They were contested by the eight lowest-ranked runners-up from the nine first round groups of the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying tournament.
The winners of each of four home and away ties qualified for the final tournament in Belgium and Netherlands.
The highest ranked second placed team from the groups qualified automatically for the tournament, while the remainder entered the playoffs.
As a result, a total of six matches played by each team count toward the purpose of the second-placed ranking table.
The draw for the play-offs was held on 13 October 1999 in Aachen, Germany, to determine the four pairings as well as the order of the home and away ties.