Editing Playoffs (section)

==Association football==

As a rule, international [[association football]] has only had championship playoffs when a league is divided into several equal divisions, conferences or groups ([[Major League Soccer]]) or when the season is [[Apertura and Clausura|split into two periods]] (as in many leagues in Latin America). In leagues with a single table done only once a year, as in most of Europe, playoff systems are not used to determine champions,<ref name="MLS-Overview">{{cite news |last=Yardley |first=Jonathan |date=22 October 2015 |title=Playoffs Around the World: Global leagues use variety of different formats to determine champions |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/playoffs-around-world-global-leagues-use-variety-different-formats-determine |work=MLSsoccer.com |accessdate=3 March 2024}}</ref> although in some countries such systems are used to determine teams to be promoted to higher leagues (e.g., England) or qualifiers for European club competitions (such as Greece and the Netherlands), usually between teams that didn't perform well enough to earn an automatic spot.

A ''test match'' is a match played at the end of a season between a team that has done badly in a higher league and one that has done well in a lower league of the same football [[league system]]. The format of a test match series varies; for instance it can be a head-to-head between one of the worse finishers of the higher league and one of the better finishers of the lower league, or it can be a mini league where all participants play each other or teams only play those from the other league. The winner of the test match series play in the higher league the following season, and the loser in the lower league.{{cn|date=March 2024}}{{globalize-inline|date=March 2024}}

=== International playoffs ===
In international [[association football|football]], playoffs were a feature of the [[1954 FIFA World Cup|1954]] and [[1958 FIFA World Cup]] final tournaments. They are still a feature of the qualification tournaments for the [[FIFA World Cup]] and the [[UEFA European Football Championship]].

In the [[2006 FIFA World Cup qualification|qualification playoffs]] for the [[2006 FIFA World Cup|2006 World Cup]], for example:
* In [[2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (play-off UEFA)|Europe]], after the first-place finishers in each of eight groups received automatic finals places, along with the two second-place teams that had earned the most points against teams in the top six of their individual groups, the remaining six second-placed teams entered playoffs to select three teams for the finals.
* The winners of the [[2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)|Oceania qualifying tournament]], [[Australia men's national soccer team|Australia]] [[2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (play-off CONMEBOL-OFC)|played]] the fifth-placed team from the [[2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)|South American qualifying tournament]], [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]].
* The fifth-placed team of the [[2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)|Asia qualifying tournament]], [[Bahrain national football team|Bahrain]] [[2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (play-off AFC-CONCACAF)|played]] the fourth-placed team in the [[2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)|CONCACAF qualifying tournament]], [[Trinidad and Tobago national football team|Trinidad and Tobago]].

Later World Cup [[FIFA World Cup qualification|qualifying]] inter-confederation play-offs were held for [[2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (inter-confederation play-offs)|2010]], [[2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (inter-confederation play-offs)|2014]], [[2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (inter-confederation play-offs)|2018]] and [[2022 FIFA World Cup qualification (inter-confederation play-offs)|2022]].

[[CONCACAF Nations League]] and [[UEFA Nations League]] hold their respective finals to determine the overall winner at the end of the league, [[CONCACAF Nations League#Results of Nations League finals|CONCACAF Nations League Finals]] and [[UEFA Nations League#Results of Nations League finals|UEFA Nations League Finals]].

===Argentina===
In Argentine football, playoffs in the style of the English leagues occur in the [[Primera B Metropolitana]], part of the third tier, and leagues below it ([[Primera C Metropolitana]] and [[Primera D Metropolitana]]). All ''Primera Metropolitana'' tourneys cover the area in and around [[Buenos Aires]], the capital city. The ''Torneo Reducidos'' (reduced tournaments), however, involve 8 teams below the top two, as opposed to 4.

Before the top-flight [[Argentine Primera División]] abandoned its traditional [[Apertura and Clausura]] format in 2015 in favor of an expanded single season, there was no playoff between the Apertura and Clausura winners. As a result, the league crowned two champions each year. After each Clausura, the two teams with the lowest points-per-game total for the previous six tournaments (three years, counting only Primera División games) were relegated to [[Primera B Nacional]] to be replaced by that league's champion and runner-up teams; the two teams immediately above contested promotion/relegation series with the third and fourth places in Primera B Nacional, counted by its aggregate table. In Primera B Nacional, the same procedure continues in use for relegation to either Primera B Metropolitana or [[Torneo Argentino A]] for non-Buenos Aires clubs. From 2015 onward, relegation from the Primera División will be based solely on league position at the end of the season (which, effective in 2016–17, changed from a February–December format to an August–June format).

=== Australia ===
The Australian [[A-League]], which also features [[Wellington Phoenix FC|two teams in New Zealand]], has determined its champions via a playoff system, officially known as the "Finals Series" (reflecting standard Australian English usage), since its inception in the [[2005–06 A-League|2005–06 season]].

From the league's inception through the [[2008–09 A-League|2008–09 season]], the top four teams advanced to the finals series, employed using a modified [[Page playoff system]]. The top two teams at the end of league play were matched in one semifinal, with the winner advancing directly to the grand final and the loser going into the Preliminary Final. The next two teams played a semifinal for a place in the Preliminary Final, whose winner took the other place in the grand final. Both semifinals were two-legged, while the Preliminary Final and Grand Final were one-off matches.

When the league expanded to 10 teams beginning in [[2009–10 A-League|2009–10]], the finals expanded to six teams. The format of the six-team playoff established at that time was:
* The "semifinals" were held over a two-week period. The pairings for Week 1 of the semifinals were 1 vs 2, 3 vs 6, and 4 vs 5.
* In Week 1, the top two teams played the first leg of a two-legged match, and the remaining teams played one-off knockout matches.
* In Week 2, the top two teams played the second leg of their semifinal, and the two other surviving teams played a one-off match. The winner of the two-legged match advanced directly to the grand final, while the loser of that match joined the winner of the last semifinal in the Preliminary Final.
* The Preliminary Final and Grand Final remained unchanged.

Starting with the [[2012–13 A-League|2012–13 season]], the finals format has been changed to a pure knockout tournament consisting entirely of one-off matches:
* In Week 1, two Elimination Finals will be held, with the pairings being 3 vs 6 and 4 vs 5.
* In Week 2, the winners of the Elimination Finals advance to Semi-Finals. The top team on the regular-season table, called the "premiers" by the A-League, plays the lowest-seeded survivor of the Elimination Finals, and the second-place team plays the other Elimination Final survivor.
* The Grand Final, pitting the two Semi-Final winners, takes place in Week 3.

The concept of a finals series/playoff is standard in Australian sport.

=== Belgium ===
The Belgian [[Belgian First Division A|First Division A]] (previously known as the "First Division" and "Pro League") has a fairly complex playoff system, currently consisting of two levels and at one time three.

Since the 2009–10 season, playoffs have been held to determine the champion and tickets for the Champions League and Europa League. The six highest ranked teams play home-and-away matches against each other; a total of 10 matches each. The 6 participating teams start with the points accumulated during the regular competition divided by two. The first 3 teams after the play-offs get a European ticket. The fourth ranked team (or fifth, when the cup holder is already qualified for European football) plays a knock-out match against the winner of play-off 2. From 2009 to 2010 through 2015–16, teams ranked 7–14 played in two groups; from 2016 to 2017 forward, this playoff will continue to be contested in two groups, but with a total of 12 teams (details below). All points gained from the regular competition are lost. The two group winners play a final match to determine the winner of play-off 2. The winning team plays a final match against the fourth-ranked team (or fifth) for the last European ticket.

The play-off system has been criticized because more points per match can be earned in the play-off stage than in the regular competition. This way the team who wins the most matches isn't automatically the national champion. The biggest upside in favor of the play-off system is the higher number of matches (40 instead of 34 compared to the previous season) and more top matches. The extra matches also generate higher revenues for the teams.

Nonetheless, the higher number of matches takes an extra toll on teams and players. Besides play-offs, the Royal Belgian Football Association (KBVB) also introduced Christmas football in order to complete the extra matches in time. This posed some problems because a few matches had to be cancelled due to snowy pitches.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/voetbal/Jupiler_Pro_League/091219_charleroi_standard_vooraf |title=Sneeuwval maakt voetballen onmogelijk |language =nl|date = December 19, 2009 |website = Sporza |access-date = December 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20091224110500/http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/voetbal/Jupiler_Pro_League/091219_charleroi_standard_vooraf |archive-date=December 24, 2009 }}</ref> The delays will probably cause the tight schedule to fail and postpone the end of the season.{{speculation inline|date=November 2023}}

Some structural changes were instituted in [[2015–16 Belgian Pro League|2015–16]]:
* The team that finished atop the regular-season table is now assured of a Europa League place if they fail to finish in a Champions League qualifying spot (currently top two places).
* The first tiebreaker between Championship Round teams is now regular-season position.
* Accumulated yellow cards from the regular season are erased, although suspensions will continue to carry over. During the playoffs, three accumulated yellow cards will result in a suspension, as opposed to five during the regular season.

From 1974 through 2015, the 15th team out of 16 in the final standings was involved in a playoff pool with three teams from the [[Belgian First Division B|Belgian Second Division]] after each season, to determine which of these teams played in the First Division/Pro League the oncoming season. The lowest ranked team of the First Division/Pro League was relegated and replaced by the Second Division champion.

Originally, these playoffs were introduced in 1974 and were part of the Second Division, to determine which team was promoted to the highest level together with the division champions. From the [[2005–06 Belgian First Division|2005–06 season]] on, only one team was relegated directly from the First Division, with the 17th team taking part in the playoff. As a result, this playoff was still called the [[Belgian Second Division final round]], although one team from the Pro League took part each year.

Starting in 2015–16, this playoff was scrapped and replaced with direct relegation for the bottom Pro League/First Division A team only.

Further changes will be introduced to the Europa League playoffs from 2016 to 2017 forward.{{needs update-inline|date=March 2024}} The playoff will involve a total of 12 teams—nine from First Division A, and three from First Division B (the renamed Second Division). The First Division A qualifiers will be those finishing between 7th and 15th on the regular-season table. The First Division B qualifiers will be the top three teams from that league's regular-season table, excluding the division champion, which instead earns promotion to First Division A. As in the previous format, the teams will be divided into two groups, each playing home-and-away within the group, and the two group winners will play a one-off final, with the winner of that match advancing to a one-off match against the fourth- or fifth-place team from the championship playoff (depending on available European slots) for the final Europa League place.

=== Brazil ===
In Brazil, the [[Copa do Brasil]], the second most prestigious country-wide competition, is contested in pure "knockout" format since its inception in 1989. While the top two tiers in the Brazilian League – [[Campeonato Brasileiro Série A|Série A]] and [[Campeonato Brasileiro Série B|Série B]] – are contested in double round robin format, the lower tiers [[Campeonato Brasileiro Série C|Série C]] and [[Campeonato Brasileiro Série D|Série D]] include knockout rounds in their final stages.

=== Bulgaria ===
Bulgaria instituted an elaborate playoff system in its top flight, the [[First Professional Football League (Bulgaria)|First League]], in the 2016–17 season.

After the league's 14 teams play a full home-and-away season, the league splits into two playoffs—a 6-team "championship playoff" and an 8-team "qualifying playoff", with the latter split into two 4-team groups. Each playoff begins with teams carrying over all goals and statistics from the home-and-away season.

Each team in the championship playoff plays the others home and away one additional time. At the end of this stage:
* The top team is declared league champion, and earns the country's sole place in the UEFA Champions League.
* The second-place team earns a place in the UEFA Europa League.
* The highest-placed team that has not already qualified for European competition advances to an eventual one-off match for the country's final Europa League place. This will often be the third-place team, but if the winner of the Bulgarian Cup (which earns an automatic Europa League place) is in the top three of the playoff, the fourth-place team will take its place.

Each group within the qualifying playoff also plays home and away within its group; after this stage, teams enter another level of playoffs depending on their positions in the group.

The top two teams in each group enter a knockout playoff consisting entirely of two-legged matches (unless one of these teams is the winner of that season's Bulgarian Cup, in which case it will not enter the playoff and the team that it would have played receives a bye into the playoff final). The winner of this playoff then contests a one-off match against the third-place (or fourth-place) team from the championship playoff, with the winner claiming the final Europa League place.

The bottom two teams from each group begin a series of relegation playoffs. The series starts with a knockout playoff that also consists entirely of two-legged matches. The winner of the playoff remains in the First League for the following season. The losing teams then enter the following series of two-legged promotion/relegation matches:
# The losers of the knockout semifinals play, with the loser relegated to the Second League.
# The loser of the knockout final plays the third-place team from the Second League, with the winner playing in the next season's First League.
# Finally, the winner of Match 1 above plays the second-place team from the Second League, with the winner also playing in the next season's First League.

=== Dominican Republic ===
With the creation of the [[Liga Dominicana de Fútbol]] in 2014 to replace the [[Primera División de Republica Dominicana]], it introduced a playoff system to determine the champion of the season. This is more a deference to baseball, which employs the system, being traditionally the most popular sport in the nation.

=== England and Wales===
{{Main|English Football League play-offs}}

When [[English Football League|the Football League]] was first expanded to two divisions in 1892, [[Football League test matches|test matches]] were employed to decide relegation and promotion between them, but the practice was scrapped in favour of automatic relegation and promotion in 1898.

The use of play-offs to decide promotion issues returned to the League in 1986 with the desire to reduce the number of mid-table clubs with nothing to play for at the end of the season. The Football Conference, now known as the [[National League (English football)|National League]], introduced play-offs in 2002 after the Football League agreed to a two-club exchange with the Conference.

The top two teams in the [[EFL Championship]] and in [[EFL League One]] are automatically promoted to the division above and thus do not compete in the play-offs. The top three teams in [[EFL League Two]] and the champion of the [[National League (division)|National League]] (formerly known as Conference Premier) are also automatically promoted. In EFL playoffs, the four clubs finishing below the automatic promotion places compete in two-legged semi-finals with the higher-placed club enjoying home advantage in the second leg. In the National League however, the six clubs finishing below the champions compete in playoffs - the lower four competing in an elimination match to decide who plays in the semifinals (the top two receive a bye into the semifinals). The [[away goals rule]] does not apply for the semi-finals. The Football League play-off finals were originally played in two legs, at both teams' home grounds, but were later changed to one-off affairs, which are played at [[Wembley Stadium]] in London.

Teams are also promoted using a play-off tournament from levels six to eight of the [[English football league system|football pyramid]].  At level six, the play-off semi-finals are two leg ties with the final being a single match played at the home ground of the highest placed of the two teams.  At levels seven and eight, all of the ties are single matches played at the home ground of the team with the highest league position.

In 2003, [[Gillingham F.C.|Gillingham]] proposed replacing the current play-off system with one involving six clubs from each division and replacing the two-legged ties with one-off matches.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}} If adopted, the two higher-placed clubs in the play-offs would have enjoyed first-round byes and home advantage in the semi-finals. It was a controversial proposal — some people did not believe a club finishing only in eighth position in the League could (or should) compete in the [[FA Premier League|Premiership]] while others found the system too American for their liking.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} Although League chairmen initially voted in favour of the proposal, it was blocked by [[The Football Association|The FA]] and soon abandoned.{{Citation needed|date=June 2019}}

The championship of every division in English football is determined solely by the standings in the league. However, a championship play-off would be held if the top two teams were tied for points, goal difference, goals scored in both their overall league record, and identical head-to-head record (including head-to-head away goals scored); to date, this has never happened. A play-off would also be scheduled if two teams are tied as above for a position affecting promotion, relegation, or European qualification.

=== Greece ===
Starting in [[2007–08 Super League Greece|the 2007–08 season]], [[Super League Greece]] instituted a playoff system to determine all of its places in European competition for the following season, except for those of the league champion and the [[Greek Football Cup|cup winner]]. Currently, the league is entitled to two Champions League places and three in the Europa League, with one of the Europa League places reserved for the cup winner. The playoff currently takes the form of a home-and-away mini-league involving the second- through fifth-place teams, under the following conditions:
* The fifth-place team starts the playoffs at 0 points.
* The remaining teams start with a number of "bonus points" determined as follows:
** The number of points earned by the fifth-place team during the main league season is subtracted from the totals of each other club involved in the playoffs.
** The resulting number is then divided by 5 and rounded to the nearest whole number.
* At the end of the playoffs, the winner receives the country's second Champions League place. The next two teams enter the Europa League at different points depending on their playoff finishes; the last-placed team is entirely out of European competition. However, if the cup winner finished in a playoff spot (as happened in [[2010–11 Superleague Greece|2010–11]]), ''or'' the league champion also won the cup, and the losing cup finalist finished in a playoff spot (as happened in [[2012–13 Superleague Greece|2012–13]]), the bottom three teams in the playoff all receive Europa League berths.

=== Italy ===
[[File:Stadio Benito Stirpe Frosinone Palermo 2-0 playoff final inizio gara tribuna est.jpg|thumb|2018 Serie B playoff final, 2nd leg. Frosinone, Italy, 16 June 2018.]]

In 2004–05, Italy's professional league introduced a promotion playoff to its second tier of football, [[Serie B]]. It operates almost identically to the system currently used in England. The top two clubs in Serie B earn automatic promotion to [[Serie A]] with the next four clubs entering a playoff to determine who wins the third promotion place, as long as fewer than 10 points separate the third and fourth-placed teams (which often occurs).

Like the English playoffs, the Italian playoffs employ two-legged semi-finals, with the higher finisher in the league table earning home advantage in the second leg. If the teams are level on aggregate after full-time of the second leg, away goals are not used, but extra time is used. Unlike England, the Italian playoff final is two-legged, again with the higher finisher earning home advantage in the second leg. In both rounds, if the tie is level on aggregate after extra time in the second leg, the team that finished higher in the league standings wins.

In 2003–04, Italy's football league used a two-legged test match to determine one spot in the top level of its system, [[Serie A]]. Some leagues in continental Europe combine automatic promotion/relegation with test matches. For example, in the Netherlands, only one club is automatically relegated from its top level, the [[Eredivisie]], each season, with the winner of the second-flight being promoted. The next two lower-placed teams enter a promotion/relegation mini-league with high-placed teams from the [[Eerste Divisie|Dutch First Division]]

=== Japan ===
[[J.League]] in Japan used a test match series between the third-from-bottom team in [[J1 League|J1]] and third-place team in [[J2 League|J2]] (see [[J. League promotion/relegation Series]]) from 2004 to 2008. The promotion/relegation Series concept dates as far back as 1965 and the first season of the [[Japan Soccer League]].

The [[J.League Championship]] was held in [[J1 League|J.League Division 1]] from the inaugural season in 1993 to the 2004 season, and in the [[J1 League]] for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, as a post-season tournament to determine the annual champion.

Promotion/relegation Series occurred with the 2012–2016 seasons of [[J2 League|J. League Division 2/J2 League]], conditional on the top two [[J3 League]] ([[Japan Football League|JFL]] teams from 2012 to 2013) fulfilling [[J. League Associate Membership|J. League club criteria]]. In turn, J2 implemented a promotion playoff to J1 on the style of England for the 3rd to 6th clubs. The new [[J3 League]] did the same beginning in 2024.

The [[Japan Football League]], the current Japanese 4th division, uses the promotion/relegation Series only when the number of clubs in the league needs to be filled with clubs from the [[Japanese Regional Leagues]]. In 2024 a promotion/relegation series was also added for the second places against the bottom J3 clubs, provided that they qualify for promotion criteria.

=== Mexico ===
Mexico's top flight league, [[Liga MX]], is contested annually by 18 teams.  In each of [[Apertura and Clausura|two annual tournaments]], every team plays every other team in the league once (17 games), after which the top eight teams advance to the ''Liguilla''.

In the Liguilla, all rounds are home-and-away.  Teams are drawn so the best team plays the worst, the second-best plays the second-worst, and so on.  After one round, the teams are redrawn so the best remaining team again plays the worst remaining one and the second-best faces the second-worst in the semi-finals.  The two winners of this round play each other for the championship.

There is no playoff between the Apertura and Clausura winner.  As a result, the league crowns two champions each year.  After each Clausura, the team with the lowest points-per-game total for the previous six tournaments (three years, counting only Liga MX games) is relegated to [[Ascenso MX]] to be replaced by that league's champion (if eligible).

=== Netherlands ===
In the Netherlands, a playoff was introduced in the 2005–06 season. It is used to determine which teams from the [[Eredivisie]] qualify for European football. The playoff system has been criticized by clubs, players and fans as the number of matches will increase. Under the original playoff format, it was possible, though thoroughly unlikely, that the runner-up would not qualify for Europe; the following year, the format was changed so that the second-place team was assured of no worse than a [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]] berth. Starting in 2008–09, the format was changed yet again. The champion goes directly to the [[UEFA Champions League|Champions League]]; the runner-up enters the second qualification round of the CL; the number three enters the fourth (and last) qualification round of the UEFA Europa League (EL; the new name of the UEFA Cup from 2009 to 2010 onward) and the number four goes to the third qualification round of the EL. The only play-off will be for the clubs placed 5th through 8th. The winner of that play-off receives a ticket for the second qualification round of the EL.

Playoffs are also part of the [[promotion and relegation]] structure between the [[Eredivisie]] and the [[Eerste Divisie]], the two highest football leagues in the Netherlands.

=== Philippines ===
The [[Philippines Football League]] (PFL) adopted a playoffs for its [[2017 Philippines Football League|inaugural 2017 season]]. The top four clubs of the regular season qualified for the playoffs which was dubbed as the "Finals Series".<ref name=finalized>{{cite web |title=PFL Finals Series Cast Finalized |work=The Philippine Football Federation |url=http://pff.org.ph/2017/11/29/pfl-finals-series-cast-finalized/ |publisher=Philippine Football Federation |access-date=July 10, 2020 |date=November 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122115544/http://pff.org.ph/2017/11/29/pfl-finals-series-cast-finalized/ |archive-date=January 22, 2018 |url-status=live |author1=Admin }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Alison |first1=Mars |title=Ceres overpowers Global 4-1 to win inaugural PFL title |url=https://www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/football/191546-ceres-global-inaugural-pfl-title |access-date=19 October 2019 |agency=Rappler |date=17 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019195125/https://www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/football/191546-ceres-global-inaugural-pfl-title |archive-date=19 October 2019}}</ref> The Finals Series was dropped after the establishment of the [[Copa Paulino Alcantara]] which became the PFL's cup tournament.

=== Scotland ===
The [[Scottish Football League]] (SFL) experimented briefly with test matches in 1995–96 and 1996–97, contested between the second-bottom team of the Premier Division and the second-placed team of the First Division.

After the [[Scottish Premier League]] (SPL) and SFL merged in 2013 to form the [[Scottish Professional Football League]] (SPFL), reuniting the top four divisions of Scotland since the breakaway of the SPL in [[1998–99 Scottish Premier League|1998–99]], a modified test match format was introduced between the [[Scottish Premiership]] and [[Scottish Championship]]. The bottom team from the first-tier Premiership is automatically relegated and is replaced by the winners of the second-tier Championship, provided that club meets Premiership entry criteria. The second-, third- and fourth-placed teams from the Championship qualify for a play-off consisting of two-legged ties, with the second-placed team receiving a bye to play the winner of the teams that finished third and fourth. The winner of this play-off then faces the second-bottom Premiership team, also over two legs, with the winner of that tie taking up the final Premiership place (again, assuming that the Championship club meets Premiership criteria).

The three lower divisions of the SPFL — the Championship, [[Scottish League One|League One]] and [[Scottish League Two|League Two]] — continue with the promotion/relegation play-off system their predecessor SFL leagues used (the [[Scottish Football League First Division|First Division]], [[Scottish Football League Second Division|Second Division]] and [[Scottish Football League Third Division|Third Division]], respectively). In the Championship/League One and League One/League Two, while the champions are automatically promoted and the bottom team relegated, there are play-offs of the second-bottom teams against the second-, third- and fourth-placed teams from the division below. Home and away ties decide semi-finals and a final, and the overall winner plays in the higher division the following season, with the loser playing in the lower division.

Beginning with the 2014–15 season, promotion and relegation between the SPFL and the Scottish regional leagues were introduced. Following the end of the league season, the winners of the fifth-level [[Highland Football League|Highland]] and [[Lowland Football League|Lowland]] Leagues compete in a two-legged playoff. The winner then enters a two-legged playoff against the bottom team from Scottish League Two, with the winner of that tie either remaining in or promoted to League Two.

Long before the SPL era, two situations arose in which the top two teams in the table had to share the title as neither goal average nor goal difference had been instituted to break ties. The first was [[1890–91 Scottish Football League|the inaugural season]], in which [[Dumbarton F.C.|Dumbarton]] and [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] both earned 29 points and had to play off for the title. The match ended in a 0–0 draw and both teams shared the title. The second happened 19 years later, in the [[1909–10 Scottish Second Division|Second Division]], when [[Leith Athletic F.C.|Leith Athletic]] and [[Raith Rovers F.C.|Raith Rovers]] both earned 33 points. This time, the clubs chose not to play off. In 1915 goal average was finally instituted.

=== Spain ===
{{Main|La Liga playoffs}}
Since the 2010–11 season, the [[Segunda División]] established promotion playoffs between the 3rd to 6th-placed teams, similar to the rules in the English and Italian systems. However, due to reserve teams being allowed to compete in the same football league system, subsequent places may be allowed to play off depending on reserve teams finishing within the 3rd to 6th places.

At a lower level, playoffs in Segunda División B take place to decide the divisional title between the 4 group winners, and to decide which other teams would be promoted, as follows:

*The first set of matches are an elimination tournament between the 4 group winners. The winners of each match are promoted and then play a final for the tier title.
*After the tier final takes place, the teams who finished 2nd in each of the 4 groups play the teams who finished 4th, whereas the teams who finished third play each other. The 6 winners, along with the 2 Group winners who lost their games in the earlier semifinals, play in each other in a knockout format until there is 2 teams remaining who are promoted.
*If within the qualifying places exist reserve teams whose senior teams are already in Segunda División, subsequent places are allowed to play off. If the senior teams are relegated from Segunda División during the season, the reserve team is automatically disqualified from competing and relegated to Tercera División.

Previously a playoff system had been used in which the teams finishing 3rd and 4th from last in [[La Liga]] had played off against the teams finishing 3rd and 4th in the Segunda División. This system had been introduced in the 1980s but ended in 1998–99.<ref>[[1998-99 La Liga#Relegation playoff]]</ref>

In the women's game, since the 2022–23 season, the [[Primera Federación (women)|Primera Federación Femenina]] has playoffs between the 2nd to 5th-placed teams, as only the champions are automatically promoted to [[Liga F]]. As in the men's game, subsequent places are promoted or allowed to play off if reserve teams finish within the top five.

=== United States and Canada ===
{{main|MLS Cup Playoffs}}

In [[Major League Soccer]], the top flight in the United States and Canada, the [[MLS Cup Playoffs]] are contested after the end of the [[regular season]] by the top teams in each conference. The winner of the [[MLS Cup]], the final match in the playoffs, is considered the league's champion for that season.<ref name="MLS-Overview"/><ref name="ALJ-MLS">{{cite news |last=Harb |first=Ali |date=28 August 2023 |title=Lionel Messi makes MLS debut: How does the league work? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2023/8/28/lionel-messi-makes-mls-debut-but-how-does-the-league-work |work=Al Jazeera |accessdate=3 March 2024}}</ref> The number of teams that qualify has varied: from the [[2012 Major League Soccer season|2012 season]] to the [[2014 Major League Soccer season|2014 season]], the top five teams in each of its two conferences played in the playoffs; this was increased to six teams from 2015 to 2018 and later seven teams in the [[2019 Major League Soccer season|2019 season]], which also switched all rounds to single-elimination matches. Under this system, the conferences have separate playoff brackets.

Since the [[2023 MLS Cup Playoffs|2023 edition]], the MLS Cup Playoffs have had nine teams from each conference playing in separate brackets until the MLS Cup final. The preliminary round has the eighth seed hosting the ninth seed while the top seven seeds get a prelim-round bye. Whoever wins plays the top seed in Round One. In Round One, the top-seed hosts the eighth-ninth winner, the runner-up hosts the seventh seed, the third hosts the sixth, and the fourth hosts the fifth, in [[best-of-three]] games. The remaining rounds (the conference semifinals, conference final, and MLS Cup final) are single-elimination matches hosted by the team with the better regular season record.<ref name="ALJ-MLS"/> 62 percent of teams make the playoff under this new format.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rosenblatt |first=Ryan |date=13 June 2023 |title=Baseball fields, playoffs, snow and All-Star Games: What new things await Lionel Messi in MLS? |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/37839435/mls-quirks-await-messi-inter-miami-playoffs-baseball-fields-snow-turf |publisher=ESPN |accessdate=3 March 2024}}</ref>

Since 2012, the MLS Cup has been hosted by the conference champion that has the most table points during the regular season.

In the case of ties after regulation in any round, 30 minutes of extra time (divided into two 15-minute periods) would be played followed by a penalty-kick shootout, if necessary, to determine the winners.

The defunct [[Women's Professional Soccer]] (WPS), which operated only in the U.S., conducted a four-team stepladder tournament consisting of one-off knockout matches. The third seed hosted the fourth seed in the first round. The winner of that game advanced to the "Super Semifinal", hosted by the second seed. The Super Semifinal winner traveled to the top seed for the final. The WPS's replacement, the [[National Women's Soccer League]] (which launched in 2013), uses a single elimination tournament.  The current [[NWSL playoffs|NWSL playoff]] structure has a more standard eight-team knockout playoff where the top-seed hosts the eighth, the runner-up hosts the seventh, the third-ranked team plays the sixth-ranked, and the fourth plays the fifth. The lowest-seeded winner from the quarterfinals plays the highest-seeded and the next-lowest the next-highest team in the semifinals. The winners of two one-off semifinals advance to the one-off final. From 2021 to 2023, the NWSL had a 6-team tournament; and from 2013 to 2019, it had a 4-team single elimination tournament.