2022 NFL Playoff Tiebreakers
The NFL postseason is fast approaching, and teams with playoff aspirations have their site on the finish line. With week 18 just a few days away, teams are making their last push to punch their ticket to the playoffs. Seeding and positioning aren’t always cut and dry, with seven teams eyeing for a spot to play for the Lombardi Trophy. Teams with the same records could confuse and ultimately force the league to use tiebreakers to determine who is in and who is sent home.
The NFL expanded the playoff format, allowing a seventh team to enter the playoffs, making things even crazier come playoff time and unpredictable. We break down how the NFL uses its tiebreakers when it comes to standings and playoff seedings.
How NFL Tiebreakers Work
The NFL has a set of rules or procedures in place if teams are tied to playoff seeding. Not all tiebreakers are treated the same. There are different tie breaking procedures based on whether the tie is between divisional or non-divisional teams. If a combination of divisional and non-divisional teams is tied, the tie between the divisional teams is resolved first. Once the highest-ranking team from a division remains, the remaining ties can be broken accordingly.
Before we jump into what the NFL looks at for its tiebreaks, let’s review exactly how the playoff seeding works.
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PLAYOFF SEEDING
- Division Champ with the best record
- Division Champ with the second-best record
- Division Champ with the third-best record
- Division Champ with the fourth-best record
- Wild Card team with the best record
- Wild Card team with the second-best record
- Wild Card Team with the third-best record
Tiebreakers Within The Division
The NFL uses the list below to determine a tiebreak between two teams tied within the same division.
- Head-to-head (best win-loss record percentage in games between the teams)
- Best won-lost-tied record percentage against division opponents.
- Best won-lost-tied record percentage in common games.
- Best won-lost-tied record percentage in conference games.
- Strength of wins
- 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
- Coin toss
If three or more teams are tied within the same division, the NFL will use the following list.
- Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games among the clubs).
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in division games.
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in conference games
- 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.
- Coin toss
Tiebreakers For Wild Card Teams
Tiebreakers for Wild Card sports are more complex than divisions tiebreakers.
If two wild card teams are tied from the same division, you will use the above steps. If not, you would then follow the steps below.
- Head-to-head (if applicable)
- Best won-lost-tied percentage within conference games
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games (minimum of four)
- strength of wins
- strength of schedule
- Best combined ranking among conference teams in both points scored and points allowed.
- Best combined ranking among all teams in both 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
If three or more Wild Card teams are tied, follow the steps below. If two teams are still tied after the following steps are enacted, the tiebreaker procedure reverts to step 1 of the two-team tiebreaker listed above.
- Apply division tie breaker to eliminate all but the highest-ranked club in each division before 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 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 conference games
- 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
Since the NFL added a third Wild Card team last year, we may see these tiebreaking rules procedures used more than we have in the past. You can find all tiebreaker information and more in-depth NFL Playoff tiebreaker procedures on NFL.com
Kurt Blakeway – Sporting Betting Analyst
Kurt is a Sports Betting Analyst for Safest Betting Sites. He enjoys all things MLB, NFL, CFB, and CBB. While he is a fan first, he is always trying to gain an edge on the books to make money.
