36 seasons of EFL Championship data (1988–89 to 2023–24) show the true points gap between 6th and 8th place — and it might surprise you.
6th Place
8th Place
Gap ≤ 3 pts
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The average gap between 6th and 8th is just 5 points
That's fewer than 2 wins. In — of 37 seasons, the gap was 3 points or fewer — literally one result separating the teams.
The new playoff format is not the wild experiment critics suggest.
Season by Season
6TH vs 8TH PLACE POINTS
Each season shown as a pair of connected dots. Shorter lines = smaller gap. Green lines indicate a gap of 3 points or fewer.
3
Distribution
GAP FREQUENCY
How often does each gap size occur? Most seasons cluster in the 1–6 range.
Correlation
6TH vs 8TH: TRACKING TOGETHER?
If both teams track similarly, it shows weak seasons are weak throughout — not that 8th is uniquely poor.
Over Time
HAS THE GAP CHANGED?
Rolling 5-season average of the points gap. A stable or shrinking gap strengthens the case for including 8th place.