There are a total of 46 games in an EFL Championship season.
Teams play each other twice – once at home and once away. After every club has played all 46 of their fixtures then the team with the most points at the end of the season is crowned league champion.
Has The Number of Games Changed in The Past?
Yes, the number of games in an EFL Championship season has changed in the past.
For starters, the league wasn’t always known as the EFL Championship. Up until the end of the 2003/04 season, the league was known as the First Division instead.
When the EFL Championship (formerly the First Division) was founded in 1888, it was the sole league in English football, containing just twelve teams who were its founding members. Each side played 22 games during a season, facing each other twice, at their home ground and away too. This is a smaller number of games than are played today.
In 1892, when the League decided to admit additional members from the rival Football Alliance, it was split into two divisions, with the number of teams in the First Division increasing from 12 to 22
The amount of games a team played also increased from 22 to 42 with each side still playing each other twice. This format remained in place until 1992 when the introduction of the Premier League meant that the First Division effectively became English football’s second tier for the first time in its century long history. The number of teams participating increased from 22 to 24.
EFL Championship teams sometimes play two matches per week. This is likely to happen when a game is postponed due to adverse weather conditions or when a team is participating in both the league and one or both of the cup competitions including the FA Cup or the League Cup.
Have Any Teams Failed To Play A Game?
Unexpected circumstances have previously caused EFL Championship teams to forfeit games.
For example, during the 2018/19 season, Bolton Wanderers forfeited their game against Brentford when players went on strike following months of not been paid
In 2002, Sheffield Utd faced West Brom in an EFL Championship fixture. Following a sending off, United were down to ten men, then made all three of their allocated substitutions. The club had two more players sent off and then a further two players left the game through injury.
With no-one left to replace them, Sheffield United only had six players remaining on the field and the referee had no choice but to stop the game.
Typically, in most cases, the team unable to play is judged to have lost the game 3-0 and the opposing team is awarded all three points.
How Does The EFL Championship Season Work?
The EFL Championship is composed of 24 teams in total. A season involves a home and an away fixture against every other team.
Champions are crowned at the end of a season based on their points total. If two or more teams are tied on points, their position in the EFL Championship table is determined by goal difference – goals scored minus goals conceded – the team with a better goal difference being ranked higher.
If two or more teams are still tied then a play-off between the sides in question is played with the victor winning the league or avoiding relegation, as the case may be.
The team who finishes in second gains promotion to the Premier League alongside the league winners. Clubs ending up in third to sixth place enter a series of play-off games including a two legged semi-final and final.
At the end of each season, the EFL Championship’s bottom four teams are relegated to EFL League One.
When Does the EFL Championship Season Start?
The EFL Championship season typically starts in early August and runs until early May of the following year.
The season’s start date can vary from year to year but it usually begins around the first week of August.
Between each campaign is the ‘off-season’ in which players are not required to play competitive games but can participate in international tournaments like the European Championship or World Cup.
What Is The Maximum Amount Of Points You Can Achieve In A EFL Championship Season?
The maximum number of points a team can achieve in an EFL Championship season is 138.
This would be achieved if a team were to win all 46 games as each win is worth three points.
It is worth noting that it is almost impossible for a team to win every game in an EFL Championship season. In fact, it has never happened in the history of the competition.
The team with the most points in a single EFL Championship season is Reading who earned 106 points across the 2005/06 campaign.
How Many Points For A Draw In The EFL Championship Football?
In most professional football leagues, including the EFL Championship, a draw or tie is worth one point.
Each team is awarded one point if a match ends in a draw. If a team wins a game, then they are awarded three points. If a team loses a match, then they are awarded no points.
