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AFL Playoff Qualification, Selection of Teams

Note: This information is excerpted from the Arena Football League Record & Fact Book.

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS: With divisional champions and a twelve (12) team playoff format.

  • 12 Teams qualify for the Playoffs:
    • 6 Teams qualify from each Conference
    • 2 Division Champions from each Conference
    • 4 Wild Card from each Conference (teams with remaining best records within the Conference)

  • Playoffs are separated into Conferences with Division Champions receiving a bye in the Wild Card Round. The highest seeded Wild Card hosts the lowest seeded Wild Card team.

  • Winners of the Wild Card Rounds within each Conference advance to the Divisional Round. The highest seeded Division Champion hosts the lowest seeded Wild Card team remaining and the second highest Division Champion hosts the highest seeded Wild Card team remaining.

  • Winners of the Divisional Rounds within each Conference advance to the Conference Championships. The highest seedede team remaining hosts the lowest seeded team remaining.

  • Winners of the Conference Championships advance to the ArenaBowl.

  • This format gives the Division Champions an opportunity to host a Divisional Round game. Based on Divisional Round games, this scenario also gives a Wild Card team an opportunity to host a Conference Championship game.

TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURES

Tiebreakers to determine Division Champion

  1. Record in head to head games.
  2. Record within the division.
  3. Record against common opponents.
  4. Point spread in head to head games.
  5. Point spread in games against common opponents.
  6. Coin toss.

If, at the end of the regular season, two or more teams are tied with identical won-lost percentages, the following steps will be taken to determine seeding.

TWO TEAMS

  1. Head to Head (best won-lost percentage in games between teams).
  2. If teams split head to head games, the next tiebreaker will be the point differential in those two games.
  3. Best won-loss percentage in common games, if applicable.
  4. Strength of schedule (total number of wins by opponents already played).
  5. Best net touchdowns in all games (individual team touchdown differential = TDs for - TDs against)
  6. Coin toss

THREE OR MORE TEAMS

If two teams remain tied after a third team is eliminated during any step, Tiebreaker reverts to step 1 of the two-team format.

If one team wins multiple-team tiebreaker to advance to playoff reound, remaining teams revert to step 1 of appropriate tiebreak procedure.

All teams must have played all other tied teams head-to-head for step 1 to be utilized in a multiple-team tie.

  1. Head-to-head (best won-loss percentage in games among teams)
  2. Best won-loss percentage in common games, if applicable.
  3. Strength of schedule (strength up).
  4. Best net (total) touchdowns in all games.
  5. Coin toss.