Under-21 competition will again consist of one division, now featuring 29 clubs, for the 2025/26 season Premier League 2 is a competition that forms an essential part of the suite of competitive experiences available to players in the Professional Development Phase (PDP), from Under-17 to Under-21. These competitions are designed to offer talented young players an experience that closely replicates the first-team level and support their preparation for senior football. Its aim is to expose players to the rigours and challenges of senior football, while retaining a development focus. Players in Premier League 2 (PL2) cannot be older than 21. The previous format and competition title dates from 2016/17, before which it was called the Under-21 Premier League. The current format of PL2 was new in 2023/24.
What was the old format for PL2? In 2022/23, Premier League 2 comprised the 25 clubs with "Category One" Academies split into two divisions - 14 teams in Division 1 and 11 in Division 2 - with relegation and promotion of two clubs in each division. Teams played each other home and away, with the two bottom clubs from Division 1 relegated and the champions of Division 2 going up along with another team determined by a playoff of the teams finishing second to fifth.
What is the current format for PL2? Since the start of the 2023/24 season, there has been only one division, made up of clubs with Category One Academies. Initially featuring 26 such clubs, this has been increased to 29 for the 2025/26 season with the addition of Birmingham City, Burnley and Ipswich Town.
The participating clubs are divided into six seeding pots of five teams (there will be one bye team), based on performances over the previous three seasons. Fixtures are determined by a draw made according to clubs' positions in the six seeded pots. There are 20 Matchweeks, with each team playing 20 matches during the regular season.