The English Football League One is the second-highest division of the English Football League and the third tier overall in the English football league system, after the Premier League and the EFL Championship. It is contested by 24 professional clubs.
Introduced in the 2004–05 English football season as Football League One, it is a rebrand of the former Football League Second Division.
Burton Albion currently hold the longest tenure in the division following relegation from the Championship at the end of the 2017–18 season. There are nine former Premier League clubs currently competing in this division: Barnsley (1997–98), Blackpool (2010–11), Bradford City (1999–2001), Huddersfield Town (2017–2019), Leicester City, Luton Town (2023–24), Reading (2006–2008 and 2012–13), Sheffield Wednesday and Wigan Athletic (2005–2013).
Map There are 24 clubs in this division. Each club plays each of the others twice. Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss. At the end of the season a table of the final League standings is determined, based on the following criteria in this order: points obtained, goal difference, goals scored, an aggregate of the results between two or more clubs (ranked using the previous three criteria), most matches won, most goals scored away from home, fewest "penalty points" based on yellow and red cards received, followed by fewest straight red cards for certain offences. If two or more teams are still tied after examining all of these criteria, they will share the higher place between them. The only exception would be if the tied teams span the boundary between 2nd and 3rd, 6th and 7th, or 20th and 21st place, in which case one or more play-off matches would be arranged between the tied clubs.
At the end of each season the top two clubs, together with the winner of the play-offs between the clubs which finished in the third to sixth positions, are promoted to the EFL Championship and are replaced by the three clubs that finished at the bottom of that division.
The four clubs that finish at the bottom of EFL League One are relegated to EFL League Two. They are replaced by the top three clubs and the club that won the fourth to seventh place play-offs in League Two.
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order. Team Location Stadium Capacity AFC Wimbledon London Plough Lane 9,215 Barnsley Barnsley Oakwell 23,287 Blackpool Blackpool Bloomfield Road 16,500 Bradford City Bradford Valley Parade 24,840 Bromley London Hayes Lane 6,100 Burton Albion Burton upon Trent Pirelli Stadium 6,912 Cambridge United Cambridge Abbey Stadium 7,937 Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Eco-Power Stadium 15,231 Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Kirklees Stadium 24,121 Leicester City Leicester King Power Stadium 32,259 Leyton Orient London Brisbane Road 9,271 Luton Town Luton Kenilworth Road 12,056 Mansfield Town Mansfield Field Mill 10,022 Milton Keynes Dons Milton Keynes Stadium MK 30,500 Notts County Nottingham Meadow Lane 19,841 Oxford United Oxford Kassam Stadium 12,500 Peterborough United Peterborough London Road Stadium 15,314 Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Home Park 17,900 Reading Reading Madejski Stadium 24,161 Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Hillsborough Stadium 39,732 Stevenage Stevenage Broadhall Way 7,318 Stockport County Stockport Edgeley Park 10,852 Wigan Athletic Wigan Brick Community Stadium 25,138 Wycombe Wanderers High Wycombe Adams Park 10,446
Teams promoted from League One SeasonWinnerRunner-upPromoted Play-off Winner (Position)2004–05Luton Town 98Hull City 86Sheffield Wednesday 72 (5th)2005–06Southend United 82Colchester United 79Barnsley 72 (5th)2006–07Scunthorpe United 91Bristol City 85Blackpool 83 (3rd)2007–08Swansea City 92Nottingham Forest 82Doncaster Rovers 80 (3rd)2008–09Leicester City 96Peterborough United 89Scunthorpe United 76 (6th)2009–10Norwich City 95Leeds United 86Millwall 85 (3rd)2010–11Brighton & Hove Albion 95Southampton 92Peterborough United 79 (4th)2011–12Charlton Athletic 101Sheffield Wednesday 93Huddersfield Town 81 (4th)2012–13Doncaster Rovers 84AFC Bournemouth 83Yeovil Town 77 (4th)2013–14Wolverhampton Wanderers 103Brentford 94Rotherham United 86 (4th)2014–15Bristol City 99Milton Keynes Dons 91Preston North End 89 (3rd)2015–16Wigan Athletic 87Burton Albion 85Barnsley 74 (6th) 2016–17Sheffield United 100Bolton Wanderers 86Millwall 73 (6th)2017–18Wigan Athletic 98Blackburn Rovers 96Rotherham United 79 (4th)2018–19Luton Town 94Barnsley 91Charlton Athletic 88 (3rd)2019–20 Coventry City 67Rotherham United 62Wycombe Wanderers 59 (3rd)2020–21Hull City 89Peterborough United 87Blackpool 80 (3rd)2021–22Wigan Athletic 92Rotherham United 90Sunderland 84 (5th) 2022–23Plymouth Argyle 101Ipswich Town 98Sheffield Wednesday 96 (3rd)2023–24Portsmouth 97Derby County 92Oxford United 77 (5th)2024–25 Birmingham City 111Wrexham 92Charlton Athletic 85 (4th)2025–26 Lincoln City 103Cardiff City 91Bolton Wanderers 75 (5th)
Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
Play-off results
SeasonSemi-final (1st Leg)Semi-final (2nd Leg)Final2004–05Sheffield Wednesday 1–0 BrentfordHartlepool United 2–0 Tranmere RoversBrentford 1–2 Sheffield WednesdayTranmere Rovers 2–0 Hartlepool UnitedSheffield Wednesday 4–2 Hartlepool United 2005–06Barnsley 0–1 Huddersfield TownSwansea City 1–1 BrentfordHuddersfield Town 1–3 BarnsleyBrentford 0–2 Swansea CityBarnsley 2–2 Swansea City2006–07Yeovil Town 0–2 Nottingham ForestOldham Athletic 1–2 BlackpoolNottingham Forest 2–5 Yeovil Town Blackpool 3–1 Oldham AthleticBlackpool 2–0 Yeovil Town2007–08Southend United 0–0 Doncaster RoversLeeds United 1–2 Carlisle UnitedDoncaster Rovers 5–1 Southend UnitedCarlisle United 0–2 Leeds UnitedLeeds United 0–1 Doncaster Rovers2008–09Scunthorpe United 1–1 Milton Keynes DonsMillwall 1–0 Leeds UnitedMilton Keynes Dons 0–0 Scunthorpe UnitedLeeds United 1–1 MillwallScunthorpe United 3–2 Millwall2009–10Swindon Town 2–1 Charlton AthleticHuddersfield Town 0–0 MillwallCharlton Athletic 2–1 Swindon TownMillwall 2–0 Huddersfield TownMillwall 1–0 Swindon Town2010–11AFC Bournemouth 1–1 Huddersfield TownMilton Keynes Dons 3–2 Peterborough UnitedHuddersfield Town 3–3 AFC BournemouthPeterborough United 2–0 Milton Keynes DonsHuddersfield Town 0–3 Peterborough United2011–12Stevenage 0–0 Sheffield UnitedMilton Keynes Dons 0–2 Huddersfield TownSheffield United 1–0 StevenageHuddersfield Town 1–2 Milton Keynes DonsHuddersfield Town 0–0 Sheffield United2012–13Sheffield United 1–0 Yeovil TownSwindon Town 1–1 BrentfordYeovil Town 2–0 Sheffield UnitedBrentford 3–3 Swindon TownBrentford 1–2 Yeovil Town2013–14Peterborough United 1–1 Leyton OrientPreston North End 1–1 Rotherham UnitedLeyton Orient 2–1 Peterborough UnitedRotherham United 3–1 Preston North EndLeyton Orient 2–2 Rotherham United2014–15Chesterfield 0–1 Preston North EndSheffield United 1–2 Swindon TownPreston North End 3–0 ChesterfieldSwindon Town 5–5 Sheffield UnitedPreston North End 4–0 Swindon Town2015–16Barnsley 3–0 WalsallBradford City 1–3 MillwallWalsall 1–3 BarnsleyMillwall 1–1 Bradford CityBarnsley 3–1 Millwall2016–17Millwall 0–0 Scunthorpe UnitedBradford City 1–0 Fleetwood TownScunthorpe United 2–3 MillwallFleetwood Town 0–0 Bradford CityBradford City 0–1 Millwall2017–18Charlton Athletic 0–1 Shrewsbury TownScunthorpe United 2–2 Rotherham UnitedShrewsbury Town 1–0 Charlton AthleticRotherham United 2–0 Scunthorpe UnitedRotherham United 2–1 Shrewsbury Town 2018–19Doncaster Rovers 1–2 Charlton AthleticSunderland 1–0 PortsmouthCharlton Athletic 2–3 Doncaster RoversPortsmouth 0–0 SunderlandCharlton Athletic 2–1 Sunderland2019–20Portsmouth 1–1 Oxford UnitedFleetwood Town 1–4 Wycombe WanderersOxford United 1–1 PortsmouthWycombe Wanderers 2–2 Fleetwood TownOxford United 1–2 Wycombe Wanderers2020–21Oxford United 0–3 BlackpoolLincoln City 2–0 SunderlandBlackpool 3–3 Oxford UnitedSunderland 2–1 Lincoln CityBlackpool 2–1 Lincoln City2021–22Wycombe Wanderers 2–0 Milton Keynes DonsSunderland 1–0 Sheffield WednesdayMilton Keynes Dons 1–0 Wycombe WanderersSheffield Wednesday 1–1 SunderlandSunderland 2–0 Wycombe Wanderers2022–23Peterborough United 4–0 Sheffield WednesdayBolton Wanderers 1–1 BarnsleySheffield Wednesday 5–1 Peterborough UnitedBarnsley 1–0 Bolton WanderersSheffield Wednesday 1–0 Barnsley 2023–24Barnsley 1–3 Bolton WanderersOxford United 1–0 Peterborough UnitedBolton Wanderers 2–3 BarnsleyPeterborough United 1–1 Oxford UnitedBolton Wanderers 0–2 Oxford United2024–25Leyton Orient 2–2 Stockport CountyWycombe Wanderers 0–0 Charlton AthleticStockport County 1–1 Leyton OrientCharlton Athletic 1–0 Wycombe WanderersCharlton Athletic 1–0 Leyton Orient2025–26Stevenage 0–1 Stockport CountyBolton Wanderers 1–0 Bradford CityStockport County 2–0 StevenageBradford City 0–1 Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers 4–1 Stockport County
Relegated teams SeasonClubs2004–05Torquay United (51), Wrexham (43), Peterborough United (39), Stockport County (26)2005–06Hartlepool United (50), Milton Keynes Dons (50), Swindon Town (48), Walsall (47)2006–07Chesterfield (47), Bradford City (47), Rotherham United (38), Brentford (37)2007–08AFC Bournemouth (48), Gillingham (46), Port Vale (38), Luton Town (33)2008–09Northampton Town (49), Crewe Alexandra (46), Cheltenham Town (39), Hereford United (34)2009–10Gillingham (50), Wycombe Wanderers (45), Southend United (43), Stockport County (25)2010–11Dagenham & Redbridge (47), Bristol Rovers (45), Plymouth Argyle (42), Swindon Town (41)2011–12Wycombe Wanderers (43), Chesterfield (42), Exeter City (42), Rochdale (38)2012–13Scunthorpe United (48), Bury (41), Hartlepool United (41), Portsmouth (32)2013–14Tranmere Rovers (47), Carlisle United (45), Shrewsbury Town (42), Stevenage (42)2014–15 Notts County (50), Crawley Town (50), Leyton Orient (49), Yeovil Town (40)2015–16Doncaster Rovers (46), Blackpool (46), Colchester United (40), Crewe Alexandra (34)2016–17Port Vale (49), Swindon Town (44), Coventry City (39), Chesterfield (37)2017–18Oldham Athletic (50), Northampton Town (47), Milton Keynes Dons (45), Bury (36)2018–19Plymouth Argyle (50), Walsall (47), Scunthorpe United (46), Bradford City (41)2019–20Tranmere Rovers (32), Southend United (19), Bolton Wanderers (14), Bury2020–21Rochdale (47), Northampton Town (45), Swindon Town (43), Bristol Rovers (38) 2021–22Gillingham (40), Doncaster Rovers (38), AFC Wimbledon (37), Crewe Alexandra (29)2022–23Milton Keynes Dons (45), Morecambe (44), Accrington Stanley (44), Forest Green Rovers (27)2023–24Cheltenham Town (44), Fleetwood Town (43), Port Vale (41), Carlisle United (30)2024–25Crawley Town (46), Bristol Rovers (43), Cambridge United (38), Shrewsbury Town (33)2025–26Exeter City (49), Port Vale (42), Rotherham United (41), Northampton Town (35) Expelled in August 2019 after financial breaches.
Top scorers SeasonTop scorer(s)Club(s)Goals2004–05 Stuart Elliott Hull City27 Dean Windass Bradford City2005–06 Freddy EastwoodSouthend United 23 Billy Sharp Scunthorpe United2006–07 Billy Sharp Scunthorpe United302007–08 Jason Scotland Swansea City242008–09 Simon Cox Swindon Town29 Rickie Lambert Bristol Rovers2009–10 Rickie Lambert Southampton302010–11 Craig Mackail-Smith Peterborough United272011–12 Jordan Rhodes Huddersfield Town362012–13 Paddy Madden Yeovil Town222013–14 Sam Baldock Bristol City242014–15 Joe Garner Preston North End262015–16 Will GriggWigan Athletic252016–17 Billy SharpSheffield United302017–18 Jack MarriottPeterborough United 272018–19 James CollinsLuton Town252019–20 Ivan ToneyPeterborough United242020–21 Jonson Clarke-HarrisPeterborough United312021–22 Will KeaneWigan Athletic262022–23 Conor ChaplinIpswich Town26 Jonson Clarke-HarrisPeterborough United2023–24 Alfie MayCharlton Athletic232024–25 Charlie KelmanLeyton Orient 212025–26 Dom BallardLeyton Orient23 In 35 games. Season truncated because of coronavirus.
Attendances