Revolution in English football! The playoff format for Premier League promotion will radically change
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
English football is set for a sweeping reform that will take effect starting from the 2026/2027 season.
Details: According to Sky Sports, the main change concerns the number of playoff participants: previously, four teams battled for the final promotion spot to the top flight, but now that number will increase to six. This decision is aimed at ramping up the excitement in the league table and giving a chance to clubs finishing as low as eighth place.
According to the new rules, the playoff format will become multi-stage. The teams finishing 5th vs 8th and 6th vs 7th will face off in a preliminary knockout round, played as single-leg ties. The winners will advance to the semi-finals, where the 3rd and 4th placed clubs await. At this stage, the familiar two-legged home-and-away format returns, with the right to play in the decisive final at Wembley at stake.
Now, the playoff race will extend almost to the middle of the table, minimizing the number of matches with no tournament significance. For Championship clubs, this is an extra financial incentive and a shot at the Premier League's massive prize money—even if a club has had an imperfect season and only finished eighth.
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