EFL clubs vote in major changes that will affect the futures of Championship clubs

The end of the EFL season will look very different from the 2026-27 season after member clubs voted in favour of a proposed new format for the play-offs.

The Championship play-offs will be expanded from next season, with six teams competing for a spot in the Premier League rather than the current four.

Teams finishing between third and eighth will enter the play-offs with an updated bracket designed to funnel two of them into the Wembley showpiece widely regarded as the richest game in football.

EFL confirms refreshed Championship play-offs format

The new format was approved by clubs at a General Meeting on Wednesday, with the aim of keeping more late-season matches competitive and make the Premier League goal accessible for more clubs.

"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," said EFL chief executive Trevor Birch.

"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."

While the exact details are yet to be confirmed, the EFL has announced that the six-team play-offs will be settled by a total of seven fixtures.

The teams finishing third and fourth will get a bye in the eliminator round, which will see their rivals between fifth and eighth face off in a pair of one-legged ties. The winners of those two teams will populate the play-off semi-finals along with the two highest-placed teams at the end of the regular Championship season.

Those semi-finals will then follow the traditional two-legged format with the two winners meeting at Wembley with the biggest prize of the season on offer. In effect, the changes amount to a pair of eliminator matches and a weakened hand for the teams finishing in fifth and sixth from next term.

The League One and League Two play-offs will remain four-team affairs for the foreseeable future.

Inevitably, changes to a format that's been almost unaltered for the best part of 35 days have met with a mixed response.

Critics cite the possibility of an eight-placed finisher winning the play-offs and being promoted despite a large points shortfall in the league table. The balance between that and the tangible benefits of switching up the format is indeed questionable.

Restructuring and reimagining football tournaments tends to invite unintended consequences both for better and worse. With the move ratified, we'll have to wait and see.