National Football League playoffs
The National Football League ( NFL) playoffs are a knockout tournament, with the end of the regular season, the NFL champion is determined. From both Conferences (AFC and NFC ) of the NFL to six teams for the play- offs to qualify. The main reason for the results of the regular season (percentage of games won ) and a tie- breaker system in the event of the tie. The play-offs end with the Super Bowl, in which the winners of the two Conferences are facing.
The history of the NFL "Post Season" can be traced back to the first " NFL Championship Game" in 1933. In the period before 1967 to qualify for the playoffs based solely on the results season. The first "real" NFL play-offs found in 1967 with four qualified teams instead. With the merger of AFC and NFL 1970 play-off participants was expanded to eight. Starting in 1978 were ten and twelve teams since 1990 may participate in the play-offs.
In 2011, also the last current NFL team qualified with the Houston Texans ( taken as the last expansion team in 2002 in the league ) for the first time for the play- offs.
CURRENT play-off system
The 32 teams comprehensive league is divided into two Conferences, the American Football Conference ( AFC) and National Football Conference ( NFC), each comprising 16 teams. Since 2002, each Conference is divided into four divisions with four teams each. The play-off tournament scheme is based on six participants from each of the two Conferences.
The following teams will qualify by the end of the regular season for the play- offs:
- The four division winners in each conference. These teams are set for the play- offs as the Nos. 1 to 4, based on their win - ratio ( in%).
- Two wild card teams, namely the two teams that have the best win percentage of the remaining teams in their Conference. These are set as No. 5 and 6.
The first round of the play -offs is as wildcard play-offs (or Wildcard Weekend) respectively. In this round, the division winners with No. 3 received the wildcard team with No. 6 and No. 4 Division winner with the wildcard team with No. 5 The division winner with Nos. 1 and 2 have a bye, ie they are automatically in the 2nd round, the Divisional play-offs and there have home against the winner of the wildcard play-offs. Unlike the NBA, the NFL has no fixed predetermined game plan, but it does this always the highest- placed team against the lowest placed team. The two remaining teams form the second game pairing. The two winners of the Divisional play-offs are opposite each other in the AFC and NFC Conference Championship games. Determine not only the winner of the Conference but also the participants in the Super Bowl. Only twice since 1990 has a team that was not set as the No. 1 or 2, the venue for the Conference Championship Game reached ( AFC Championship and NFC Championship 2006 2008).
Case of a tie in terms of win - ratio during the regular season, the seeding order is determined for the play-offs by applying the tie -breaking rules, but the direct comparison is the most important criterion.
A possible disadvantage of the NFL play-off mode is that the two teams can meet with the best win ratios of their Conference in the play- offs before the conference championship when they come from the same division. The better of the two teams would be set in this case as No. 1, other than No. 5 As can be seen from the diagram above right, it would be possible that the No. 1 in the Divisional playoffs against the No. 5 must start (see also amendments below).
Tie -breaking rules
The situation that two or more teams finish the regular season with the same win ratio, occurs frequently. Therefore, it is necessary to determine an order between these " undecided " teams, on the one hand for deciding which teams qualify for the playoffs and on the other hand also for the seeding order. The following rules are applied is in the order listed until a decision reached. If a decision between three teams is required for a playoff berth, will as soon as the third team is eliminated, the rules applied again from point 1 to the two remaining teams. If several playoff spots to be awarded to several teams, so the rules are applied until the first team to qualify, then the procedure for the remaining teams will be restarted.
The tie -breaking rules have changed over the years. Most changes were made in the course of restructuring the league to eight divisions with four teams in 2002. The victory conditions against common opponents and most other regulations affect the victories were further ranked according to above, and downgraded as points for and against a team criteria.
The current regulations are wiefolgt:
History of the Playoffs and Championships
The system by which the NFL determines its champions has changed over the years.
Initial phase
From the founding of the League from 1920 to 1932 there was no planned Championship Game. Between 1920 and 1923, the champion was chosen by a vote of the club owners at the annual meeting. From 1924, the scheme was that the team has won with the best win ratio the championship. As the team at that time but completed a different number of games was counting the victories alone too little, so you introduced the percentage of games won. Draw at that time did not count, as opposed to today, where they are counted as half a win and half a loss.
The " Playoff Game" in 1932
In the season 1932, the Chicago Bears ( 6 wins, 1 loss, 6 draws) and the Portsmouth Spartans ( 6-1-4 ) had won 76.9 % of their games. Therefore, an additional game for the championship title was necessary. It was agreed that this should at Wrigley Field will be played in Chicago, but the severe winter made a transfer to the Chicago Stadium as an indoor game necessary. The game was played with modified rules on a shortened 80 - yards field and the Bears won 9-0. After this game, the Bears had won 87.5 % of their games and were champions. The Spartans had now won only 75.0 % of their games and thus still fell back to 3rd place behind the Green Bay Packers. Although this game was thus not a true playoff, it was interesting for the audience and led to the introduction of the NFL Championship Games 1933.
Before the Super Bowl
Interest in the " Playoff Game" of 1932, in the League to the desire for a championship game. The league was divided in 1933 into two Conferences. The two Conference winners contested the championship game. There was no tie -breaking system, a tie in the final results led to an additional playoff game after the end of the regular season. Such playoff games have been necessary in 1941, 1943, 1947, 1950 (2 games), 1952, 1957, 1958 and 1965. These playoff games therefore sometimes led to a postponement of the scheduled date for the championship game by a week.
The 1933-1966 valid playoff system has been criticized as unfair because it resulted some time that is not offset by the two teams with the two victory conditions in the regular season in the Championship Game. Four times 1950-1966 (1951, 1956, 1960 and 1963), the team with the second best win percentage did not qualify for the playoffs while the team reached the championship game with the third- best win percentage.
In the 1967 season, the NFL expanded the number of participants to 16 teams and divided the two Conference in two divisions, each with 4 teams. The four division winners reached the playoffs, at the same time be a tie -breaking system was introduced. The first playoff round determined the NFL Conference Champion, the two winners contested the NFL championship game a week later. The 1967 season is therefore the first in which the champion was determined by a defined playoff system.
During the three years ( 1967-69 ) in which this playoff system was used, the tie -breaking system was once in use. 1967 completed the Los Angeles Rams and the Baltimore Colts in the regular season with 11-1-2. It was all about the division win in the Coastal Division, the Colts were unbeaten in the last season game where they but the Rams documents. Although the Colts together with the Rams had the best win percentage of teams they did not reach because of the tie -breaking rules the playoffs, while the other three division winners were allowed to participate with the poorer victory conditions at the playoffs. This event led to the authorization of a wild card teams in the playoffs from 1970.
In the 1960s, also a playoff game for the third place, the so-called Playoff Bowl in Miami, at the beginning of January, was played on the 1960-69 seasons afterwards. Although official playoff games were at that time, the NFL is one of those 10 games (and statistics) today as " Exhibitions " and not as playoff games.
AFL Playoffs
In the 1960-68 seasons, the AFL like the NFL played with two divisions, the two winners contested the AFL Championship Game. There was no tie -breaking system, therefore game participants additional playoff games were in 1963 in the Eastern Division and 1968 in the Western Division necessary to determine the championship.
1969 a first playoff round has been added. The division winner played the runners-up each of the other division. The two winners of the first round contest the AFL Championship Game. In the single year with this mode, the AFL Kansas City Chiefs have been champion, and then won even in the Super Bowl. At the end of the regular season they were the runners-up of the AFL Western Division. Thus, they were the first non- division winner, who won the Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl era
The Super Bowl was originally a league -wide Championship Game between the AFL and NFL as a compromise in the pressure that the newly formed AFL existing NFL imposed. The success of the new rival was probably decisive in the merger of the two leagues.
From 1966 to 1969 (Super Bowl I -IV) met in the AFL and NFL Super Bowl champion each other since 1970, the AFC and NFC champions.
With the merger in 1970, the new NFL reorganized its now 26 teams in two Conference with three divisions. By 1977, four teams per Conference reached the playoffs. These were the three division winners and one wild card team.
Originally the venue was awarded in the playoffs based on an annual rotation. 1975 Betting order was introduced, according to which the higher seeded teams in each playoff round had home advantage. According to the seeding order the set as No. 1 division winner played at home against the wild card team and the other two division winners received the No. 2 No. 3 There was, however, the exception that teams not from the same division before the Conference Championship were allowed to meet. Came So the wildcard team from the same division as the # 1, so played the No. 1 against the No. 3 and No. 2 against No. 4 ( the wildcard team).
Together with the extension of the regular season from 14 to 16 games in the 1978 season allowed the league another wild card team per conference. The two wildcard teams played one week before the division winners a playoff game, the winner then met in the Divisional Playoffs on the set as the No. 1 team, as 1970-77. In the Divisional Playoffs, there was still the prohibition that teams from the same division could not meet. In the wild card round, however, this was allowed. This comprehensive ten teams playoff system was maintained until 1989. During this time the Oakland Raiders won the first wildcard team to the Super Bowl in 1980.
Due to a strike wore in the 1982 season, each team only nine games in the regular season out. The playoff system was modified in this season. Division -related ratings were disregarded, as there were cases in which both games between two teams of a division fell victim to the strike. Instead, the eight best teams in each conference for the playoffs were admitted. Therefore, this season was until 2010 the only one in which teams with a negative win - loss ratio qualified for the playoffs ( the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions, each with 4-5). In 2010, the Seattle Seahawks qualified as a division winner of the NFC West with a win - loss ratio of 7-9 and thus set a new record. Thus, the Seahawks were not only qualified for the playoffs, but set as a division winner as No. 4. The Saints ( 11-5 ) and Packers ( 10-6) were as No. 5 and 6 is set, and as a "victim " of the system remained the Giants and Buccaneers ( 10-6, respectively, but worse Strengh of Victory as the Packers ) excluded from the playoff.
From 1990 there was a third wild card team per conference, bringing the number of participants rose to the playoffs to twelve. Under the new system the weakest division winner had already compete in the wildcard round. Games against teams from the same division has been approved. This system existed until the restructuring in eight divisions in 2002. In the system, since valid, as explained above, deny the four division winners and two wild card teams make the playoffs. The highest placed team plays in every round against the worst team set, and the set sequence also determines the home right (not the victory ratio of the regular season ). Therefore, it is possible that a division winner home advantage against a wild card team that has a better win percentage, has. This occurs more often when No. 4 applies to No. 5.
Amendments
Since the expansion and restructuring of eight divisions in 2002, efforts were made to expand the playoffs to 14 teams. Proponents point to the added value of the additional two playoff games and the fact that the 12er playoffs were introduced when the league from 28 teams and six divisions (each with 4-5 teams) existed. With 32 teams and eight divisions, access to the playoffs for wildcard teams heavier, while it was easier for Division winner was weak division. So -won 2008 San Diego Chargers and the Arizona Cardinals with eight wins ( Arizona had eventually end up nine wins) the Division victory, while the New England Patriots with eleven victories missed a wildcard place. Opponents of expanding the playoff field are of the opinion that the playoffs would be " diluted " by the weaker teams and point out that on in the NBA and NHL, where each 16 of 30 teams make the playoffs, often not as much value the performance in the regular season is laid.
After the playoffs in 2007, when two wild card teams with better win ratios ( the Jacksonville Jaguars and eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants ) away at Division winners ( the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers ) won, the NFL dealt with another proposal. And should not automatically the division winners get the home advantage, but the teams with the best win ratios. The NFL Competition Committee rejected this however again. The President of the Atlanta Falcons, Rich McKay said, you would want to discuss the idea only. The owner of the New England Patriots, Robert Kraft, was vehemently opposed to this idea: " If you win a division, should your fans have the assurance that you may deny a home game. "