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The end of the EFL season is set to look quite different beginning with the 2026–27 campaign, after member clubs voted in favour of an overhaul to the existing play-off structure.

From next season, the Championship play-offs will expand to include six teams battling for promotion to the Premier League, replacing the current four-team format.

Under the new system, clubs finishing between third and eighth place will take part in the play-offs. The redesigned bracket will determine which two teams advance to the final at Wembley Stadium — widely known as the most lucrative match in football.

The proposal was formally approved during the EFL’s General Meeting on Wednesday. The objective behind the change is to keep more late-season fixtures competitive while offering additional clubs a fairer route to Premier League promotion.

EFL Chief Executive Trevor Birch said, “Since their introduction in 1986/87, the Play-Offs have become one of the highlights of the domestic football calendar, capturing all the drama, suspense, and unpredictability that make the EFL so distinctive.”

He further added, “After several months of consultation with clubs and other key stakeholders, we are confident that this reform will strengthen the Championship as a competition and provide more clubs and their supporters with a genuine chance of achieving promotion.”

Although finer details of the format are still being finalised, the EFL confirmed that the expanded six-team play-offs will consist of a total of seven matches.

The teams finishing third and fourth will receive a direct bye into the semi-final round, while those placed fifth to eighth will compete in a pair of one-legged eliminator matches. The winners from these ties will then join the third and fourth-placed clubs in the semi-finals.

The semi-finals will maintain the traditional two-legged format, with the victors meeting at Wembley in the season’s grand finale. Effectively, the new system introduces two additional eliminator fixtures and creates a slightly tougher route for the teams finishing fifth and sixth from next term onward.

Meanwhile, the League One and League Two play-offs will continue with the existing four-team structure for the foreseeable future.

Unsurprisingly, amending a format that has remained largely unchanged for more than three decades has sparked mixed reactions among fans and pundits alike.

Critics point out the potential scenario where an eighth-placed club could earn promotion despite finishing significantly behind in points compared to higher-ranked sides. This possibility, they argue, raises questions about the fairness of the new model, though supporters of the change emphasise its entertainment value and competitive balance.

As with most major tournament restructures, the long-term consequences—both positive and negative—remain to be seen. With the decision now officially approved, the football world will be watching closely to assess its impact once the format comes into play.