By Charlie Gardner.
The EFL could see a radical change to their format as clubs are expected to vote on expanding the Championship playoffs to include an extra two clubs.
Taking place on March 5th, all 72 clubs within the EFL have been invited to vote upon the change that could make the race for promotion to the Premier League more accessible for sides within the second division.
A six-spot playoff format already exists within English football, where both the fifth and sixth tiers implement the system. In these leagues, the bottom four teams would play one match each to determine who qualifies for the typical two-legged semi-finals in typical fashion.
Rights and distribution holders Sky Sports have already given the green light to the EFL, with the drama and stakes of a playoff campaign seen as a highlight of the sporting calendar.
Last season’s Championship playoff victors Sunderland certainly sold the product, with their two last-minute goals seeing them through to what has been an outstanding Premier League season after almost a decade of waiting.
If this change were to be deemed successful in the Championship, then it can be expected to be implemented into League One and League Two moving forward.
This all comes at a similar time to the National League’s “3UP” campaign, a movement that aims to add a third relegation spot to League Two in exchange for a second automatic promotion spot from the fifth tier. With this new system making promotion more likely for teams in the division, it could be that this will make way for what is widely believed to be a fairer way of promotion into the football league.
