Play-off

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The term play-off (English; in North America generally without hyphen: playoff, also postseason; German kickoff) refers to an elimination fight in a sports competition, through which a championship is usually decided (not to be confused with placement round). The play-off follows a main round, whose final table (or final tables of different groups) determines the participating teams. Play is played in one or more play-off rounds usually according to knockout system; in the last round (the final) only two teams face each other. The winner of a play-off round can be determined by a single game or a best-of-series.

Most American professionals (NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL etc.) are played in play-off mode. The play-off mode is also used outside North America, for example in the German and Swiss Ice Hockey League, the German Football League, the Basketball Bundesliga and the Unihockey Bundesliga. In addition, in English football a riser in the play-off is determined.

Major League Baseball (MLB)

With the end of the regular season after the first Sunday in October (or the last Sunday in September), twelve teams have reached the postseason since 2022. Six teams as winners of the divisions of both leagues as well as the next three best teams in each league. The two premiers of each league will receive a free ticket for the Division Series, a quarter-final with eight teams. The other four teams in each league play a best-of-three series in the so-called wild card round in order to be the winner in the Division Series. The higher-seated team has home rights for all three games. Within each league, the division winners are No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 on the betting list, based on the number of wins and defeats. The team with the best record among the non-division winners receives the first wildcard and is set as No. 4. The team with the second best record among the non-division winners receives the second wildcard and is set as No. 5. The team with the third best record receives the third wildcard and is set as number 6 in the wildcard round. In 2012, the wildcard playoffs were introduced, at that time in every league with a match between the two best non-division winners.

The winners of the Wild Card round will then participate in the Division Series of the two leagues, the American League Division Series (ALDS) and the American League Division Series. National League Division Series (NLDS). The Division Series was first held in 1995. These correspond to a quarter-final with eight teams. In a best-of-seven series, the participants in the two Championship Series (a semi-final with four teams) – the American League Championship Series (ALCS) and the American League Championship Series (ALCS). National League Championship Series (NLCS) – determined in which the respective title (pennant) of the national or Ame