The Premier League is considering a proposal to introduce a play-off for the fourth Champions League place.
The top four currently enter the tournament but the new idea would mean the teams from fourth to seventh playing in a mini-knockout competition.
BBC sports news correspondent Gordon Farquhar said the Premier League has been presented with "a number of ideas for altering the competition's format".
But there will be no changes for three years as the next TV deal is in place.
Farquhar added: "Any changes would need the agreement of 14 of the 20 clubs. But the League says there are many options and nothing has been decided."
The move is widely thought to be seen as a way of increasing competition in the Premier League because Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have filled the top four positions in five out of the past six seasons.
The proposal was raised at a meeting of all 20 clubs on 4 February and will be considered again when they next meet in April.
The top four in the Premier League is the same so far this season, although Manchester City, Tottenham and Aston Villa are putting concerted pressure on Liverpool, who are fourth.
Two years ago the Premier League was widely condemned for a proposal to play a 39th game of the domestic season in Asia.
The Football Association, the sport's world governing body Fifa and European body Uefa all rejected the idea and the Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) condemned the proposal as being motivated by money, dubbing it Game 39.
A similar system to the idea of play-offs was introduced by the Dutch Eredivise in 2005-06, with teams finishing from second to ninth competing for a place in both the Champions League and what was then the Uefa Cup.
That idea was scrapped in 2008 for the Champions League, with teams finishing fifth to eighth now vying for a place in the rebranded Europa League.
The top four currently enter the tournament but the new idea would mean the teams from fourth to seventh playing in a mini-knockout competition.
BBC sports news correspondent Gordon Farquhar said the Premier League has been presented with "a number of ideas for altering the competition's format".
But there will be no changes for three years as the next TV deal is in place.
Farquhar added: "Any changes would need the agreement of 14 of the 20 clubs. But the League says there are many options and nothing has been decided."
The move is widely thought to be seen as a way of increasing competition in the Premier League because Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have filled the top four positions in five out of the past six seasons.
The proposal was raised at a meeting of all 20 clubs on 4 February and will be considered again when they next meet in April.
The top four in the Premier League is the same so far this season, although Manchester City, Tottenham and Aston Villa are putting concerted pressure on Liverpool, who are fourth.
Two years ago the Premier League was widely condemned for a proposal to play a 39th game of the domestic season in Asia.
The Football Association, the sport's world governing body Fifa and European body Uefa all rejected the idea and the Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) condemned the proposal as being motivated by money, dubbing it Game 39.
A similar system to the idea of play-offs was introduced by the Dutch Eredivise in 2005-06, with teams finishing from second to ninth competing for a place in both the Champions League and what was then the Uefa Cup.
That idea was scrapped in 2008 for the Champions League, with teams finishing fifth to eighth now vying for a place in the rebranded Europa League.
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