The League 1 Play-Offs are a series of playoff games that determine the two teams who are promoted to the Championship. The playoffs have included different number of teams since 2009.
History
2003: Institution
A Third Division was reintroduced in 2003 and was branded as National League Two. It was decided a playoff system would be introduced in both National Leagues One and Two to decide who would be promoted from their respective leagues. A six team playoff was implemented in both divisions.
2004-2005:Promotion/ Relegation Playoff
In 2004promotion and relegation between both National Leagues was restructured. Now the team finishing top of the National League Two would be automatically promoted while teams finishing between 2nd and 6th competed in a five team playoff where the team reaching the final would play the team that finished second from bottom in National League One.
2006-2013: One Up and Five Team Playoff
After just two years the promotion/ relegation playoff was scrapped in favour of a more traditional playoff. Under the new system the team finishing first would still be promoted and a six team playoff would be competed by teams finishing 2nd to 7th. This system was not used in 2012 due to a league restructure, where the top 4 teams were promoted but competed in the Champions Playoff. The teams finishing 5th and 6th also competed in the playoff but were not guaranteed promotion.
Due to another league restructure taking place for the 2015 season, the make up of the playoffs was changed again for one season. A top 5 playoff would be used team winning the Grand Final being promoted.
2015-2016: Promotion and Playoff Finals
Two new playoff systems were implemented in 2015, the Promotion Final and League 1 Playoffs. The top two teams would play in the Promotion Final with the winner being promoted. The loser would then join 3rd, 4th and 5th in the playoffs with the winner being promoted.
2017-2018: Four Team Playoff
Halfway through the 2017 season, it was announced that the Promotion Final would be scrapped in favour of the top team being automatically promoted while 2nd to 5th would playoff for the final promotion spot. The same system was used in 2018 bit the loser of the Playoff Final would have a second chance at promotion by playing 12th in the Championship due to a league restructure.
2019-Present: Return to One Up and Five Team Playoff
At an EGM in 2018 the League 1 clubs voted in another restructure of the playoffs and promotion spots. From 2019 onwards they would use the same system used between 2006 and 2013 by having first being promoted automatically and 2nd to 6th competing in a five team playoff.
