EFL League One facts for kids
 |
|
| Founded | 2004
|
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Other club(s) from | Wales |
| Number of teams | 24 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Promotion to | EFL Championship |
| Relegation to | EFL League Two |
| Domestic cup(s) | FA Cup |
| League cup(s) |
|
| International cup(s) |
|
| Current champions | Birmingham City 1st League One title 2nd 3rd tier title (2024-25) |
| Most championships | Plymouth Argyle (5 titles total) Wigan Athletic (3 League One titles) |
| TV partners | List of broadcasters |
EFL League One is a professional football league for teams in England and Wales. It is the third most important level of football in the English football league system. The two leagues above it are the Premier League and the EFL Championship. Because of a sponsor, it is also called Sky Bet League One.
The league was given its current name for the 2004–05 season. Before that, it was known as the Football League Second Division.
Twenty-four clubs compete in League One each season. Some of these clubs have played in the Premier League before, including Barnsley, Blackpool, Bolton Wanderers, and Wigan Athletic.
Contents
How the League Works
In League One, 24 clubs play against each other twice during a season: once at their home stadium and once away.
A team gets three points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. At the end of the season, all the points are added up. The team's final position in the league table is decided by:
- Total points
- Goal difference (goals scored minus goals allowed)
- Total goals scored
Promotion and Relegation
At the end of every season, some teams move up to a higher league, and some move down to a lower one. This is called promotion and relegation.
- Promotion: The top two teams are automatically promoted to the EFL Championship. The teams that finish from 3rd to 6th place enter a special tournament called the play-offs. The winner of the play-offs also gets promoted.
- Relegation: The four teams that finish at the bottom of the table are relegated (moved down) to EFL League Two.
Teams in the 2025–26 Season
- Note: The table below lists teams in alphabetical order.
Past Winners and Promoted Teams
Here are the teams that have been promoted from League One since it was renamed in 2004. Each season, two teams are promoted automatically, and one wins promotion through the play-offs.
For past winners at this level before 2004, see List of winners of the EFL League One and predecessors.
Top Goal Scorers by Season
The player who scores the most goals in a season wins the "Golden Boot" award. Here is a list of the top scorers for each season.
| Season | Top scorer(s) | Club(s) | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 |  Stuart Elliott |
Hull City | 27 |
 Dean Windass |
Bradford City | ||
| 2005–06 |  Freddy Eastwood |
Southend United | 23 |
| Billy Sharp |
Scunthorpe United | ||
| 2006–07 | Billy Sharp |
Scunthorpe United | 30 |
| 2007–08 |  Jason Scotland |
Swansea City | 24 |
| 2008–09 |  Simon Cox |
Swindon Town | 29 |
| Rickie Lambert |
Bristol Rovers | ||
| 2009–10 | Rickie Lambert |
Southampton | 30 |
| 2010–11 |  Craig Mackail-Smith |
Peterborough United | 27 |
| 2011–12 | Jordan Rhodes |
Huddersfield Town | 36 |
| 2012–13 | Paddy Madden |
Yeovil Town | 22 |
| 2013–14 | Sam Baldock |
Bristol City | 24 |
| 2014–15 | Joe Garner |
Preston North End | 26 |
| 2015–16 | Will Grigg |
Wigan Athletic | 25 |
| 2016–17 | Billy Sharp |
Sheffield United | 30 |
| 2017–18 | Jack Marriott |
Peterborough United | 27 |
| 2018–19 | James Collins |
Luton Town | 25 |
| 2019–20 | Ivan Toney |
Peterborough United | 24 |
| 2020–21 | Jonson Clarke-Harris |
Peterborough United | 31 |
| 2021–22 | Will Keane |
Wigan Athletic | 26 |
| 2022–23 | Conor Chaplin |
Ipswich Town | 26 |
| Jonson Clarke-Harris |
Peterborough United | ||
| 2023–24 | Alfie May |
Charlton Athletic | 23 |
| 2024–25 |  Charlie Kelman |
Leyton Orient | 21 |
Fan Attendance
EFL League One is very popular with fans. It is the most-watched third-level sports league in the entire world. In the 2022–23 season, an average of 10,613 fans attended each game.
The record for the most fans at a single League One game was set on Boxing Day in 2018. A total of 46,039 fans watched Sunderland play against Bradford City.
See also
In Spanish: English Football League One para niños
- List of professional sports teams in the United Kingdom
