Tiebreak
Procedures Home
The six
postseason participants from each conference will now be seeded as follows:
1. The division champion with the best record.
2. The division champion with the second-best record.
3. The division champion with the third-best record.
4. The division champion with the fourth-best record.
5. The Wild Card club with the best record.
6. The Wild Card club with the second-best record.
The following
procedures will be used to break standings ties for postseason playoffs and to
determine regular-season schedules.
NOTE: Tie games count as one-half win and one-half
loss for both clubs.
TO BREAK A TIE WITHIN A DIVISION
If, at the end of the regular season, two or more clubs in the same division
finish with identical won-lost-tied percentages, the following steps will be
taken until a champion is determined.
Two Clubs
1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied
percentage in games between the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
5. Best net points in all games.
6. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored.
8. Best net points in common games.
Three or More Clubs
(Note: If two clubs remain tied after third or other clubs are eliminated
during any step, tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format).
1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games among the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
5 Best net points in all games.
6. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored.
8. Best net points in conference games.
TO BREAK A TIE FOR THE WILD-CARD TEAM
If it is necessary to break ties to determine the two
Wild-Card clubs from each conference, the following steps will be taken.
1. If the tied clubs are from the same division, apply division tie breaker.
2. If the tied clubs are from different divisions, apply the following steps.
Two Clubs
1. Head-to-head, if applicable.
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
4 Best net points in all games.
5. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored.
6. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored.
7. Best net points in conference games.
Three or More Clubs
(Note: If two clubs remain tied after third or other clubs are eliminated, tie
breaker reverts to step 1 of applicable two-club format.)
1. Apply division tie breaker to eliminate all but the highest ranked club in
each division prior to proceeding to step 2. The original seeding within a
division upon application of the division tie breaker remains the same for all
subsequent applications of the procedure that are necessary to identify the two
Wild-Card participants.
2. Head-to-head sweep. (Applicable only if one club has
defeated each of the others or if one club has lost to each of the others.)
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
5. Best net points in all games.
6. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored.
8. Best net points in conference games.
When the first Wild-Card team has been identified, the
procedure is repeated to name the second Wild-Card, i.e., eliminate all but the
highest-ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to step 2. In
situations where three or more teams from the same division are involved in the
procedure, the original seeding of the teams remains the same for subsequent
applications of the tie breaker if the top-ranked team in that division
qualifies for a Wild-Card berth.
Any ties that cannot be settled by any of the above
will be broken by the teams playing a 1 point match.
OTHER TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURES
1. Only one club advances to the playoffs in any
tie-breaking step. Remaining tied clubs revert to the first step of the
applicable division or Wild-Card tie breakers.
As an example, if two clubs remain tied in any tie-breaker step after
all other clubs have been eliminated, the procedure reverts to step one of the
two-club format to determine the winner. When one club wins the tie breaker,
all other clubs revert to step 1 of the applicable two-club or three-club
format.
2. In comparing division and conference records or records against common
opponents among tied teams, the best won-lost-tied percentage is the deciding
factor since teams may have played an unequal number of games.
3. To determine home-field priority among division titlists, apply Wild-Card
tie breakers.
4. To determine home-field priority for Wild-Card qualifiers, apply division
tie breakers (if teams are from the same division) or Wild-Card tie breakers
(if teams are from different divisions).