The English Football Association (FA) is considering a proposal that would also include clubs that finish seventh and eighth in the play-offs for promotion to the Premier League.
The idea has the support of the majority of clubs and foresees that the total number of matches per season will remain 49, without changing from the current system.
The current system allows the teams in third, fourth, fifth and sixth place to fight for third place in the Premier League, while the top two teams are promoted directly. Under the new proposal, the top two teams continue to be promoted directly, while the third and fourth places await the winners of the quarter-finals.
In the quarterfinals, the fifth-place team will play the eighth-place team, while the sixth-place team will face the seventh-place team. The winners advance to the semifinals, where the third-place team will host the winner of the sixth- and seventh-place match, while the fourth-place team will host the winner of the fifth- and eighth-place match.
Another important change is that the semi-finals will no longer be played over two legs, allowing for a maximum of three extra games and maintaining the total number of matches for the season. This also increases the possibility that even the eighth-placed team will have a chance of winning the play-off final – the most valuable match in world football – where the prize is a place in the Premier League, worth around €200m.
The FA argues that this model will increase uncertainty and excitement in the play-offs, widening the fight for promotion to more positions and bringing more interest to fans. The new rules could come into effect as early as the 2026/2027 season.
/Telegraph/