EFL League Two play-offs

, the League Two play-offs involve the four teams that finish directly below the automatic promotion places in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. These teams meet in a series of play-off matches to determine the final team that will be promoted to the EFL League One. Based on the rankings, the team finishing in fourth place plays the seventh-placed team while the team in fifth plays the sixth-placed team in the "play-off semi-finals". Two ties are played over two legs, with the higher-ranked side hosting the second leg. According to the EFL, "this is designed to give the highest finishing team an advantage". The winner of each semi-final is determined by the aggregate score across the two legs, with the number of goals scored in each match of the tie being added together. The team with the higher aggregate score qualifies for the final. If, at the end of regular 90 minutes of the second leg, the aggregate score is level then the match goes into extra time where two 15-minute halves are played. If the score remains level at the end of extra time, the tie is decided by a penalty shootout. The away goals rule does not apply in the play-off semi-finals. The clubs that win the semi-finals then meet at Wembley Stadium, a neutral venue, for a one-off match referred to as the "play-off final". If required, extra time and a penalty shootout can be employed in the same manner as for the semi-finals to determine the winner. The runner-up and losing semi-finalists remain in League Two while the winning side are promoted. ==Background==

The mid-1980s saw a decline in attendances at football matches and public disenchantment with English football. A number of instances of violence and tragedy struck the game. In March 1985, at the semi-final of the 1984–85 Football League Cup between Chelsea and Sunderland, more than 100 people were arrested after various invasions of the Stamford Bridge pitch and more than 40 people, including 20 policemen, were injured. Nine days later, violence flared at the FA Cup match between Millwall and Luton Town; seats were used as missiles against the police and resulted in Luton Town banning away supporters. On 11 May, 56 people were killed and 265 injured in the Bradford City stadium fire. Less than three weeks later, 39 supporters died and more than 600 were injured in the Heysel Stadium disaster where Liverpool were playing Juventus in the European Cup final. In an attempt to persuade fans to return to the stadia, the Football League had rejected a £19million television deal to broadcast matches live on the BBC and ITV before the 1985–86 Football League season, with League president Jack Dunnett suggesting that "football is prepared to have a year or two with no television". In December 1985, the "Heathrow Agreement" was agreed which aimed to revitalise the financial affairs of the league. It was a ten-point plan which included a structural reorganisation of the league, reducing the top tier from 22 clubs to 20, and the introduction of play-offs to facilitate the change. The play-offs were introduced to the end of the 1986–87 Football League season. They were initially introduced for two years with the proviso that if they were successful with the general public, they would be retained permanently. ==History==

In the first two seasons, the team one place above the relegation zone in the Third Division, along with the three clubs below the automatic promotion positions in the Fourth Division, took part in the play-offs. The most recent final, in 2020, was held behind closed doors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom: Northampton Town defeated Exeter City 4–0 in front of an official attendance of 0. Since the first play-off final, the third tier of English football's league itself has undergone a number of re-brands. In 1993, the Premier League was formed, a move which caused the fourth-tier league to be renamed as the Third Division. In 2004, the Third Division was re-branded as Football League Two, before the League's adoption of English Football League (EFL) led to a 2016 renaming as the EFL League Two. ==Prize==

The financial value of winning the EFL League Two play-off is derived from the additional remuneration clubs receive in League One. , clubs in League One receive around £675,000 from the Premier League as a "core club" payment compared to £450,000 in League Two. The winners of the final receive a trophy. == Winners and semi-finalists ==

hosted the fourth-tier play-off final between 1990 and 2000. in Cardiff between 2001 and 2006 while Wembley was being redeveloped. has been host to the League Two play-off final every year since 2007 except in 2011. . was used for the final to avoid a clash with the Champions League final. ==Records==

Blackpool have been promoted from the fourth tier of English football by winning the play-off final on three occasions, more than any other team, while Cheltenham Town, Northampton Town, Southend United and AFC Wimbledon have won two finals. Both Exeter City and Torquay United have lost in the final three times. ==Notes==