Play-off round
The play-off round is the last qualifying round before the league phase. The clubs that win their play-off ties reach the league phase, and the losers drop into the lower European competition.
Why it matters
It matters because it is the final step into the competition. A win in the play-off round places a club in the league phase, while a defeat sends it to the Europa League, so the round decides which tier a club enters.
Where it is used
It is used at the end of qualifying. The remaining clubs are drawn into ties, and the winners join the league phase of the competition while the losers continue in the tier below, making the round a fork in the season.
How to read it
Read the play-off round as the last gate. It separates the clubs that will play in the competition from those that will not, and its ties carry the full weight of a place in the league phase.
What it means
the final qualifying round before the league phase
Play-off round is one of the working terms of the competition. This entry explains it as a mechanism that holds true from season to season, so it can be read on its own or alongside the other entries in the glossary of the tournament.
- The last qualifying round.
- Winners reach the league phase.
- Losers drop to the lower competition.
- Decides which tier a club enters.
- A fork in the season for the clubs involved.
- The final gate into the competition.