THE National League’s six-team play-off motion was passed during the annual general meeting at Celtic Manor.

Clubs voted in favour of the new format, meaning that teams placed from second to seventh in the National League and its regionalised North and South divisions will now contest promotion at the end of the regular season, with the three respective champions still going up automatically.

The National League’s 2018 play-off final will continue to be played at Wembley, but the North and South deciders, with City plying their trade in the former following a second successive relegation, will still be hosted by the club who boasts the highest-placed finish over the campaign between the two finalists.

Under the new system, there will be no two-legged affairs with the teams finishing fourth and fifth in the final standings entertaining those that end the campaign seventh and sixth respectively.

The league runners-up will then be at home in the semi-final to the winners of the fourth v seventh tie and the third-placed team will be on their own soil against the triumphant fifth v sixth side.

Previously, only the teams from second to fifth qualified for the play-offs, with two-legged ties deciding the finalists.

It was also confirmed at the Welsh venue that fixtures would be released for all three divisions on Wednesday, July 5, with the season kicking off on Saturday, August 5.