The England and Wales Cricket Board will reduce the number of county teams in the top division next year from nine to eight, saying a reduced match schedule and fewer switches between different formats of the game will benefit players, national teams and fans.
The ECB announced Monday that Division One teams will play 14 first-class matches from 2017 - down from 16 - and just one team will be promoted from Division Two this summer.
After that, two teams will go up and two go down each year.
The championship will be run in segments of fixtures, pausing for one-day and Twenty20 matches to be held.
"The changes for 2017 will be good for fans, players and our international teams," ECB chairman Colin Graves said. "The season is easier to follow; the blocks help players focus on specific skills, and there's a better balance across all three formats."
Frequent changes in format can make it difficult for players to adjust to widely different game plans - from the need to smash quick runs in T20 matches to stabilising an innings in the four-day format.
"Last year a county player could change between formats as many as 24 times over the summer," said former England captain Andrew Strauss, who is director of England Cricket at the ECB. "Next year that could be down to as few as six."
Graves added "there is an appetite for change and cricket is moving fast - we must not be left behind."
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