Watching both of these games was terrible. Yea you hope for an upset and some shake up in the playoffs, but in the end it was putting two teams who squeaked into the playoffs against a buzz saw. Maybe there will be better match ups in the future but this was rough to watch. Thoughts?
Currently in our league we are using the 6 team format where the top two teams get a bye. I like the 7 team format that the NFL uses and would like switch but NFL.com doesn't offer it.
Any recommendations?
Teams in Conference Championship Games (Teams in bold returned to the playoffs next year)
1995-1996: Cowboys, Packers, Steelers, Colts
1996-1997: Packers, Panthers, Patriots, Jaguars
1997-1998: Packers, 49ers, Broncos, Steelers
1998-1999: Falcons, Vikings, Broncos, Jets
1999-2000: Rams, Buccaneers, Titans, Jaguars
2000-2001: Giants, Vikings, Ravens, Raiders
2001-2002: Rams, Eagles, Patriots, Steelers
2002-2003: Buccaneers, Eagles, Raiders, Titans
2003-2004: Panthers, Eagles, Patriots, Colts
2004-2005: Eagles, Falcons, Patriots, Steelers
2005-2006: Seahawks, Panthers, Steelers, Broncos
2006-2007: Bears, Saints, Colts, Patriots
2007-2008: Giants, Packers, Patriots, Chargers
2008-2009: Cardinals, Eagles, Steelers, Ravens
2009-2010: Saints, Vikings, Colts, Jets
2010-2011: Packers, Bears, Steelers, Jets
2011-2012: Giants, 49ers, Patriots, Ravens
2012-2013: 49ers, Falcons, Ravens, Patriots
2013-2014: Seahawks, 49ers, Broncos, Patriots
2014-2015: Seahawks, Packers, Patriots, Colts
2015-2016: Panthers, Cardinals, Broncos, Patriots
2016-2017: Falcons, Packers, Patriots, Steelers
2017-2018: Eagles, Vikings, Patriots, Jaguars
2018-2019: Rams, Saints, Patriots, Chiefs
2019-2020: Packers, 49ers, Titans, Chiefs
2020-2021: Packers, Buccaneers, Bills, Chiefs
Unfortunately, a repeat of last season's championship games is not possible this year due to the Bills and Chiefs playing this weekend.
Sorry if the title is not clear enough. Trying to get it to make sense within the 300 character limit was somewhat challenging.
Personally I would like another NA team to step into the thunderdome, but I have no idea how it would work. A round-robin with the top 2 teams having grand finals match makes sense, but it would require a ton of matches in a short period of time. Plus it's just not as fun.
To put things in perspective, 28.6% of APAC and 15.4% of NA teams would be going to the playoffs each stage if we keep the 2v2 format.
In the aftermath of last night's upset win by NYC over the Revs, there has been a ton of discourse here and elsewhere about the MLS playoff format. Should we go back to two legs? Stick with one leg? Abolish the bye for top seeds? Are the playoffs too overcrowded?
Before we look at where we might go, let's take a look at where we've been before. I'll also be including the number and percentage of teams to qualify for the playoffs.
I won't be including 2020 as that was a last-second change spurred on by COVID and the weirdness that schedule was.
Note: MLS Cup has always been a one-and-done
##1996-1999: Best of Three
Total # of playoff teams: 8
Percentage of playoff teams: 80% (1996-1997), 66.7% (1998-1999)
In the early days of MLS, it was a fairly standard US style best-of format. In this case, a best of three. And since 1996 through 1999 also included the 35 yard shootout, those existed to break tie games and yes, DECIDED PLAYOFF GAMES. In fact, in the first season, a 35 yard shootout decided a playoff series entirely, as Game 3 between the Dallas Burn and KC Wiz (a matchup that accidentally inspired the urinary tract infection) went to a shootout, won by Kansas City.
8 of the 10 (and later 12 after the Chicago/Miami expansion of 98) teams made the playoffs, meaning that failing to qualify was an impressive feat of incompetence. The seeding of this era was strictly along conference lines, as well.
##2000-2002: Three-Game Total Points, Single Table Seeding
Total # of playoff teams: 8
Percentage of playoff teams: 66.7% (2000-2001), 80% (2002)
With the shootout gone, the new format was still sort of a best-of-3, dictated by points.
The point system worked the same as it did in the regular season - 3 for a W, 1 for a draw, 0 for an L, and if you got 5 points (a win and two draws, or two wins) you were through. If the series was still level, it went to sudden death extra time.
The division winners also received the top seeds in the single-table tournament, which is how a Revs team that should've been seeded 5th in 2002 ended up as the 2 seed.
##2003-2006: Two-Leg Aggregate 1st Round, One-and-Done Semifinal, Divisional Seeding
Total # of playoff teams: 8
Percentage of playoff teams: 80% (2003-2004), 66.7% (2005-2006)
I should first note that away goals were not used as a tiebreaker this early, and wouldn't come to MLS until 2014. Also, by 2006, playoff extra time had ceased to be sudden death (it might
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So I have watched mls since 96. Been with the metros/ red bulls since the start. My yearly tradition is laughing when Red Bulls find a new way to be eliminated from the playoffs. Most importantly, I feel really out of touch with mls fans and this sub. Due to family and work, I don't get to watch many games live or stay on top of day to day mls news. So I am curious how you all feel about some topics.
For starters- our current playoff format. how do you feel about the single elimination, fixed bracket system we current have?
For me, I think the perfect format hasn't been found yet. I like the condensed schedule between international dates. However, I really miss each team getting a shot at a home game. So a suggestion - top team gets a bye.. the rest of top 7 play single elimination to get in. Next 2 rounds, 2 game aggregate. However, the 1 seed gets two home games. They carry that perk through the playoffs. Single game final.
Another idea - double elimination tournament
Final crazy idea - keep the current format, but after 120 the game goes to old school mls shootout!
Looking forward to hearing your opinions.
With all of the issues around the CFB playoff rankings release and how low Cincinnati was ranked, I was wondering, why doesn’t the FBS follow the FCS playoffs format? It seems more fair and gives more teams a shot at at least trying to prove themselves in the playoffs (even if NDSU has dominated over the last decade). The FCS playoffs have 24 teams, 10 automatic qualifiers that won conference championships and 14 at large teams. 16 teams play in the first round and 8 seeded teams get first round byes. All games are played on campus at the higher ranked team’s school except for the national championship game. I’ve always enjoyed the FCS playoffs format and found it more engaging than the CFP format or lesser known bowl games.
The playoffs have been a controversial topic in the last few years, so I thought what if you could change it? So yeah.
This is the time of year when everyone has opinions about how the playoff should look. I wasted the time putting together the primary playoff scenarios to see how they would look this year under different formats. The rankings are based on the final CFP committee rankings. For each format, I also made a "modified" version in which I fudged the seeding a bit to avoid first or second round rematches, but the modifications did not change which teams were included, nor did it take away any home-field advantage or bye. The goal is to spur a discussion, so I will leave any editorializing to the comment section.
16 teams
These are 16-team brackets with 10-autobids for all ten conference champions, plus six at-large teams.
I also created an extra modified bowl version in which, if all the P5 winners win their first round matchups, they will all play in their traditional bowl games (B1G vs PAC in Rose, SEC vs B12 in Sugar, ACC vs at-large in Orange).
12 teams
There are various proposals for how to pick 12 team playoffs. Some say P5 auto-bids, some say P5 auto-bids and highest ranked G5, some say just take the top 12. Fortunately for me, all three proposals have the exact same field of 12 teams. However, the original expansion proposal limited first round byes to conference champions, so I have created the brackets both ways.
Byes for champs only - unmodified
Byes for champs only - modified
8 teams
There are various proposals for how to fill an 8-team bracket .Some say P5 auto-bids or P5 auto-bids and highest ranked G5. Those both end up with the same field. some say just take the top 8. I have done it both ways.
If they go back to 16 teams (which apparently is a real possibility), I hope they don't screw it up by keeping the galaxy brain crap they did in 2020.
So obviously I’ll acknowledge that we had a shit game and lost to an inferior opponent. THAT BEING SAID….
It should speak volumes about the league and it’s playoff format the the best regular season team consistently gets bounced early in the playoffs. The break is not an advantage and actively harms the better teams with legitimate cup aspirations.
I’m absolutely bitter and am sitting in traffic on the way home from one of the most disappointing losses in my sports fandom, but the league is at the very least partially to blame here imo. You can’t give teams a month off before their first playoff game when a dozen others have played.
Would have rather played Atlanta last week.
Hey, I was wondering if anyone knew of a way to customize the playoff format on sleeper. They currently give the options of
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1 week playoff matchups
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2 week playoff matchups
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2 week champ game only.
Our league really would like to have a one week wildcard weekend with the next 2 rounds being 2 weeks each. Doesn’t seem like this is possible but figure I would ask and see if anyone had any answers.
Thanks
Need the advice of the hive mind.
Our league is in its first year and we are working through the growing pains. Here's the current situation.
We voted, and a majority won, on the following issues 2 weeks ago.
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The top 6 (of 10) teams would make the playoffs.
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There would be a 2 week championship match.
The idea of top 2 teams by overall record getting the bye slots had been discussed, favorably, but never voted on.
We currently have 2 5-team conferences. One conference is far weaker, with the top seed sitting at 7-6. The other has a team at 10-3 and 9-4.
We agreed in future seasons to remove separate conferences and converge.
We just completed a contentious vote where the top 2 seeds in each conference earning BYE's won 5-4. Just now, however Mr. 10-3 admitted to having his vote bought by Mr. 7-6. Mr. 7-6 denies this claim. Mr. 10-3 and Mr. 9-4 are now upset with the playoff seeding/BYE situation.
I'm inclined to let the votes guide the rules, ad they have for every other change, but am now unsure given Mr. 10-3's confession.
Thoughts?
There are currently five teams in the NFC sitting at 5-1 or better: Cowboys, Packers, Bucs, Rams, Cardinals.
Right now we have it set to a 4 team playoff. Me and some others think it should be 6 with the winner of each conference having a bye week. Just curious what the standard playoff settings are. It is a 12 man league.
Forget which podcast I was listening to, but the hosts sort of touched on how the regular season schedule is not really reflected with the current playoff format. With the way the regular season schedule is currently constructed, you have
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32 games (1 home, 1 away) against the opposing conference.
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24 games against the other division within your conference, playing each team 3 times.
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26 games against the 7 other teams within your division, playing five teams 4 times and two teams 3 times.
I know the wild card sort of throws a wrench into things, but do you think it's odd that you essentially need to play against divisional opponents for the first two rounds of the playoffs considering you play against the other division in your conference about the same amount of time during the season? I actually like the current format for the most part but sort of miss the 05-06 scheduling where you played division opponents 8 times. There were only 5 teams per division back then but I think I would like a more division heavy schedule.
I am looking on my site and I am unable to find the playoff format for the following scenario where 6 teams make the playoffs with the top 2 teams owning byes:
Seed 1: Bye Seed 2: Bye Seed 3 v Seed 6 Seed 4 v Seed 5
In week 2 of the playoffs does the top seed play the lowest remaining seed or does the bracket work out where the 1 seed will play the winner of the 4/5 matchup.
i only checked setting in mobile and couldn’t find the answer to this
