The 2026/27 Championship season has begun, and with it comes a significant overhaul of the play-off system. In March, EFL clubs voted to expand the play-offs from four teams to six, starting from the 26/27 season, marking the first alteration to the second-tier format since 1990. This change follows the model used in the National League, incorporating eliminator matches prior to the semi-final stage.
The top two teams in the Championship will still gain automatic promotion to the Premier League. However, six teams will now qualify for the play-offs, occupying positions three through eight. Teams finishing third and fourth will have an advantage, progressing directly to the semi-finals. The new format introduces two eliminator ties: fifth place versus eighth and sixth place versus seventh, with these matches being one-legged and hosted by the higher-finishing team.
Winners of these ties will advance to the semi-finals, where they will face the third and fourth-place teams in two-legged matches, with the second leg held at the home of the higher-ranked team. Notably, the third-place team will face the lowest-ranked remaining team in the semi-finals, with no predetermined path for the semi-finals before the eliminators. As before, the winners of the semi-finals will meet at Wembley for a spot in the Premier League, with the play-offs taking place in May, following the conclusion of the regular season on May 1 for the Championship.
Analysis by Sky Sports EFL editor Simeon Gholam suggests that while the possibility of an eighth-place team reaching the Premier League exists, it is not significantly different from a sixth-place team achieving the same, which is rare. The competitive advantage of finishing third or fourth is preserved, as these teams avoid the eliminator ties.
The 2026/27 EFL season starts this weekend, with every Championship, League One, and League Two game broadcast live on Sky, and over 1,000 live games from the EFL, Carabao Cup, and EFL Trophy available on Sky Sports throughout the season.