England. Development League U21: 31 teams and a 16-team play-off
On the line, England. Development League U21 is the label for Premier League 2, the Premier League's national under-21 competition for clubs whose academies hold Category One status. There are 31 teams in 2026-27, two more than in 2025-26 after Bournemouth and Brentford came in. Nobody plays the whole field. Each side gets 20 matches, 10 at home and 10 away, against 20 different opponents drawn from three seeding tiers built on results over the previous three seasons, and every result goes into one combined table at 3 points for a win and 1 for a draw.
What each league position leads to
Matchweek 1 was played on 21-24 August 2026, and the league phase runs into April 2027. Nobody goes down: Premier League 2 has been a single division since 2023-24, and the Division 2 that existed from 2016-17 to 2022-23 is gone. Top spot does not bring the trophy either. Chelsea led the 2025-26 league phase, yet Brighton & Hove Albion, who had finished 12th, won the final. After the 20th matchweek, the table splits like this:
Position after the league phase | Where it leads |
|---|---|
1st | No title on its own; hosts 16th in the round of 16 |
2nd to 16th | Round of 16 by league position (2nd v 15th, 3rd v 14th and so on), higher-placed side at home |
17th to 24th | A separate end-of-season competition with the top eight of the Professional Development League; the title is not at stake |
25th to 31st | Season over once the league phase ends |
On the line, England. Development League U21 reads game by game: day, time, round number, then the W1, draw and W2 prices followed by 1X, 12 and 2X. Clicking a fixture reveals double chance and Both Teams To Score, plus a field to search a market by name.
Pages to follow
The Football section groups the other pre-match competitions. When a fixture is offered in play, it is followed on the Premier League 2 in-play page, with the other games under way on football being played right now. To bet, go through 1xBet registration.