Ups, downs & European qualification

BBC Sport outlines the promotion and relegation issues – and the race for European qualification – in England and Scotland for 2022-23.

Premier League

There are also places in the Champions League group stage reserved for the winners of this season’s Champions League and Europa League, regardless of their domestic league positions.

If English teams win both competitions but finish outside the top four, there can only be a maximum of five English teams in the Champions League, so the fourth-placed team will enter the Europa League.

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.

Manchester United‘s victory in the Carabao Cup final means that at worst they will qualify for the Europa Conference League play-off round. But if they qualify for Europe by their league position (or win the Europa League), that Conference League spot will revert to the league.

If West Ham win the Europa Conference League, they will qualify for the Europa League group stage.

The bottom three teams will be relegated to the Championship.

Championship

The top two teams will be automatically promoted to the Premier League, with the next four entering a play-off. Burnley clinched promotion on 7 April with a 2-1 win at Middlesbrough, and require a maximum of four points from their last five games to seal the title.

Sheffield United, the only team that can catch the Clarets, are assured of at least a play-off place, with Luton close to joining them.

The bottom three teams will be relegated to League One. Wigan’s relegation could be confirmed in midweek if a number of other results go against them.

League One

The top two teams will be automatically promoted to the Championship, with the next four entering a play-off. Plymouth, Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday are already assured of at least a play-off place, with Barnsley close to joining them.

The bottom four teams will be relegated to League Two. Forest Green Rovers’ relegation was confirmed on 15 April with a 5-1 home defeat by Barnsley.

League Two

The top three teams will be automatically promoted to League One, with the next four entering a play-off.

Leyton Orient can clinch promotion on Tuesday if they win or match Bradford’s result.

The bottom two teams will be relegated to the National League. Rochdale can be relegated on Tuesday if they fail to win and results go against them.

National League

The champions – Wrexham or Notts County – will be automatically promoted to League Two.

Whoever does not win the title will enter a play-off with Chesterfield, Woking and three other teams.

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. Maidstone United became the first club in England’s top leagues to be relegated after losing 4-0 to Boreham Wood on 1 April, and Scunthorpe United joined them on 10 April after losing 2-0 to Oldham. Yeovil will be the third team relegated on Tuesday unless they win and other results go in their favour.

Ebbsfleet United have already clinched the National League South title.

Scottish Premiership

The Premiership splits in half after 33 games – the 33rd round is played this coming weekend – with each club playing the others in its ‘half’ for a fourth and final time.

The title is between Celtic and Rangers, who are both assured of a Champions League place. Celtic require a maximum of 10 points from their last seven games to clinch the title.

The champions will enter the Champions League group stage, with the runners-up entering in the third qualifying round.

The third and fourth-placed teams will enter the Europa Conference League at the third and second qualifying rounds, respectively.

The Scottish Cup winners will enter the Europa League at the play-off round. If the Cup winners finish in the top two, that Europa place reverts to the league.

Aberdeen are assured of finishing in the top half when the league splits while Motherwell, St Johnstone, Dundee United, Kilmarnock and Ross County will be in the bottom half.

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

The champions will be promoted to the Scottish Premiership.

The next three teams will enter a play-off with the 11th-placed Premiership team.

The bottom club – Cove, Hamilton or Arbroath – will be relegated to Scottish League One, while the ninth-placed team will enter a play-off with three League One sides.

Scottish League One

Champions Dunfermline Athletic clinched automatic promotion to the Scottish Championship on 15 April by thrashing Queen of the South 5-0.

Falkirk and two other teams will enter a play-off with the ninth-placed Championship side.

The bottom team – either Peterhead or Clyde – will be relegated to Scottish League Two, while the other team will finish ninth and enter a play-off with three League Two teams.

Scottish League Two

The champions – Stirling Albion or Dumbarton – will be automatically promoted to Scottish League One. Whoever does not win the title will enter a play-off with two other League Two teams and the ninth-placed League One side.

Stirling can clinch the title on Tuesday if they beat Dumbarton.

The bottom side will enter a play-off on 13 and 20 May against the winners of a play-off between the Highland League champions and Lowland League winners (The Spartans) scheduled for 29 April and 6 May. The overall winners will take the final place in League Two for 2023-24.

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