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How do the National League play-offs work?
Like the EFL, the National League has a play-off system to bring down the regular football season in the most dramatic fashion.
The play-offs were introduced in 2003, mirroring the Football League format; however, they were restructured during the 2017-18 season and have not changed since.
With only 1 automatic promotion place available, the competition for the play-off places is fierce and often incredibly tight, but points gained during the campaign become irrelevant.
Last season, Oldham Athletic achieved promotion to League Two in an all-time classic when defeating Southend United 3-2 after extra time. This was despite finishing in fifth place and twenty-three points behind second-placed York City.
With some significant differences to the EFL system, DAZN News explains just how things work.
How many teams qualify for the play-offs?
With only first place securing automatic promotion, the teams placed second to seventh qualify for the play-offs at the end of the season.
This means that 6 clubs have the opportunity to achieve promotion via this method, which is different to the four-team play-off format in the EFL.
However, the teams that finish the season between fourth and seventh position must compete in a quarter-final, while those in second and third automatically progress to the semi-finals.
National League play-off format
- Quarter-finals: 4th vs. 7th, 5th vs. 6th
- Semi-finals: 2nd vs. 5th/6th, 3rd vs. 4th/7th
- Final: Semi-final victors meet at Wembley Stadium
As previously mentioned, the teams that finish second and third automatically progress to the semi-final stage, where they benefit from a one-legged home tie to reach the final.
There are two eliminators to decide their opponents, with the teams that finished fifth and sixth battling it out to play the team that finished second away from home.
The other eliminator is between the clubs that finished fourth and seventh, with the triumphant side to play against the team that finished third on away soil.
Then, the victors from the one-legged semi-finals march on to play eachother for a place in League Two in the final at Wembley Stadium.
(Getty Images)
List of National League play-off winners
- 2002-03: Doncaster Rovers (finished third)
- 2003-04: Shrewsbury Town (finished third)
- 2004-05: Carlisle United (finished third)
- 2005-06: Hereford United (finished second)
- 2006-07: Morecambe (finished third)
- 2007-08: Exeter City (finished third)
- 2008-09: Torquay United (finished fourth)
- 2009-10: Oxford United (finished third)
- 2010-11: AFC Wimbledon (finished second)
- 2011-12: York City (finished fourth)
- 2012-13: Newport County (finished third)
- 2013-14: Cambridge United (finished second)
- 2014-15: Bristol Rovers (finished second)
- 2015-16: Grimsby Town (finished fourth)
- 2016-17: Forest Green Rovers (finished third)
- 2017-18: Tranmere Rovers (finished second)
- 2018-19: Salford City (finished third)
- 2019-20: Harrogate Town (finished second)
- 2020-21: Hartlepool United (finished fourth)
- 2021-22: Grimsby Town (finished sixth)
- 2022-23: Notts County (finished second)
- 2023-24: Bromley (finished third)
- 2024-25: Oldham Athletic (finished fifth)
