The History of MLS Playoff Changes

This past week saw the beginning of the new Major League Soccer playoff tournament. Two wildcard rounds, won by RBNY and Kansas City respectively were followed by the start of the first-round three-game playoff series. As of the time of writing only 10 of the 16 first-round teams have played (9 if you subtract St. Louis who did not technically play but only showed up in uniform). While the jury is still out on the new expanded format there has been some complaining about its confusing nature. For those of you new to MLS let us reassure you confusing structures and changing formats are what these playoffs are all about. Below is a list of all the different formats and changes over the years:

1. 1996-1999 (8 Teams)

   • Playoffs included eight teams.

   • Best-of-three series to advance to the Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals.

   • No ties were allowed; matches went to penalty kicks to determine the winner.

   • The MLS Cup Final was a one-match fixture.

2. 2000-2002 (8 Teams)

   • Introduced a points system: 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss.

   • A team needed 5 points to advance to the next round. If tied after three games there was a ASDET (see below).

   • The best-of-three series was still used.

   • Added Sudden Death Extra Time (ASDET) and Sudden Death Extra Time (SDET) during the playoffs.

   • The MLS Cup Final remained a one-match fixture.

3. 2003-2010 (8 Teams)

   • The Conference Semifinal became a two-legged home and away aggregate series.

   • The higher-seeded team played their home game in the second leg.

   • The Conference Finals and MLS Cup Final were single-match fixtures.

4. 2011 (10 Teams)

   • Introduced a Play-In round match for the seventh to tenth seeds.

   • The Conference Semifinals, Finals, and MLS Cup format remained the same.

5. 2012-2014 (10 Teams)

   • The Play-In (Wildcard) round was a one-off match between the fourth and fifth-place teams from each Conference.

   • Conference Semifinals and Conference Championship series were conducted in a home-and-away aggregate-goal format.

   • The MLS Cup Final remained a one-match fixture.

6. 2015-2018 (12 Teams)

   • The first round was a one-off match between the third to sixth-place teams from each Conference.

   • The Semifinals, Finals, and MLS playoff format remained the same.

7. 2019, 2021-2022 (14 Teams)

   • The top seven teams in each conference advanced to a single-elimination bracket.

   • The top team in each conference earned a first-round bye.

8. 2020 (18 Teams)

   • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, playoff qualification was determined by points per game.

   • Introduced a play-in round for the seventh to tenth-placed teams.

   • The higher seed team hosted matches for the first three rounds.

New Playoff Format for 2023 (18 Teams):

1. Wild Card Matches (Oct. 25-26)

   • Two single-game elimination matches.

   • If tied at the end of regulation, teams go directly to penalty kicks.

   • Winners advance to the Round One Best-of-3 series to face the conference No. 1 seed.

   • RBNY and SKC advanced

2. Round One Best-of-3 Series (Oct. 28-Nov. 12)

   • Matches are hosted in a home-away-home format.

   • No ties or aggregate scores; each game has a winner.

   • If tied at the end of regulation, teams go directly to penalty kicks.

   • The first team to win two matches advances.

3. Conference Semifinals (Nov. 25-Dec. 3)

   • Single-game elimination matches.

   • If tied at the end of regulation, two 15-minute extra time periods are played.

4. Conference Final

   • Single-elimination match.

   • If tied at the end of regulation, two 15-minute extra time periods are played.

5. MLS Cup (Dec. 9)

   • A single match.

   • Hosted by the finalist with the most regular season points or other criteria if tied.

   • If tied at the end of regulation, two 15-minute extra time periods are played.

Phew, hope that makes sense. We are looking forward to next year when ties will be determined by jersey sales.