SPFL considers plan to cut number of Premiership play-off games

The Scottish Professional Football League is considering plans to cut the number of games required to decide who gets promoted from the Championship to the Premiership.

In the current system, the teams that finish second, third, and fourth in the second tier take part in play-off alongside the club that ends the season second bottom of the top flight.

The fourth-place team in the Championship plays third in a two-legged tie, then the winners play second, and whoever comes out on top will play the team that finishes 11th in the Premiership.

So that means, if they want to get promotion, the teams in third and fourth will need to play six games while the team in second will have four and the top-flight side will play just two, one at home and one away.

However, the governing body are now considering ways to cut the number of games needed to be successful in the play-offs.

Under new proposals, that would come into force from the 2026/27 season, the games between third and fourth would be a one-legged tie, and the same would apply to the next round, with the team who finishes higher in the league having home advantage.

The final round would remain a two-legged tie.

That would cut the number of games from six to four for promotion hopefuls who finish third or fourth and four to three for the runners-up.

For the proposals to come into fruition, it would need to pass a vote between all member clubs.