offs will be contested by six teams beginning in the 2026-27 season, the most significant change to date.

Since its introduction in 1987, the second division of English football’s post-season competition has always had four clubs, however for the first few years, it included the fourth-lowest First Division team as well as the third, fourth, and fifth-placed finishers in the Second Division.

Drama is never far away in the EFL play-offs at any level, and it has produced some of the most shocking and unforgettable moments in the game’s history in previous years.

The play-offs have been the way we know them since 1989, with four clubs competing to enter the top division; however, this will alter in May 2027.

EFL clubs vote to make significant Championship play-off adjustments.

According to the EFL, clubs have voted to expand the Championship play-off structure to six teams beginning next season, and while the full format has yet to be confirmed, it is expected that fifth place will face eighth and sixth place will face seventh in one-legged eliminators, with the higher-placed teams playing at home.

The winners will then face the third and fourth-place finishers, who will earn byes into the semi-final round, in a traditional two-legged match, with the winners meeting at Wembley Stadium for the ultimate reward of Premier League football.

It is similar to the National League’s system, which was implemented in the 2017-18 season and has since been maintained, and it is now being introduced to the Championship for the next season.

The decision was made at an EFL general meeting on March 5, with the governing body gaining enough votes from club bosses to expand the play-off system, albeit just for the second division of English football for the time being.

EFL chief executive Trevor Birch, former chairman of Swansea City and ex-CEO of Derby County and Sheffield United, explained the decision: “Since their introduction in 1986/87, the Play-Offs have become a highlight of the domestic football calendar, capturing the drama, suspense, and jeopardy that make the EFL so special.”

“Following several months of discussion with Clubs and other stakeholders, we are confident this change will further strengthen the Championship as a competition and give more Clubs and their supporters a genuine opportunity of achieving promotion.”

More drama and money are sure to follow from the EFL Championship play-off decision.

The play-offs will always be a divisive and contentious topic for anyone – they can be perceived as unfair at times due to the potentially large points disparities between teams who do and do not advance, with Sheffield United losing to Sunderland in the final last season despite finishing with 90 points, 14 more than the Black Cats.

But all teams understand what they signed up for at the outset of the season, and if they fall out on automatic promotion despite having a high point total, they must cope with it and regroup for the upcoming play-off campaign.

However, third and fourth place will have an advantage starting next season in that their opponents will have to play one more highly charged game than them, which might be useful when the two-legged contests return for the semi-finals.

The new system will also give Championship clubs more opportunities to chase the Premier League pot of gold. There will be fewer dead rubbers in the final few games of the regular season as more clubs than ever battle to secure a berth between third and eighth, and as we all know, anything can happen in the playoffs.

Traditional football fans are unlikely to be delighted with the new adjustments, but given the new opportunities they will bring, they are likely to stay.