Overview
- All 72 EFL clubs will decide on 5 March whether to add two extra teams to the Championship play-offs following FA approval for the vote.
- The proposal adds a one-off eliminator round of fifth vs eighth and sixth vs seventh before two-legged semi-finals against third and fourth, with the Wembley final unchanged.
- Passage requires a simple majority among Championship clubs (at least 13 of 24) and across the EFL (at least 37 of 72) at the extraordinary general meeting.
- The EFL reports widespread support in the Championship after consultations, and Sky Sports is understood to back the extra high-stakes fixtures.
- The Premier League and several pundits have voiced reservations over sporting merit and quality of promoted sides, and if approved the new format could begin in 2026/27 alongside wider talks on pyramid alignment such as the National League’s ‘3UP’ campaign.