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AFL Playoff Qualification, Selection of Teams

  • 8 Teams qualify for the playoffs
    • 4 Teams qualify from each Conference
    • 2 Division Champions from each Conference
    • 2 Wild Card from each Conference (teams with remaining best records within the Conference)

  • Seeding in each conference is based on overall record, with the top two seeds in each conference reserved for the Division Champions, regardless of record.

  • In the First Round, the first two seeds in each conference are the two division winners. The next two teams are seeded by next best two overall records. Teams ranked 1 and 2 earn home playoff games with 1 hosting 4 and 2 hosting 3.

  • In the Second Round, the winner of the game 1-4 plays the winner of the 2-3 game. The home team is decided by the team with the higher seed.

  • The winners of the Second Round will face off in the ArenaBowl at the home venue of the higher seeded team.

TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURES

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.

DIVISION CHAMPION

If two teams in the same division have identical won-loss percentages, the following procedure is used to determine the 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

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.