Semi-finals are the heartbeat of the Championship play-offs, encapsulating home-crowd ferocity and away-day resilience over 180 minutes. Format dictates that third hosts the second leg against sixth, while fourth earns the return-home advantage versus fifth. Scheduling grants the lower-seeded side the psychological lift of striking first before the decider shifts to enemy territory. Stadium branding undergoes a neutral makeover: EFL sponsors replace club hoardings, and VAR, absent all season in the EFL, remains off until Wembley, so referees rely on goal-line technology and assistant input only.
Squad regulations mirror regular-season rules but managers often name an extra goalkeeper among the nine substitutes to safeguard against injury chaos. Fan allocations for away legs sit at 2,000 or 10 percent of capacity, whichever is greater, though clubs can negotiate increases with local safety groups. Police forces conduct joint risk assessments, moving kickoff times if rivalry intensifies. Ticket prices are capped under EFL rules: adult terrace seats cannot exceed £30, with concessions at least 25 percent cheaper.
Travel logistics are tight; teams fly charter for distances over 150 miles to maximise rest and analysis sessions on the return flight. In-house analysts compile opposition set-play trends into video packets delivered to players via secure apps 24 hours before each leg. The aggregate winner progresses; no away-goals rule means every strike counts the same, making tactical balance crucial. History shows nine of the past 20 semi-final ties reached extra time, underscoring their knife-edge nature.
Success demands blending first-leg bravery with second-leg composure under floodlights.
