EFL Considering Controversial Change to Championship Play-Off Rules

It is a proposal that remains at an early stage, but the English Football League (EFL) is considering a major change to the Championship play-off system – and it has sparked plenty of debate online.

The play-offs are an annual series of matches which determine the final promotion spot within each division of the EFL, with the four highest-ranked sides outside the automatic promotion places contesting two-legged play-offs ahead of a promotion final.

Last season, Sheffield United, Sunderland, Coventry City and Bristol City reached the Championship play-offs as fourth-placed Sunderland eventually beat third-placed Sheffield United 2-1 in the final at Wembley.

But the system in England's second tier could be about to change after it emerged that the EFL is in talks over adding an eliminator round to the Championship play-offs, meaning the number of participants will increase from four to six.

As reported by The Athletic, the proposal is a similar format to the one used by the National League, but with a slight twist.

Sunderland won promotion to the Premier League after beating Sheffield United. Image credit: Getty

In the EFL's proposal, the team that finishes fifth in the Championship table would play the eighth-placed team and sixth would meet seventh in one-off ties at the higher-ranked team’s home ground.

But unlike the National League playoffs – which are all one-off games – the winners of the eliminators would proceed to two-legged ties against the teams that finished third and fourth.

The winners would then meet at Wembley to play for Premier League promotion.

It appears the proposal has received a largely positive response from Championship clubs after Preston North End chief executive Peter Ridsdale presented the idea to executives at a meeting last week.

But plenty of fans on social media are against the idea.

One said: "This would be absolutely dreadful. The gap to the Premier League is big enough without the team in eighth possibly going up. Don't finish in the top quarter of the league, you don't deserve promotion. Simple as that."

The EFL is in talks over expanding the Championship play-offs to six teams. Image credit: Getty

A second wrote: "The playing field isn’t level enough for any team going up, let alone if some eighth placed team scrapes their way up. The playoffs are *PERFECT* already. Leave them alone and focus on getting more teams up and down between League Two and the National League."

A third commented: "This would be a terrible decision, playoffs are good as they are don’t fix something that isn’t broken. The teams that finish top 2 struggle enough as it is could you imagine an 8th place team fluking their way up."

A fourth said: "Why change something that works well?" and a fifth added: "Not fond of this. The play offs are great. They don't need to change."

Thoughts on the idea? Let us know in the comments.