EFL Proposed Promotion / Relegation Changes

Other than the semi finals being 2 legs I would agree with all of the changes. It's been in place for a few years in the National League and I have said it won't be long until the EFL look to copy it. The National League play offs are brilliant as every game is a straight knock out match so you don't have dead games like we get in the EFL play offs. It also gives more teams a chance to qualify which should increase the amount of games at the end of the season that mean something. Also in this format it gives teams that finish higher a real advantage as they have fewer games to play and they get the only game at home

 

No part of the article mentions if the extended play offs are also planned for L1 and L2, but you'd imagine it would be around the corner too if the pitch is backed by the EFL members?

So in the CH play offs, teams down to 8th would have a chance of promotion if this is passed. Would this be something welcomed do we think?

 

I’d still much rather a three up three down for the national league

 

Bonkers idea

 

That is also on the meeting agenda it seems.

 

I'm only surprised it has taken this long with the success of how it has worked in the National League, it benefits clubs, fans and the broadcasters so nobody really loses out. The only thing I would say is that the semi final should also be 1 legged at the home of 3rd/4th as what makes the National League play offs so good is every game is win or bust, there's no sitting back on a 1-0 lead for the 2nd leg like we did against Carlisle.
The only question about whether it comes into league 1 and 2 is whether Sky want it or not. It will be interesting to see where they fit this extra game into the schedule as the turn around for the play offs is already tight which is another reason why every round being 1 leg would be better.

 

It will give more games meaning near the end of the season and also it will give more incentive to finish as high in the play off spots as possible as it will get you an advantage whereas at the moment I don't think there's a massive benefit where you finish in the play offs especially the middle places

 

The national league playoffs are better than the EFL, all for changing it for the better. As Birky says though, it should be all 1 legged games and the benefit of ending higher is the home tie.

 

I agree.

There should definitely be more benefit to finishing higher.

 

Whilst it keeps the season alive for more teams it does make a mockery of a 9 month 46 game season where a team finishing 3rd with 90 points who’ve been consistent for the entire season could lose out to a team finishing 8th with 60 points.

Regarding the National league playoffs I do agree that 3 teams should be promoted but I don’t think the EFL clubs would vote for 3rd bottom of L2 going down automatically.
A workaround could be that the team finishing 3rd bottom enters the playoffs for a chance to stay up.

 

Money talks

 

It's around the same points gap as when 6th-placed Sheffield Wednesday beat 3rd-placed Brighton in the championship years ago. So, for me, you either accept that or get rid of the playoffs altogether.

 

Has to be a system that rewards how high up you finish. One off playoff games where the team finishing higher get the home advantage is the way to go.

 

I agree and in the example I gave Sheffield Wednesday went through due to a 2-0 win at home, so I don't see how the current system is somehow more fair. Most comments I've seen over the years have always supported the National League system over the EFL, so I'm surprised to see some in favour of the status quo, which offers no benefit to finishing third or fourth. Another benefit to only having a one-off game is that those who finish third and fourth also play fewer games and get more time for rest and to prepare. Without researching it, I bet the top two playoff spots in the NL get promoted more often than the top two in the EFL and that's with extra teams.

 

I thought clubs were unhappy at the number of games they played and now talk of extending it for a few
Not sure if there is much of a financial benefit either, are the gate receipts pooled after running costs and shared between the EFL and the clubs involved in the playoffs
In league 2, would that not be 9th placed involved, and definitely not worthy of promotion over a team in 4th after a 46 game season
Why change it

 

Sounds like it's been approved

 

The way its going, they might as well scrap the league matches, place everyone in the division alphabetically and then just have playoffs.