TO BREAK A TIE WITHIN A DIVISION
If, at the end of the regular season, two or more clubs in the same division finish with
identical won-lost-tied percentages, the following steps will be taken until a champion is
determined.
Two Clubs
- Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs).
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
- Strength of victory.
- Strength of schedule.
- Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points
allowed.
- Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
- Best net points in common games.
- Best net points in all games.
- Best net touchdowns in all games.
Three or More Clubs
(Note: If two clubs remain tied after third or other clubs are eliminated during any step,
tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format).
- Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games among the clubs).
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
- Strength of victory.
- Strength of schedule.
- Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points
allowed.
- Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
- Best net points in common games.
- Best net points in all games.
- Best net touchdowns in all games.
TO BREAK A TIE FOR THE WILD-CARD TEAM
If it is necessary to break ties to determine the two Wild-Card clubs from each
conference, the following steps will be taken.
- If the tied clubs are from the same division, apply division tie breaker.
- If the tied clubs are from different divisions, apply the following steps.
Two Clubs
- Head-to-head, if applicable.
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
- Strength of victory.
- Strength of schedule.
- Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points
allowed.
- Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
- Best net points in conference games.
- Best net points in all games.
- Best net touchdowns in all games.
- Coin toss.
Three or More Clubs
(Note: If two clubs remain tied after third or other clubs are eliminated, tie breaker
reverts to step 1 of applicable two-club format.)
- 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.
- 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.)
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
- Strength of victory.
- Strength of schedule.
- Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points
allowed.
- Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
- Best net points in conference games.
- Best net points in all games.
- Best net touchdowns in all games.
- Coin toss
When the first Wild-Card team has been identified, the procedure is repeated to
name the second Wild-Card, i.e., eliminate all but the highest-ranked club in each
division prior to proceeding to step 2. In situations where three or more teams from the
same division are involved in the procedure, the original seeding of the teams remains the
same for subsequent applications of the tie breaker if the top-ranked team in that
division qualifies for a Wild-Card berth.
OTHER TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURES
- Only one club advances to the playoffs in any tie-breaking step. Remaining tied
clubs revert to the first step of the applicable division or Wild-Card tie breakers. As an
example, if two clubs remain tied in any tie-breaker step after all other clubs have been
eliminated, the procedure reverts to step one of the two-club format to determine the
winner. When one club wins the tie breaker, all other clubs revert to step 1 of the
applicable two-club or three-club format.
- In comparing division and conference records or records against common opponents
among tied teams, the best won-lost-tied percentage is the deciding factor since teams may
have played an unequal number of games.
- To determine home-field priority among division titlists, apply Wild-Card tie
breakers.
- To determine home-field priority for Wild-Card qualifiers, apply division tie
breakers (if teams are from the same division) or Wild-Card tie breakers (if teams are
from different ivisions).
TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURE FOR SELECTION MEETING
If two or more clubs are tied in the selection order, the strength-of-schedule tie breaker
is applied, subject to the following exceptions for playoff clubs:
- The Super Bowl winner is last and the Super Bowl loser next-to-last.
- Any non-Super Bowl playoff club involved in a tie shall be assigned priority
within its segment below that of non-playoff clubs and in the order that the playoff clubs
exited from the playoffs. Thus, within a tied segment a playoff club that loses in the
Wild-Card game will have priority over a playoff club that loses in the Divisional playoff
game, which in turn will have priority over a club that loses in the Conference
Championship game. If two tied clubs exited the playoffs in the same round, the tie is
broken by strength of schedule.
If any ties cannot be broken by strength of schedule, the divisional or
conference tie breakers, whichever are applicable, are applied. Any ties that still exist
are broken by a coin flip.