In the NFL, teams are often separated by a razor-thin margin. Sure, there are always some teams with more talented players, but in professional football anything can happen on the field.
Which is why the field itself (and more specifically, what surrounds it) is so important. Especially in the playoffs.
There’s no unusual travel to worry about for players and coaches. They’re surrounded by a legion of diehard fans screaming for them. They know the field and the conditions.
Playing at home during the NFL playoffs is a huge advantage. Which is why playoff seeding is so important. It’s why teams will risk it all for the coveted No. 1 seed in each conference: to ensure that the road to the Super Bowl goes through their yard.
And because seeding is so important, the NFL has a lengthy list of tiebreakers it will use when necessary to guarantee that the most deserving teams make it.
Overview of NFL Playoff Tiebreakers
If two or more teams in the same division finish with the same win-loss percentage, then the NFL will use the following criteria to determine a division winner (via NFL.com).
- Head-to-head
- Highest win-loss percentage in division games
- Highest win-loss percentage in common games
- Highest win-loss percentage in conference games
- Strength of victory
- Strength of schedule
- Rank among conference teams in both points scored and points allowed
- Best combined ranking among all NFL teams in both points scored and points allowed
- Best net points in common games
- Best net points in all games
- Best net touchdowns scored in all games
- Coin toss
The criteria remains the same if three or more teams finish tied. Once one team is eliminated, it reverts back to step one for the remaining two teams.
For teams vying for a wild-card spot, the NFL uses the division tiebreaker if the two teams are from the same division. If the two teams are from different divisions, the following tiebreakers are used (via NFL.com).
- Head-to-head (if applicable)
- Best win-loss percentage in conference games
- Best win-loss percentage in common games (minimum of four)
- Strength of victory
- Strength of schedule
- Best combined ranking among conference teams in both points scored and points allowed
- Best combined ranking among all NFL teams in both points scored and points allowed
- Net points in conference games played
- Net points in all games played
- Net touchdowns in all games played
- Coin toss
Real-World Examples of NFL Tiebreakers
There are a handful of recent examples of NFL tiebreakers.
The New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets finished the 2002 season tied atop the AFC East. It required four steps to get to a winner, with the Jets taking the division based on their record in common games.
The Patriots ended up missing the playoffs that season, losing out on a wild-card spot to the Cleveland Browns based on conference record.
In 2009, the Pittsburgh Steelers missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker. The Steelers, Jets, Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens all finished the season at 9–7, but Baltimore edged out Pittsburgh based on division record.
The Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars needed the fifth tiebreaker in 1997. The two teams finished tied for the lead in the AFC Central and were tied in head-to-head games, division record, conference record and common game record. Finally, the Steelers edged out the Jaguars on net points in division games.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Explaining NFL Playoff Tiebreakers and How They Work.
