Premier League, Women's Super League, EFL, Scottish football: Ups, downs & European qualification
Last updated on .From the section Football
BBC Sport outlines the promotion and relegation issues - and the race for European qualification - in England and Scotland for 2023-24.
| Recent confirmed promotions, relegations, titles & qualifications |
| 27 April - Sheffield United relegated to Championship |
| 27 April - Derby promoted to Championship |
| 27 April - Cheltenham relegated to League Two |
| 27 April - Sutton relegated to National League |
| 26 April - Leicester promoted to Premier League |
| 26 April - Dundee United promoted to Scottish Premiership |
Premier League
The top four teams will qualify for the Champions League group stage. (Potentially, there may be an extra place if England has one of the two highest Uefa coefficients from 2023-24.)
The fifth-placed Premier League team will qualify for the Europa League group stage, along with the FA Cup winners. If the FA Cup winners have already qualified for the Champions League, that Europa place reverts to the league.
Because Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool can finish no lower than fifth, and at worst will qualify for the Europa League, the Europa Conference League place earned by Liverpool for winning the Carabao Cup will revert to the league.
If Aston Villa win the Europa Conference League but fail to reach the Champions League, they will qualify for the Europa League group stage.
The bottom three teams will be relegated to the Championship. Sheffield United's relegation was confirmed on 27 April as they lost 5-1 at Newcastle. The other two places are between Burnley, Luton and Nottingham Forest.
However, the relegation picture may be complicated by Everton's and Nottingham Forest's appeals against their points deductions for breaches of Premier League profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
Women's Super League
The WSL champions and runners-up will enter the Champions League second round, with the third-placed team entering at the first round. Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal have made sure of the Champions League spots.
The bottom side will be relegated to the Women's Championship. This is likely to be Bristol City who are seven points adrift with three games left.
Championship
Leicester City clinched an immediate return to the Premier League on 26 April after promotion rivals Leeds lost 4-0 at QPR.
The second automatic place is between Leeds, Ipswich and Southampton. Whoever does not go up will contest the play-offs with two other teams.
The bottom three teams will be relegated to League One. Rotherham United were the first EFL team to be relegated when they lost 1-0 to Plymouth on 5 April.
League One
Portsmouth secured automatic promotion to the Championship as champions on 16 April by beating Barnsley 3-2, and were joined by runners-up Derby County who overcame Carlisle 2-0 on the final day of the season.
Bolton Wanderers, Peterborough United, Oxford United and Barnsley will contest the play-offs for the third promotion spot.
The bottom four teams will be relegated to League Two. Carlisle United were relegated on 6 April after losing 2-0 at Northampton. Port Vale joined them after a 2-0 loss at Bolton on 20 April, the same day that Fleetwood Town went down despite beating Leyton Orient 1-0. The fourth relegated team was Cheltenham Town, who lost 2-1 at Stevenage on the final day.
League Two
Stockport County clinched automatic promotion to League One by beating Morecambe 2-0 on 13 April, and won the title three days later with a 5-2 win at Notts County.
They will be joined by Wrexham, who made sure of promotion by beating Forest Green 6-0 on 13 April, and Mansfield Town who beat Accrington 2-1 on 16 April.
The final promotion place will go to the winners of a play-off between Milton Keynes Dons, Doncaster Rovers, Crewe Alexandra and Crawley Town.
Forest Green Rovers' relegation to the National League was confirmed on 16 April after Colchester beat Grimsby 2-0, and they were joined on the final day of the season by Sutton United who drew 4-4 at Milton Keynes.
National League
Chesterfield secured the title, and automatic promotion back to the EFL after six years away, by beating Boreham Wood 3-0 on 23 March.
The second promotion place will go to the winners of the final between Solihull Moors and either Bromley or Altrincham. Gateshead were barred from the play-offs for failing to meet the entry criteria for EFL membership.
The bottom four teams will be relegated to National League North or South, and will be replaced with the champions and play-off winners of those two divisions.
Oxford City's relegation was confirmed when they lost 2-1 at AFC Fylde on 23 March, and they were joined on 13 April by Dorking Wanderers who drew 1-1 at Rochdale, Kidderminster Harriers who lost 1-0 to Eastleigh, and Boreham Wood who drew 0-0 with Ebbsfleet on the final day of the season.
Tamworth clinched the National League North title on 6 April with a 1-1 draw against Warrington, while Yeovil Town made sure of the South title by beating Truro 2-0 on 11 April.
Scottish Premiership
The Premiership split in half after 33 games, with each club playing the others in its 'half' for a fourth and final time.
The champions will enter the Champions League group stage, with the runners-up entering in the third qualifying round. Celtic are assured of a Champions League place, with Rangers close to joining them.
With those clubs also contesting the Scottish Cup final, the Europa League place reserved for the Cup winners will revert to the league.
So, the third-placed Premiership team will enter the Europa League at the play-off round, with the fourth-placed team in the second qualifying round, while the fifth-placed team will enter the Europa Conference League at the second qualifying round.
The Premiership's bottom club will be relegated to the Scottish Championship, while the 11th-placed team will enter a play-off with three Championship sides.
Scottish Championship
Dundee United were promoted to the Scottish Premiership as champions on 26 April after a 0-0 draw at Airdrieonians.
Raith Rovers, Partick Thistle, Airdrieonians and the 11th-placed Premiership side will enter a play-off for the second promotion place.
Bottom side Arbroath's relegation to League One was confirmed with a 5-0 thrashing by Ayr United on 13 April. The ninth-placed team - Inverness Caledonian Thistle or Queen's Park - will enter a play-off with three League One sides.
Scottish League One
Champions Falkirk clinched automatic promotion to the Scottish Championship after rivals Hamilton drew 0-0 with Queen of the South just before they won 7-1 at Montrose on 30 March.
Hamilton Academical, Alloa Athletic and Montrose will enter a play-off with the ninth-placed Championship side.
Bottom club Edinburgh City were the first team in England or Scotland to be relegated after losing 5-2 to Alloa on 16 March. The ninth-placed team - either Annan Athletic or Stirling Albion, who are level on points and meet on the final day of the season - will enter a play-off with three League Two teams.
Scottish League Two
Stenhousemuir clinched automatic promotion to League One as champions on 6 March after drawing 0-0 with East Fife. Peterhead, Dumbarton and The Spartans will enter a play-off with the ninth-placed League One side.
The bottom side - Stranraer, Clyde or Bonnyrigg Rose - will enter a play-off against Lowland League winners East Kilbride on 11 and 18 May for the final place in League Two for 2024-25. The first stage of the pyramid play-off was cancelled after Highland League champions Buckie Thistle failed to meet Scottish FA licensing requirements for a place in the SPFL.
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