postseason

The postseason is the portion of a sports season that takes place after the regular season when teams compete to determine a league or tournament champion. Postseason competition can involve playoffs, knockout tournaments, or series of games, depending on the sport and league.

Qualifying teams are usually those with the best regular-season records or those earning automatic berths from divisions or conferences. Seeding determines matchups, home-field or home-court advantage, and sometimes byes for top seeds. The format is chosen by the league and can influence competitiveness and scheduling.

Formats vary widely. Common models include single-elimination brackets, best-of series (for example, seven-game series in baseball and basketball), and double-elimination tournaments. Some leagues also use conference or division brackets or wild-card rounds to determine entrants. Postseason structures may be organized within a division or conference or across an entire league.

Examples include the NBA playoffs, NFL playoffs, MLB postseason, and NHL playoffs in North American professional sports. In college sports, the NCAA basketball tournaments (men’s and women’s) use a single-elimination format known as March Madness; other sports rely on conference tournaments or national qualifiers. Some leagues designate finals or championship games to crown the ultimate champion.

Postseason games are often highly anticipated and can be financially significant for leagues through ticket sales and broadcasting. On-field success in the postseason is central to a team’s legacy, and postseason performance can yield awards such as a Finals MVP or World Series MVP.