Adoption At Lower Levels
The play-offs have been a Football League feature since 1986–87, but the Football Conference did not adopt them until 2002–03. In the Conference only one team is automatically promoted, so the teams that finished second, third, fourth and fifth are entered into the play-offs. The final of the Conference play-off was usually held at one of the Championship's bigger grounds, such as Stoke City's Britannia Stadium. However, beginning in 2007, Conference finals were played at Wembley (except for the 2011 final at Manchester City, above).
In recent years most leagues in the National League System, well below the professional levels, have adopted the play-off system for promotions of additional teams to the champions, although requirements are stricter depending on the league and only the champions of each level/division may be promoted automatically. In the Conference North and Conference South divisions, and all leagues below them, playoff finals are held at the stadium of the higher-ranked team in the table.
Read more about this topic: Football League Play-offs
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