How to determine playoff tiebreakers

September 18, 2014

Determining Home-Field Advantage in Two-Team Tiebreakers

1. Head-to-head winning percentage during the 2014 regular season.
2. Higher winning percentage in intradivision games.
3. Higher winning percentage in the last half of intraleague games.
4. Higher winning percentage in the last half plus one intraleague game, provided that such additional game was not between the two tied clubs. Continue to go back one intraleague game at a time until the tie has been broken.

Determining A, B, C Designations in Three-Team Tiebreakers

1. All Three Clubs Have Identical Records Against One Another

• Club with highest winning percentage among three tied clubs in intradivision games chooses its designation, followed by the team with the next highest winning percentage in intradivision games. If any two of the clubs have identical winning percentages, then then the two-Club tiebreak rules will break that tie. If all three Clubs have identical winning percentages, then;

• Club with the highest winning percentage in the last half of intraleague games chooses its designation, followed by the team with the next highest winning percentage in intraleague games. If any two of the clubs have identical winning percentages, then then the two-Club tiebreak rules will break that tie. If all three Clubs have identical winning percentages, then;

• Club with the highest winning percentage in the last half plus one intraleague game, provided that such additional game was not between any of the tied Clubs, chooses its designation, followed by the team with the next highest winning percentage in the last half plus one intraleague game. Continue to go back one intraleague game at a time until the tie has been broken.

2. Three Clubs Do Not Have Identical Records Against One Another

• If Club 1 has a better record against Clubs 2 and 3, and Club 2 has a better record against Club 3, then Club 1 chooses its designation, followed by Club 2.

• If Club 1 has a better record against Clubs 2 and 3, and Club 2 and 3 have identical records against one another, then Club 1 chooses its designation. Clubs 2 and 3 would follow the two-Club tiebreak rules to break their tie to pick the next designation.

• If Club 1 and 2 have identical records against one another, but each has a better record against Club 3, then Clubs 1 and 2 would follow the two-Club tiebreak rules to break their tie to pick the first designation.

• If Club 1 has a better record against Club 2, Club 2 has a better record against Club 3, and Club 3 has a better record against Club 1; OR Club 1 has a better record against Club 2, Club 2 and 3 have identical records against one another and Club 3 has a better record against Club 1; OR Club 1 and 2 have identical records against one another, Club 1 has a better record against Club 3 and Club 2 and 3 have identical records against one another, then:

a. The Clubs will be ranked by their overall winning percentage amongst the other Clubs combined. The Club with the highest overall winning percentage in that group chooses its designation, followed by the team with the next highest overall winning percentage.

b. If two of the Clubs have identical winning percentages, then they would follow the two-Club tiebreak rules to break their tie to pick their designation.

c. If all three teams have identical winning percentages, then the tiebreak rules above (No. 1) for three clubs having identical records against one another should be followed.

Determining A, B, C, D Designations in Four-Team Tiebreakers

1. The Club with the highest winning percentage in games among the tied Clubs chooses its designation first, followed by the Club with the second-highest winning percentage and the Club with the third-highest winning percentage. If two Clubs have identical winning percentages, then the two-Club tiebreak rules shall apply to determine which team selects its designation first. If three Clubs have identical winning percentages, then the three-Club tiebreak rules shall apply to determine which teams select their designation first. If all four Clubs have identical winning percentages, then;

2. The Club with the highest winning percentage in intradivision games chooses its designation first, followed by the Club with the second-highest winning percentage and the Club with the third-highest winning percentage. If two Clubs have identical winning percentages, then the two-Club tiebreak rules shall apply to determine which team selects its designation first. If three Clubs have identical winning percentages, then the three-Club tiebreak rules shall apply to determine which teams select their designation first. If all four Clubs have identical winning percentages, then;

3. The Club with the highest winning percentage in the last half of intraleague games chooses its designation first, followed by the Club with the second-highest winning percentage and the Club with the third-highest winning percentage. If two Clubs have identical winning percentages, then the two-Club tiebreak rules shall apply to determine which team selects its designation first. If three Clubs have identical winning percentages, then the three-Club tiebreak rules shall apply to determine which teams select their designation first. If all four Clubs have identical winning percentages, then;

4. The Club with the highest winning percentage in the last half plus one intraleague game, provided that such additional game was not between any of the tied Clubs, chooses its designation followed by the Club with the second-highest winning percentage and the Club with the third-highest winning percentage. Continue to go back one intraleague game at a time until any ties have been broken.

Tiebreak Scenarios

Two-Club Tie for Division Championship (Losing team does not qualify for Wild Card):
One tiebreak game will be played on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively) to determine the Division Champion. Home field advantage will be determined by the rules above for a two-team tiebreaker.

Two-Club Tie for Division Championship and Wild Card:
One tiebreak game will be played on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively) to determine the Division Champion. The loser of the game will be declared a Wild Card. Home field advantage will be determined by the rules above for a two-team tiebreaker.

Two-Club Tie for Division Championship & Tie with Club Outside Division For One Wild Card Spot:
1. One tiebreak game will be played on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively) to determine the Division Champion. Home field advantage will be determined by the rules above for a two-team tiebreaker.

2. A second tiebreak game will be played on Friday, October 5th (tentatively) between the loser of the game to determine the Division Champion and the team from the other division at the ballpark of the team in the other division to determine the Wild Card.

Two-Club Tie for Division Championship & Tie with Club Outside Division For Two Wild Card Spots:
One tiebreak game will be played on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively) to determine the Division Champion. Home field advantage will be determined by the rules above for a two-team tiebreaker. The loser of the game and the team from the other division will both be declared Wild Cards. Home field advantage in the Wild Card game will be determined by the rules above for a two-team tiebreaker.

Two-Club Tie for Division Championship & Tie with Two Clubs Outside Division For One Wild Card Spot:
1. Two tiebreak games will be played on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively). One will feature the two Clubs tied for the Division to determine the Division Champion, and the other will feature the other two Clubs outside the division. Home field advantage in each game will be determined by the rules above for a two-team tiebreaker.

2. A third tiebreak game will be played on Friday, October 5th (tentatively) between the loser of the game to determine the Division Champion and the winner of the game between the two Clubs outside the division at the ballpark of the team outside the division to determine the Wild Card.

Two-Club Tie for Division Championship & Tie with Two Clubs Outside Division For Two Wild Card Spots:
1. Two tiebreak games will be played on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively). One will feature the two Clubs tied for the Division to determine the Division Champion, and the other will feature the other two Clubs outside the division to determine one Wild Card Club. Home field advantage in each game will be determined by the rules above for a two-team tiebreaker.

2. A third tiebreak game will be played on Friday, October 5th (tentatively) between the loser of the game to determine the Division Champion and the loser of the game between the two Clubs outside the division to determine the second Wild Card Club. Home field advantage in the game will be determined by the rules above for a two-team tiebreaker.

Two-Club Tie for One Wild Card Spot:
One tiebreak game will be played on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively) to determine the Wild Card. Home field advantage will be determined by the rules above for a two-team tiebreaker.

Three-Club Tie for Division Championship (Losing teams do not qualify for Wild Card):
After Clubs have been assigned their A, B and C designations, Club A would host Club B on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively). The winner of that game would then host Club C on Friday, October 5th (tentatively) to determine the Division Champion.

Three-Club Tie for Division Championship & One Wild Card Spot:
After Clubs have been assigned their A, B and C designations, Club A would host Club B on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively). The winner of that game would then host Club C on Friday, October 5th (tentatively) to determine the Division Champion. The loser of the game would be declared the Wild Card Club.

Three-Club Tie for Division Championship & Two Wild Card Spots:
After Clubs have been assigned their A, B and C designations, Club A would host Club B on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively). The loser of the game would be declared one Wild Card Club. The winner of that game would then host Club C on Friday, October 5th (tentatively) to determine the Division Champion. The loser of the game would be declared the other Wild Card Club.

Three-Club Tie for Division Championship & Tie with Club Outside Division For One Wild Card Spot:
After Clubs have been assigned their A, B, C and D designations (In this case, Club D would be the Club outside the Division), Club A would host Club B and Club C would host Club D on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively).

1. If Club D wins, it would be declared the Wild Card Club and the winner of the game between Club A and Club B would be declared the Division Champion.

Three-Club Tie for Division Championship & Tie with Club Outside Division For Two Wild Card Spots:
After Clubs have been assigned their A, B, C and D designations (In this case, Club D would be the Club outside the Division), Club A would host Club B and Club C would host Club D on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively).

1. If Club D wins, it would be declared one Wild Card Club and the winner of the game between Club A and Club B would be declared the Division Champion. The loser of the game between Club A and Club B would host Club C on Friday, October 5th (tentatively) to determine the other Wild Card Club.

2. If Club C wins, then the winner of the game between Club A and Club B would host Club C on Friday, October 5th (tentatively). The winner of the game would be declared the Division Champion and the loser would be declared one Wild Card Club. The loser of the game between Club A and Club B would host Club D, also on Friday, October 5th (tentatively), to determine the other Wild Card Club.

Three-Club Tie for One Wild Card Spot:
After Clubs have been assigned their A, B and C designations, Club A would host Club B on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively). The winner of the game would then host Club C on Friday, October 5th (tentatively) to determine the Wild Card Club.

Three-Club Tie for Two Wild Card Spots:
After Clubs have been assigned their A, B and C designations, Club A would host Club B on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively). The winner of the game would be declared one Wild Card winner. Club C would then host the loser of the game between Club A and Club B on Friday, October 5th (tentatively) to determine the second Wild Card Club.

Four-Club Tie for Division Championship (Losing teams do not qualify for Wild Card):
After Clubs have been assigned their A, B, C and D designations, Club A would host Club B and Club C would host Club D on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively). The winners of each of those games would then meet on Friday, October 5th (tentatively), hosted by the winner of the game between Club A and Club B, to determine the Division Champion.

Four-Club Tie for Division Championship & One Wild Card Spot:
After Clubs have been assigned their A, B, C and D designations, Club A would host Club B and Club C would host Club D on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively). The winners of each of those games would then meet on Friday, October 5th (tentatively), hosted by the winner of the game between Club A and Club B, to determine the Division Champion. The loser of the game would be declared the Wild Card Club.

Four-Club Tie for Division Championship & Two Wild Card Spots:
After Clubs have been assigned their A, B, C and D designations, Club A would host Club B and Club C would host Club D on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively).

1. The winners of each of those games would then meet on Friday, October 5th (tentatively), hosted by the winner of the game between Club A and Club B, to determine the Division Champion. The loser of the game would be declared the Wild Card Club.

2. The losers of the original two games would meet on Friday, October 5th (tentatively), hosted by the loser of the game between Club A and Club B, to determine the other Wild Card Club.

Four-Club Tie for One Wild Card Spot:
After Clubs have been assigned their A, B, C and D designations, Club A would host Club B and Club C would host Club D on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively). The winners of each of those games would then meet on Friday, October 5th (tentatively), hosted by the winner of the game between Club A and Club B, to determine the Wild Card Club.

Four-Club Tie for Two Wild Card Spots:
After Clubs have been assigned their A, B, C and D designations, Club A would host Club B and Club C would host Club D on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively). The winners of each of those games would be declared the Wild Card Clubs.