Keep the season with the promotion question
The EFL announced on 5 March 2026 that clubs approved a six-team Championship play-off competition starting in 2026/27. That change makes an old guide describing only four participants incomplete for the new season. A league table or television preview should therefore be read with its season attached, especially if it discusses the cut-off for a play-off place.
Separate automatic promotion from the play-offs
The play-off competition determines an additional promotion place rather than replacing the regular-season race. The new format gives two more clubs the opportunity to contest that route. Reaching the play-offs is not the same as being promoted, and a club’s final league position affects the path it must take through the knockout games.
Understand the extra round
The EFL’s change announcement describes eliminator ties before the semi-finals, with the third- and fourth-placed clubs entering at the semi-final stage. The eliminator winners then face those clubs over two legs. The semi-final winners meet in the final. Read the current final rules for the detailed pairing and match conditions rather than assuming every step is unchanged from 2025/26.
Count the fixtures correctly
The EFL describes seven play-off fixtures under the expanded arrangement. The structure explains the arithmetic: two eliminators, four semi-final legs and one final. This count is for the play-off competition, not seven games for each club. A team entering later has a different route from a team first required to win an eliminator.
Use the official current rules and schedule
The EFL’s rules page identifies a 2026/27 Play-Off Rules download. Use that edition and the official fixture updates when dates, venues or a tied-match condition matters. An evergreen overview can retain an earlier format even when its general explanation remains useful. This guide does not assign unverified broadcast access or treat a Championship logo as an included UK IPTV entitlement.