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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Matt Hughes

Championship playoffs will expand to six teams after approval from EFL clubs

Sunderland celebrate after winning last season’s Championship playoff final
Sunderland celebrate after winning last season’s Championship playoff final Photograph: John Walton/PA

The Championship playoffs will expand to six teams from next season after the change was approved by EFL clubs on Thursday. The Guardian revealed last month that a proposal to add a quarter-final stage to the playoffs had been recommended by the EFL board, and the clubs gave their assent in a vote at an extraordinary general meeting held at the Belfry.

The format will add an eliminator round to the Championship playoffs in a set-up similar to that used by the National League. The fifth-placed team will play eighth and sixth will play seventh, at the higher-ranked club’s ground, in a one-off tie to determine progression to the two-leg playoff semi-finals, against the clubs that finished third and fourth.

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