MLS Makes Significant Changes To Playoffs Format & Schedule

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Major League Soccer has announced a format and schedule for the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs and the MLS Cup that includes more teams, more games and a Best-of-three series.

Following Decision Day on Oct. 21, the top seven teams from each conference will automatically qualify to the Round One Best-of-three series while the next two teams (eight and nine seeds) in each conference standings will qualify for a single-elimination Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card match. The winners of each Wild Card game will earn a spot in the Round One Best-of-three series.

The expanded format will deliver even more must-win matches, as every game in the Round One Best-of-three series will have a winner and a loser. With the addition of the Wild Card games and the Round One Best-of three series, the playoffs will see up-to 24 must-win matches ahead of the MLS Cup presented by Audi in 2023 (compared to 12 in 2022).

All 16 teams qualifying for the Round One Best-of-three series will earn at least one home playoff game with the higher seed hosting the first match, the lower seed hosting the second match, before returning, if necessary, to the higher seed’s venue for the final deciding game.

Following the expanded Round One, the Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals, and the MLS Cup will continue to be single elimination, win-or-go-home matches hosted by the team with the better regular season record.

While providing the highest advantage to each conference No. 1 seed, through the new playoff format, the higher a team’s regular season finish in the standings, the more advantage that team will see throughout the playoffs. Teams will need to fight from the first match through Decision Day for the best chance to capture an MLS Cup title.

In addition to the advantage earned in the MLS postseason, higher MLS regular season ranking is rewarded with greater homefield advantage and grouping with lower seeded LIGA MX opponents during Leagues Cup group play, while the MLS Cup champion earns a bye past the group stage all together.

Postseason Match Schedule
The postseason will kick off with the two Wild Card matches on Oct. 25-26 and Round One Best-of-three series matches from Oct. 28-Nov. 12. The Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals will be played between Nov. 25-Dec. 3.  Major League Soccer’s championship match, MLS Cup presented by Audi, will be played on Dec. 9.

Postseason Review Process
Major League Soccer, in concert with the MLS Product Strategy Committee, undertook a review of the playoff format beginning in 2021 to deliver an enhanced format that would provide fans with more games of consequence and better reward regular season results while maintaining the best elements from the single-elimination format. Incorporating fan research and feedback, MLS engaged a third-party expert in the global sports industry to support the process with data and analysis.

Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs Format Breakdown

Qualification:
Seeds 1-7 in each conference will automatically qualify to the Round One Best-of three-series.
Seeds 8-9 in each conference will qualify for the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card matches.

Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card Matches (Two games):

  • Two single-game elimination matches hosted by the higher seed.
  • If the score of a Wild Card game is tied at the end of regulation, no extra time will be played, teams will participate in kicks from the penalty spot to determine the winner.
  • The winner of each Wild Card match will advance to the Round One Best-of-three series to face the conference No. 1 seed.

Round One Best-of-three Series (16-24 games):

  • Every Round One game will have a winner; no ties, no aggregate score.
  • The matches will be hosted in a home-away-home format:
    • Match 1: higher seed hosts
    • Match 2: lower seed hosts
    • Match 3: higher seed hosts
  • If a match is tied at the end of regulation, no extra time will be played, teams will participate in kicks from the penalty spot to determine the winner.
  • The first team to win two matches will advance.
  • Four teams from each conference will advance to the Conference Semifinals.

Conference Semifinals (Four games):

  • Single-game elimination matches, hosted by the higher seed.
  • If the score of a Conference Semifinal game is tied at the end of regulation, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety. If the score is still tied at the end of the two extra time periods, teams will participate in kicks from the penalty spot to determine the winner.
  • Conference Semifinal winners will advance to the Conference Final.

Conference Final (two games):

  • Single-elimination match hosted by the higher seed.
  • If the score of a Conference Final game is tied at the end of regulation, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety. If the score is still tied at the end of the two extra time periods, teams will participate in kicks from the penalty spot to determine the winner.
  • The winner of each Conference Final match will advance to the MLS Cup presented by Audi.

MLS Cup presented by Audi (One game):

  • A single match hosted by the higher seed.
  • If the score of the game is tied at the end of regulation, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety. If the score is still tied at the end of the two extra time periods, teams will participate in kicks from the penalty spot to determine the winner.
Steven Boero
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