EFL Salary Cost Management Protocol · League One calculator

SCMP calculator

League One clubs are not on SCR. Under the Salary Cost Management Protocol, player-related expenditure must stay within 50% of turnover — or 65% in a club's first season after relegation from the Championship. Over the cap means a transfer embargo until the club is compliant again.

The calculation is wage bill ÷ turnover, against a cap of turnover × the selected threshold — press Calculate and the page reloads with the figures worked out for you.

Pre-filled with Peterborough United's latest stored figures — see their full breakdown.

Turnover £15.9m
Player-related wage bill £5.9m
SCMP cap (50% of turnover) £8m
Headroom vs cap +£2.1m
SCMP ratio 37.1%

Within SCMP limit - wage bill is 37.1% of turnover

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How the calculation works

The SCMP ratio is player-related expenditure ÷ turnover. Player-related expenditure is playing-squad wages, including the head coach from 2025/26 — narrower than SCR's squad cost, which also sweeps in transfer amortisation and agents' fees. The cap is turnover multiplied by the club's threshold: 50% as standard, or 65% in a first League One season after relegation from the Championship, on the basis that those wage commitments were signed on Championship income.

Going over the cap is not a fine. The EFL applies a transfer embargo until the club brings its ratio back inside the limit, and repeat or severe failures can escalate to points deductions.

One lever this calculator deliberately leaves out: owner equity counts at 50p in the £1 towards permitted wage spend. An investor-backed club can therefore run a ratio above the headline cap and still be compliant. It is per-club, opt-in and rarely disclosed, so the figure above is the turnover-only position.

Worked example. Peterborough United on the figures above: £15.9m of turnover at 50% gives a cap of £8m. Against a wage bill of £5.9m that is headroom of £2.1m, a ratio of 37.1%.

Every League One club's SCMP ratio →
SCMP explained in full →
The Championship's SCR rules instead →
What SCR is, in plain English →
How these figures are put together →

Frequently asked questions

How is the SCMP ratio calculated?

Player-related expenditure divided by turnover. The standard League One cap is 50% of turnover, so a club's limit is its turnover × 50%.

Which League One clubs get the 65% SCMP threshold?

A club in its first League One season after relegation from the Championship is allowed 65% of turnover rather than 50%, because its wage commitments were signed on Championship income. It reverts to 50% the following season.

What happens if a League One club breaches SCMP?

The EFL applies a transfer embargo until the club returns to compliance. Repeat or severe failures can escalate to points deductions.

Figures are illustrative estimates from published accounts, Companies House filings and public reporting. The calculator measures against turnover alone and does not model the 50p-per-£1 equity allowance. Last reviewed 2026-09-03. Methodology →