2022 English Football League play-offs#League One Semi-Finals

The English Football League play-offs have been held every year since 1987. They take place for each division following the conclusion of the regular season and are contested by the four clubs finishing below the automatic promotion places. The fixtures are determined by final league position – in the Championship and League One this is 3rd v 6th and 4th v 5th, while in League Two it is 4th v 7th and 5th v 6th.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

All English Football League play-off games were broadcast live on Sky Sports. It was simulcast on the ESPN+ streaming platform in the United States.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

{{Main|2021–22 EFL Championship}}

The final table was confirmed after the final matchday on 7 May 2022, due to Bournemouth beating Nottingham Forest on 3 May 2022; this meant that Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield Town were guaranteed to finish either 3rd or 4th and in the play-offs. Sheffield United and Luton Town won their games against Fulham and Reading respectively, because of this, Middlesbrough and Millwall did not qualify for the play-offs regardless of their results. It meant that Luton played Huddersfield, and Sheffield United played Nottingham Forest in the 1st legs, and vice versa in the 2nd legs.

{{Football box

| date = 13 May 2022

| time = 19:45 BST

| team1 = Luton Town

| score = 1–1

| team2 = Huddersfield Town

| goals1 =

• Bradley {{goal|30}}

| goals2 =

• Sinani {{goal|12}}

| stadium = Kenilworth Road

| location = Luton

| attendance = 10,005

| referee = Robert Jones

| report = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61365570

}}

{{Football box

| date = 14 May 2022

| time = 15:00 BST

| team1 = Sheffield United

| score = 1–2

| team2 = Nottingham Forest

| goals1 =

• [[Jack Robinson (footballer, born 1993)|Robinson

]] {{goal|90+1}}

| goals2 =

• Colback {{goal|10}}
• Johnson {{goal|71}}

| stadium = Bramall Lane

| location = Sheffield

| attendance = 30,225

| referee = Andre Marriner

| report = https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/football/61248429

}}

{{Football box

| date = 16 May 2022

| time = 19:45 BST

| team1 = Huddersfield Town

| score = 1–0

| team2 = Luton Town

| goals1 = Rhodes {{goal|82}}

| goals2 =

| stadium = John Smith's Stadium

| location = Huddersfield

| attendance = 23,507

| referee = Peter Bankes

| report = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61375028

}}

Huddersfield Town won 2–1 on aggregate.

{{Football box

| date = 17 May 2022

| time = 19:45 BST

| team1 = Nottingham Forest

| score = 1–2

| aet = yes

| team2 = Sheffield United

| goals1 =

• Johnson {{goal|19}}

| goals2 =

• Gibbs-White {{goal|47}}
• Fleck {{goal|75}}

| penalties1 =

• Johnson {{pengoal}}
• Cafú {{pengoal}}
• Cook {{pengoal}}
• Lolley {{penmiss}}

| penaltyscore = 3–2

| penalties2 =

• {{penmiss}} Norwood
• {{penmiss}} Hourihane
• {{pengoal}} Berge
• {{pengoal}} Ndiaye
• {{penmiss}} Gibbs-White

| stadium = City Ground

| location = Nottingham

| attendance = 29,015

| referee = Michael Oliver

| report = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61389080

}}

3–3 on aggregate. Nottingham Forest won 3–2 on penalties.

{{Main|2022 EFL Championship play-off Final}}

The winner, Nottingham Forest, won promotion to the top fight after more than two decades of absence, joining Fulham and Bournemouth in being promoted to the Premier League for the 2022–23 season.

{{:2022 EFL Championship play-off Final}}

{{Main|2021–22 EFL League One}}

The final table was confirmed after the final matchday on 30 April 2022, Milton Keynes Dons had already guaranteed a place in the play-offs and would have been promoted if they had a better result than Rotherham United. Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland won their games against Portsmouth and Morecambe respectively to finish 4th and 5th. Wycombe Wanderers beat Burton Albion and due to Plymouth Argyle losing to MK Dons, Wycombe finished 6th and Plymouth finished 7th. It meant that Wycombe played MK Dons and Sunderland played Sheffield Wednesday in the first legs, and vice versa in the second legs.

{{Football box

| date = 5 May 2022

| time = 19:45 BST

| team1 = Wycombe Wanderers

| score = 2–0

| team2 = Milton Keynes Dons

| goals1 =

• Tafazolli {{goal|38}}
• Vokes {{goal|82}}

| goals2 =

| stadium = Adams Park

| location = High Wycombe

| attendance = 8,987

| referee = Darren Bond

| report = https://www.skysports.com/football/wycombe-wanderers-vs-milton-keynes-dons/live/463547

}}

{{Football box

| date = 6 May 2022

| time = 19:45 BST

| team1 = Sunderland

| score = 1–0

| team2 = Sheffield Wednesday

| goals1 =

• Stewart {{goal|45+1}}

| goals2 =

| stadium = Stadium of Light

| location = Sunderland

| attendance = 44,742

| referee = Matthew Donohue

| report = https://www.skysports.com/football/sland-vs-sheff-wed/463548

}}

{{Football box

| date = 8 May 2022

| time = 18:30 BST

| team1 = Milton Keynes Dons

| score = 1–0

| team2 = Wycombe Wanderers

| goals1 =

• Parrott {{goal|26}}

| goals2 =

| stadium = Stadium MK

| location = Milton Keynes

| attendance = 13,012

| referee = Thomas Bramall

| report = https://www.skysports.com/football/milton-keynes-dons-vs-wycombe-wanderers/report/463549

}}

Wycombe Wanderers won 2–1 on aggregate.

{{Football box

| date = 9 May 2022

| time = 19:45 BST

| team1 = Sheffield Wednesday

| score = 1–1

| team2 = Sunderland

| goals1 =

• Gregory {{goal|74}}

| goals2 =

• Roberts {{goal|90+3}}

| stadium = Hillsborough Stadium

| location = Sheffield

| attendance = 32,978

| referee = James Linington

| report = https://www.skysports.com/football/Sheff-Wed-vs-Sland/463550

}}

Sunderland won 2–1 on aggregate.

{{Main|2022 EFL League One play-off Final}}

{{:2022 EFL League One play-off Final}}

{{Main|2021–22 EFL League Two}}

The final table was confirmed after the final matchday on 7 May 2022, Bristol Rovers had already secured a play-off place and could still have finished 3rd and gained automatic promotion if they bettered Northampton Town's result in the last game of the season. Northampton Town and Bristol Rovers both won their games, putting both of them on 80 points with the promoted team decided on goal difference. Due to Bristol Rovers winning their game 7–0, it put them both on a +22 goal difference, but Bristol Rovers had scored more goals than Northampton Town (71–60). This meant that against all the odds at the time, Bristol Rovers were promoted and Northampton were condemned to the play-offs. Swindon Town beat Walsall in their game, and Mansfield Town drew to champions Forest Green Rovers, which was enough to qualify for the play-offs. It meant that Mansfield Town played Northampton and Swindon Town played Port Vale in the 1st legs, and vice versa in the 2nd legs.

{{Football box

| date = 14 May 2022

| time = 19:45 BST

| team1 = Mansfield Town

| score = 2–1

| team2 = Northampton Town

| goals1 =

• Oates {{Goal|13}}
• Bowery {{Goal|32}}

| goals2 =

• Koiki {{Goal|61}}

| stadium = Field Mill

| location = Mansfield

| attendance = 7,469

| referee = Anthony Backhouse

| report = https://www.skysports.com/football/mansfield-town-vs-northampton-town/report/463585

}}

{{Football box

| date = 15 May 2022

| time = 12:00 BST

| team1 = Swindon Town

| score = 2–1

| team2 = Port Vale

| goals1 = McKirdy {{goal|26||68}}

| goals2 = Wilson {{goal|83}}

| stadium = County Ground

| location = Swindon

| attendance = 14,086

| referee = Ross Joyce

| report = https://www.skysports.com/football/swindon-town-vs-port-vale/report/463586

}}

{{Football box

| date = 18 May 2022

| time = 19:45 BST

| team1 = Northampton Town

| score = 0–1

| team2 = Mansfield Town

| goals1 =

| goals2 = McLaughlin {{goal|32}}

| stadium = Sixfields Stadium

| location = Northampton

| attendance = 7,619

| referee = Ben Toner

| report = https://www.skysports.com/football/northampton-town-vs-mansfield-town/463587

}}

Mansfield Town won 3–1 on aggregate.

{{Football box

| date = 19 May 2022

| time = 19:45 BST

| team1 = Port Vale

| score = 1–0

| aet = yes

| team2 = Swindon Town

| goals1 =

• Wilson {{goal|8}}

| goals2 =

| penalties1 =

• Wilson {{pengoal}}
• Worrall {{penmiss}}
• Edmondson {{penmiss}}
• Charsley {{pengoal}}
• Pett {{pengoal}}
• Garrity {{pengoal}}
• Gibbons {{pengoal}}
• Benning {{pengoal}}

| penaltyscore = 6–5

| penalties2 =

• {{pengoal}} Payne
• {{pengoal}} Gladwin
• {{penmiss}} McKirdy
• {{pengoal}} Reed
• {{penmiss}} Davison
• {{pengoal}} Conroy
• {{pengoal}} Egbo
• {{penmiss}} Iandolo

| stadium = Vale Park

| location = Stoke-on-Trent

| attendance = 11,669

| referee = Seb Stockbridge

| report = https://www.skysports.com/football/port-vale-vs-swindon/463588

}}

2–2 on aggregate. Port Vale won 6–5 on penalties.

{{Main|2022 EFL League Two play-off Final}}

{{:2022 EFL League Two play-off Final}}

{{reflist}}

{{English Football League play-offs|states=uncollapsed}}

{{2021–22 in English men's football}}

Play-offs

Category:English Football League play-offs

EFL