How the Championship works
Your guide to the English second tier: league matches, points, promotion, relegation and games in hand.
UK dates and kick-off times · GMT / BST
Teams and matches
The Championship is the second tier of English league football. It has 24 clubs. Each plays the other 23 at home and away: 46 league matches per club and 552 regular-season matches across the division.
The league total counts each match once, even though two clubs take part: 24 × 46 ÷ 2 = 552. Play-off matches are additional. Find all Championship clubs or check how many games are left.
Points and league positions
A worked example
Example only: a club with 10 wins, 5 draws and 3 defeats has played 18 matches and earned 35 points before any official adjustment: (10 × 3) + 5 = 35. If it has scored 30 goals and conceded 20, its goal difference is +10.
When clubs are level
League positions are ordered by points, then goal difference, then goals scored. Further EFL tie-break rules apply if those measures are equal. Our league table keeps the provider's reported positions; we do not override them using only part of the rulebook.
Reading the table
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| P | Matches played |
| W | Matches won |
| D | Matches drawn |
| L | Matches lost |
| GF | Goals for: goals scored |
| GA | Goals against: goals conceded |
| GD | Goal difference: goals for minus goals against |
| Pts | Published points, including official points adjustments |
Promotion and relegation
Two clubs go up automatically to the Premier League. The play-offs decide one more promotion place. The bottom three go down to League One, subject to official competition decisions.
League positions in the 2026/27 format
| Finish | Route |
|---|---|
| 1st-2nd | Automatic promotion |
| 3rd-4th | Enter the play-off semi-finals |
| 5th-8th | Enter the play-off eliminators |
| 9th-21st | Outside the promotion and relegation places |
| 22nd-24th | Relegation to League One |
The six-team play-offs were introduced for 2026/27, replacing the previous four-team system. See the play-off centre for the stages and current race.
Games in hand and postponed matches
A game in hand is an opportunity, not points
A club with fewer matches played than another club has games in hand on that club. Compare remaining games by club to see the difference. It still has to play those matches and earn the points. The matchweek number alone does not tell you how many games remain.
Postponed, cancelled and interrupted matches
A postponed fixture is due to be rearranged. A cancelled fixture is not counted as an outstanding scheduled match in our games-left tool. An abandoned or suspended match has not necessarily produced a final result; its treatment depends on the official decision. We do not infer a result from the score at the time play stopped.
Points adjustments
Official decisions can change a club's points total. The published table may therefore differ from three times its wins plus its draws. Check the relevant official decision rather than treating the difference as a calculation error.
Remaining matches and maximum points · Season key dates · Recent form
Frequently asked questions
How many games does a Championship club play?
Each of the 24 clubs plays the other 23 twice: once at home and once away. That is 46 regular-season matches per club and 552 across the league. Play-off matches are additional.
How many points do clubs get for a win?
A win is worth three points, a draw one and a defeat none. Published totals can also include official points adjustments, so three times wins plus draws may not equal the published points total.
What happens when teams have the same points?
Goal difference comes next, followed by goals scored. If teams remain level, further EFL tie-break rules apply. Our league table preserves the data provider's positions rather than inventing a ranking from incomplete tie-break information.
How many teams are promoted and relegated?
Two clubs go up automatically to the Premier League, with a third promotion place awarded through the play-offs. The bottom three are relegated to League One, subject to official competition decisions.
What is a game in hand?
A club has a game in hand when it has played fewer matches than a comparison club. It is a match still to play, not points already earned. Postponements and rearrangements can create unequal games-played totals.