Promotion from Betfred League 1 to the Championship at the end of this 2019 season will be via two routes.
Two clubs will go up and the bottom two from the Championship will be relegated.
The team finishing top of League 1 will go up automatically.
Joining them will be the winner of a five-club play-off, teams finishing 2 to 6 inclusive.
It works like this:
Round 1 (September 15):
Elimination Final, game A, 5 v 6 (losers eliminated)
Qualifying Final, game B, 3 v 4.
Round 2 (September 22):
First Semi-Final, game C, loser of QF (game B) v winner of EF (game A).
Second Semi-Final, game D, 2 v winner of QF (game B).
Round 3 (September 29):
Preliminary Final, loser of SF2 (game D) v winner of Semi-Final 1 (game C).
October 6:
Play-Off Final, winner of second Semi-Final v winner of Preliminary Final.
NOTE: The structure is so designed that if each game goes to form and league position it will produce a final of 2 v 3 with the Play-Off Final taking place at the home ground of club 2.
If Oldham were to finish 2, they would sit out September 15; be at home to the winners of 3 v 4 on September 22; and if they won that would go straight through to the Play-off final on October 6 which would be at the Vestacare Stadium.
The extent of the benefits to be gained from finishing 2 as opposed to 3 cannot be stressed too much.
Remaining games of the current six are s follows:
- Whitehaven (28 pts): West Wales (h), Coventry Bears (a)
- OLDHAM (26): Coventry Bears (a), Hunslet (a).
- Newcastle (25): North Wales (h), Keighley Cougars (a)
- Hunslet (22): London Skolars (a), Workington (h), OLDHAM (h)
- Doncaster (20): Keighley (h), Workington (a)
- Workington (19): Hunslet (a), Doncaster (h)
