NFL tiebreakers: Playoff and wild card rules

The tiebreaking rules may be used to decide many future events as all of the top NFL teams are now fighting for a spot at Super Bowl LIV.

In 2002, the NFL reorganized into eight divisions of four teams to make room for the Houston Texans.

Since then, protocols have been established to establish regular season schedules and to break standings ties for postseason playoffs.

Additionally, SunSport can explain all of the playoff and wild card regulations to fans.

How does postseason seeding work?

Each conference has seven playoffs competitors, who will be seeded as follows:

• No. 1 seed: Best record in the NFC or AFC
• No. 2 seed: Second-best record for a division winner
• No. 3 seed: Third-best record for a division winner
• No. 4 seed: Fourth-best record for a division winner
• No. 5 seed: Best record for wild card teams
• No. 6 seed: Second-best record for wild card teams
• No. 7 seed: Third-best record for wild card teams

For both clubs, a tie game is a half-win and a half-loss.

NFL playoff tiebreakers

The following actions will be taken until a champion is crowned if two or more clubs in the same division end the regular season with identical won-lost-tied percentages.

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 common games
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference
5. Strength of victory
6. Strength of schedule
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed
9. Best net points in common games
10. Best net points in all games
11. Best net touchdowns in all games
12. Coin toss

Three or more clubs

The tiebreaker goes back to step 1 of the two-club format if two clubs are still tied at the end of the third round or if additional clubs are eliminated in any step.

Breaking a tie for wild card teams

The following procedures will be followed if breaking ties is required to identify the two wild Card clubs from each conference.

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. Strength of victory.
5. Strength of schedule.
6. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
7. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best net points in conference games.
9. Best net points in all games.
10. Best net touchdowns in all games.
11. Coin toss.

Three or more clubs

The tie-breaker goes back to step 1 of the relevant two-club model if two clubs are still tied after the third or additional clubs are removed.

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. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in conference games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.
12. Coin toss.

The process is repeated to name the second wild card after the first wild card team has been determined. That is, before moving on to step 2, eliminate every team in each division save the top-ranked one.

When three or more teams from the same division participate in the process, if the top-ranked team in that division earns a wild card berth, the teams’ initial seeding is maintained for any further tie-breaker applications.

Other tiebreaking rules

In any tie-breaking step, only one team goes to the playoffs. The remaining tied teams go back to the wild card tiebreakers or the first round of the relevant division.For instance, the process goes back to step one of the two-club structure to choose the winner if two clubs are still tied in any tie-breaker stage after every other club has been eliminated.

All other clubs go back to step 1 of the relevant two-club or three-club format once one club wins the tiebreaker.

Since teams may have played an uneven number of games, the best won-lost-tied % is the decisive element when comparing division and conference records or records against common opponents among tied teams.

Use wild card tiebreakers to decide the division titlists’ home-field precedence.

Additionally, division tiebreakers (if teams are in the same division) or wild card tiebreakers (if teams are in different divisions) are used to decide home-field precedence for wild card qualifiers.

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