Full History Of Playoffs In Timeline From 1915

1915: Introduction of Goal Average

In 1915 goal average was finally instituted in the Scottish Football League to break ties.

1919: New York Pro Championship

In 1919, the "New York Pro Championship" was held in Western New York, featuring a final between the Buffalo and Rochester metropolitan areas, with the winners advancing to the championship game on Thanksgiving weekend.

1920: NFL Founding

In 1920, top New York teams were absorbed into the newly founded National Football League (NFL). The league did not adopt the New York league's playoff format initially, opting for a championship based on regular-season record.

1930: AFL Finals Systems

Prior to 1930, six different finals systems were used in the Australian Football League.

1931: AFL McIntyre System Variants

Between 1931 and 1999, variants of the McIntyre system were used in the Australian Football League to accommodate four, five, six and eight teams.

1932: Impromptu Playoff Game

In 1932, after two teams tied at the top of the standings, an impromptu playoff game was scheduled to determine the champion.

1933: NFL Division Finals

In 1933, the NFL divided its teams into divisions and began holding a single playoff final between the division winners.

1946: BAA Inaugural Season

In 1946, the organization now known as the National Basketball Association (NBA) was called the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and had its inaugural season.

1950: NPB Reorganization

Before 1950, the original Japanese Baseball League was a single-table league of franchises, but after it was reorganized into the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) system, a series of playoffs ensued between the champions of the Central League and Pacific League.

1950: NFL Absorbs All-America Football Conference Teams

In 1950, the NFL absorbed three teams from the All-America Football Conference. The divisions were then called conferences.

1954: Playoffs in 1954 FIFA World Cup

In 1954, playoffs were a feature of the FIFA World Cup final tournament.

1958: Playoffs in 1958 FIFA World Cup

In 1958, playoffs were a feature of the FIFA World Cup final tournament.

1965: Japan Soccer League Promotion/Relegation Series Concept

The promotion/relegation Series concept in Japan dates back to 1965 and the first season of the Japan Soccer League.

1967: NFL Expansion Leads to Larger Playoff Tournament

In 1967, the NFL expanded and created four divisions under the two conferences, which led to the institution of a larger playoff tournament.

1970: AFL-NFL Merger

In 1970, after the AFL–NFL merger brought the American Football League into the NFL, the NFL began to use three divisions and a single wild-card team in each conference for its playoffs.

1971: Milwaukee-Baltimore Finals Format

The 1971 NBA Finals between Milwaukee and Baltimore were on an alternate-home basis.

1972: Edmonton Elks Qualifying for the CFL Playoffs

The Edmonton Elks began their streak of qualifying for the CFL playoffs every year from 1972 to 2005, a record in North American pro sports.

1973: Pacific League Split-Season Playoff

Between 1973 and 1982, the Pacific League applied a split-season with a 5-game playoff between the winning teams from both halves of the season in Nippon Professional Baseball.

1973: Stagg Bowl in Phenix City, Alabama

From 1973, the Division III final, known as the Stagg Bowl, was played in Phenix City, Alabama at Garrett-Harrison Stadium.

1973: Inaugural NCAA Division III Football Championship

In 1973, the NCAA Division III Football Championship began. Before this, most schools now in Division III competed in the NCAA College Division or the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

1973: National Championship Final in Sacramento, California

In 1973, the National Championship final was held at Sacramento, California.

1974: Playoff Pool Introduced

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 Second Division after each season, to determine which of these teams played in the First Division/Pro League the oncoming season.

1974: Introduction of Playoffs

Originally, in 1974, these playoffs were introduced in the Second Division in the Belgian League, to determine which team was promoted to the highest level together with the division champions.

1975: National Championship Final in Sacramento, California

In 1975, the National Championship final was held at Sacramento, California.

1975: Golden State-Washington Finals Format

The 1975 NBA Finals between Golden State and Washington were on a 1-2-2-1-1 basis.

1976: National Championship Final in Wichita Falls, Texas

In 1976, the National Championship final was held in Wichita Falls, Texas.

1977: National Championship Final in Wichita Falls, Texas

In 1977, the National Championship final was held in Wichita Falls, Texas.

1978: Expanded Wild-Card Teams

In 1978, the NFL playoffs were expanded to allow more wild-card teams to participate.

1978: National Championship Final in Longview, Texas

In 1978, the National Championship final was played in Longview, Texas.

1978: Seattle-Washington Finals Format

The 1978 NBA Finals between Seattle and Washington were on a 1-2-2-1-1 basis.

1979: National Championship Final in Albuquerque, New Mexico

In 1979, Albuquerque, New Mexico, hosted the National Championship final.

1979: Seattle-Washington Finals Format

The 1979 NBA Finals between Seattle and Washington were on a 1-2-2-1-1 basis.

1980: National Championship Final in Albuquerque, New Mexico

In 1980, Albuquerque, New Mexico, hosted the National Championship final.

1981: National Championship Final in McAllen, Texas

In 1981, McAllen, Texas, hosted the National Championship finals.

1982: Pacific League Split-Season Playoff

Between 1973 and 1982, the Pacific League applied a split-season with a 5-game playoff between the winning teams from both halves of the season in Nippon Professional Baseball.

1982: Stagg Bowl in Phenix City, Alabama

Until 1982, the Division III final, known as the Stagg Bowl, was played in Phenix City, Alabama at Garrett-Harrison Stadium.

1983: Stagg Bowl at Kings Island, Ohio

From 1983, the Division III final, known as the Stagg Bowl, was played at the College Football Hall of Fame, when the Hall was located in Kings Island, Ohio at Galbreath Field.

1984: Stagg Bowl at Kings Island, Ohio

Until 1984, the Division III final, known as the Stagg Bowl, was played at the College Football Hall of Fame, when the Hall was located in Kings Island, Ohio at Galbreath Field.

1985: Stagg Bowl in Phenix City, Alabama

From 1985, the Division III final, known as the Stagg Bowl, was played in Phenix City, Alabama at Garrett-Harrison Stadium.

1985: NBA Finals 2-3-2 Format Adopted

From the 1985 NBA Finals to 2013, the 2-3-2 finals format was adopted, copying the format that was then in effect in the National Hockey League.

1985: National Championship Final in McAllen, Texas

In 1985, McAllen, Texas, hosted the National Championship finals.

1986: Return of Play-offs to the League

In 1986, play-offs were reintroduced to the League to address the issue of mid-table clubs lacking incentive late in the season.

1986: Division II Final at Braly Municipal Stadium

In 1986, the Division II final was played at Braly Municipal Stadium near the campus of the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama.

1989: Copa do Brasil Inception

In 1989, the Copa do Brasil, Brazil's second most prestigious competition, was established and contested in a pure knockout format. While the top two Brazilian league tiers use a double round-robin format, lower tiers incorporate knockout rounds in their final stages.

1989: Stagg Bowl in Phenix City, Alabama

Until 1989, the Division III final, known as the Stagg Bowl, was played in Phenix City, Alabama at Garrett-Harrison Stadium.

1990: Stagg Bowl in Bradenton, Florida

From 1990, the Division III final, known as the Stagg Bowl, was played in Bradenton, Florida at Hawkins Stadium.

1990: More Wild-Card Teams

In 1990, the NFL playoffs were further expanded to allow more wild-card teams to participate.

1990: Victorian Football League Renamed

In 1990, the Victorian Football League was renamed to the Australian Football League.

1992: Stagg Bowl in Bradenton, Florida

Until 1992, the Division III final, known as the Stagg Bowl, was played in Bradenton, Florida at Hawkins Stadium.

1993: Stagg Bowl in Salem, Virginia

Since 1993, the Division III final, known as the Stagg Bowl, has been played annually in Salem, Virginia, at Salem Football Stadium.

1993: Inaugural J.League Championship

The J.League Championship was held in J.League Division 1 from the inaugural season in 1993 to the 2004 season, as a post-season tournament to determine the annual champion.

1994: Games Broadcast on ESPN

Since 1994, the NCAA Division II Football Championship games have been broadcast on ESPN.

1995: Scottish Football League Test Matches

In 1995–96 and 1996–97, the Scottish Football League (SFL) experimented with test matches between the second-bottom team of the Premier Division and the second-placed team of the First Division.

1995: Play-offs discontinued in NSWRL and BRL

Since 1995, points differential decides finals' qualification, and play-offs are no longer held in the NSWRL and BRL competitions.

1996: Scottish Football League Test Matches

In 1995–96 and 1996–97, the Scottish Football League (SFL) experimented with test matches between the second-bottom team of the Premier Division and the second-placed team of the First Division.

1998: End of La Liga Playoff System

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, introduced in the 1980s, ended in 1998–99.

1998: Super League play-off system

Since 1998, the Super League rugby league competition has used a play-off system to decide its champion. The original format featured the top five highest-ranked teams after the regular season rounds.

1998: SPL Breakaway

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, a modified test match format was introduced between the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Championship.

1999: AFL McIntyre System Variants

Between 1931 and 1999, variants of the McIntyre system were used in the Australian Football League to accommodate four, five, six and eight teams.

2000: AFL Finals System Design

In 2000, the Australian Football League designed a system where eight teams qualify for the finals.

2002: Football Conference Introduces Play-offs

In 2002, after the Football League agreed to a two-club exchange with the Conference, the Football Conference, now known as the National League, introduced play-offs.

2002: NFL Divisional Alignment Reshuffled

In 2002, the NFL added its 32nd team, the Houston Texans, and significantly reshuffled its divisional alignment. The league moved from 6 division winners and 6 wild-card spots to 8 division winners and only 4 wild-card qualifiers.

2002: NBA First-Round Series Expansion

In the 2002–03 season, the first-round series of the NBA playoffs were expanded from best-of-5 to best-of-7; all other series have always been best-of-7.

2002: Super League play-offs expansion

Starting in 2002, the Super League play-offs added an extra spot to allow the top six teams to qualify.

2003: Gillingham's Play-off System Proposal

In 2003, Gillingham proposed a controversial new playoff system with six clubs and one-off matches, including first-round byes and home advantage for higher-placed clubs. Initially approved by League chairmen, it was blocked by The FA and abandoned due to concerns about fairness and being too American.

2003: Serie A Test Match

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.

2004: Pacific League Two-Staged Stepladder Knockout

Between 2004 and 2006, the top three teams in the Pacific League played a two-staged stepladder knockout (3 games in the first stage and 5 games in the second stage) to decide the League Champion in Nippon Professional Baseball.

2004: J.League Promotion/Relegation Series

From 2004 to 2008, J.League in Japan used a test match series between the third-from-bottom team in J1 and the third-place team in J2 to determine promotion/relegation.

2004: Original Chase format

In 2004, the original Chase format involved the top 10 drivers and those within 400 points of the leader participating in a 10-race playoff, with points adjusted based on the standings after the 26th race. The first-place driver started with 5,050 points in 2004.

2004: Serie B Promotion Playoff Introduction

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).

2004: NASCAR Chase for the NEXTEL Cup

NASCAR implemented a "playoff" system beginning in 2004, which they coined the "Chase for the NEXTEL Cup".

2004: End of J.League Championship in Division 1

The J.League Championship was held in J.League Division 1 from the inaugural season in 1993 to the 2004 season, as a post-season tournament to determine the annual champion.

2005: One Team Relegated

From the 2005–06 season in the Belgian League, only one team was relegated directly from the First Division, with the 17th team taking part in the playoff.

2005: Kurt Busch fired by Roush Racing

In 2005, Kurt Busch was fired by Roush Racing with two races left in the season. Busch finished 10th, but Kenny Wallace drove the No. 97 car to an 8th-place finish for owner's points in 2005.

2005: Edmonton Elks Qualifying for the CFL Playoffs

In 2005, the Edmonton Elks last qualified for the CFL playoffs, ending a record in North American pro sports, qualifying every year since 1972.

2005: Introduction of Playoff in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, a playoff system was introduced in the 2005–06 season to determine which teams from the Eredivisie qualify for European football.

2005: Scotiabank Sponsorship of CFL Playoffs

Since 2005, the Division Semifinals and Division Finals in the Canadian Football League have been sponsored by Scotiabank and are branded as the "Scotiabank East Championship" and "Scotiabank West Championship".

2005: A-League Finals Series Inception

Since its inception in the 2005–06 season, the Australian A-League, featuring teams in New Zealand, has determined its champions via a playoff system known as the "Finals Series".

2006: Pacific League Two-Staged Stepladder Knockout

Between 2004 and 2006, the top three teams in the Pacific League played a two-staged stepladder knockout (3 games in the first stage and 5 games in the second stage) to decide the League Champion in Nippon Professional Baseball.

2006: Air New Zealand Cup Finals Qualification

In 2006, during the inaugural season of the revamped domestic structure, the Air New Zealand Cup, the top six teams from Round One automatically qualified for the finals. The remaining two slots were determined by repechage pools.

2006: Original Chase format in place

In 2006, the original Chase format involved the top 10 drivers and those within 400 points of the leader participating in a 10-race playoff, with points adjusted based on the standings after the 26th race. The first-place driver started with 5,050 points in 2006.

2006: Single-Elimination Tournament

In 2006, the playoffs consisted of a single-elimination tournament where teams were bracketed, and the higher seed had the advantage of playing at home.

2006: 2006 World Cup Qualification Playoffs

Playoffs were used in the qualification tournaments for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

2006: Name change to NCAA Division I Football Championship

Prior to 2006, the NCAA Division I Football Championship game was known as the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship.

January 22, 2007: NASCAR announces Chase changes

On January 22, 2007, NASCAR announced that the top 12 drivers would advance to the Chase after 26 races, with points reset to 5000, and drivers receiving additional points for regular-season wins. The Chase would consist of 10 races, and the driver with the most points would be the NEXTEL Cup Series Champion.

2007: Teams Participate in Single Pool Phase

From 2007, the former Rounds One and Two were combined into a single pool phase where all teams participated.

2007: Climax Series Introduced to NPB

In 2007, a new playoff system named the "Climax Series" was introduced to both professional leagues in NPB to decide the teams that would compete for the Japan Series. The Chunichi Dragons won a place in the Japan Series, and subsequently defeated the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters to claim their first Japan Series in 52 years.

2007: Playoff Re-bracketing After Quarterfinals

In 2007, after the quarterfinals, the playoff bracket was reorganized, positioning the highest remaining seed against the lowest, and the second-highest against the third-highest, in the semifinals.

2007: Super League Greece Playoff System

Starting in 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 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

2008: Franchising system established in Super League

Before the 2008 season, when Super League established a franchising system and ended automatic promotion and relegation, the National Leagues used the top six system to determine promotion to Super League.

2008: Chase for the Sprint Cup

Beginning with the 2008 season, the playoff became known as the "Chase for the Sprint Cup" due to the NEXTEL/Sprint merger.

2008: Playoff Re-bracketing After Quarterfinals

In 2008, after the quarterfinals, the playoff bracket was reorganized, positioning the highest remaining seed against the lowest, and the second-highest against the third-highest, in the semifinals.

2008: Climax Series Format Change

In 2008, the format of Climax Series will have a slight change, in which the second stage will be played over a maximum of six games, with the League Champion starting with an automatic one game advantage.

2008: Top Eight Teams Advance to Playoffs

In 2008, the top eight teams advanced to the playoffs of the Air New Zealand Cup.

2008: Changes to Netherlands Playoff Format

Starting in 2008–09, the format for the Netherlands playoff was changed again to allow the champion to go directly to the Champions League and the runner-up to enter the second qualification round of the CL.

2008: End of J.League Promotion/Relegation Series

The J.League promotion/relegation series between the third-from-bottom team in J1 and third-place team in J2, which started in 2004, ended in 2008.

2008: A-League Finals Series Format

Through the 2008–09 season, the top four teams in the Australian A-League advanced to the finals series, which used a modified Page playoff system.

2009: Top eight advance to promotion play-offs

From the first season of the Championship in 2009–10 to 2011–12, the top eight teams advanced to a series of promotion play-offs.

2009: Championship 1 name change

In 2009, League 1 was known as Championship 1, and along with the Championship used the old top six system to determine promotions.

2009: Expansion of A-League Finals to Six Teams

In 2009, as the A-League expanded to 10 teams starting in the 2009–10 season, the finals series also expanded to include six teams.

2009: Shaughnessy Format Used in Air New Zealand Cup

In 2009, the Shaughnessy format was implemented, with the top four teams advancing to the finals of what was planned as the final season of the Air New Zealand Cup.

2009: URC Adopts Four-Team Playoff

In 2009, the United Rugby Championship (URC), then known as the Celtic League, adopted a four-team playoff system, mirroring the English Premiership format.

2009: Playoffs for Champions League and Europa League tickets

Since the 2009–10 season, playoffs have been held to determine the champion and tickets for the Champions League and Europa League.

2009: UEFA Cup Renamed UEFA Europa League

Starting in 2009 to 2010, the UEFA Cup was renamed the UEFA Europa League (EL).

2009: Top 14 playoffs expanded

The highest level of French rugby union, the Top 14, expanded its playoffs starting with the 2009–10 season from a four-team format to six teams.

2009: Super League play-offs expanded to eight teams

With the addition of two new teams for the 2009 season, the Super League play-offs expanded to eight teams.

2010: NZRU Retains Four-Team Playoff for ITM Cup

In 2010, the New Zealand Rugby Union decided to retain the previous four-team playoff format for the rebranded ITM Cup.

2010: Original promotion play-offs format

In 2010, the original promotion play-offs divided the eight teams into two groups of four each, playing a home-and-away mini-league. The top two teams in each group advanced to a knockout phase, with one-off semi-final matches.

2010: All eight teams started equal in the first year of the play-offs.

In the first year of the play-offs in 2010, all eight teams started equal.

2010: World Cup Qualifying Inter-Confederation Play-Offs

Later World Cup qualifying inter-confederation play-offs were held for the 2010 World Cup.

2010: Home-and-away Matches

Since the 2009–10 season, the six highest ranked teams play home-and-away matches against each other; a total of 10 matches each.

2010: Segunda División Promotion 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.

2010: UEFA Europa League

Starting in 2009 to 2010, the UEFA Cup was renamed the UEFA Europa League (EL).

January 26, 2011: Chase format changes announced

On January 26, 2011, France announced changes to the Chase format and points system. While 12 drivers still advanced to the Chase after 26 races, the qualifying criteria and base points received at the points reset were changed.

2011: Shaughnessy Playoff Involving Top Four Teams

Before 2011, Super Rugby, in both the Super 12 and Super 14 formats, utilized a Shaughnessy playoff system involving the top four teams. The top two teams on the league ladder hosted a semifinal, and the top surviving team hosted the final.

2011: Truncated Competition Window Due to Rugby World Cup

Due to the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, the competition window was shortened, and only the top two teams in each division advanced to the final match.

2011: Super Rugby Playoff Involves Six Teams

For the 2011 season, Super Rugby's playoff system involved six teams. The winners of each of the Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa conferences qualified, along with the three non-winners with the most competition points.

2011: Championship Final Winner Promoted

From 2011 onwards, the winner of the Championship Final is promoted to the Premiership, replacing that league's bottom team.

2011: Top eight advance to promotion play-offs

From the first season of the Championship in 2009–10 to 2011–12, the top eight teams advanced to a series of promotion play-offs.

2011: New Chase system

In 2011, a new Chase system was implemented where only the top 10 drivers in points automatically qualified, joined by two "wild card" qualifiers. Their base points were reset to 2,000, and automatic qualifiers received bonus points for race wins.

2011: Teams carried over points in relegation play-offs

In 2011, each team in the relegation play-offs carried over 1 competition point for every win in the league season.

2011: Teams rewarded for league play performance

In 2011, teams were rewarded for their performance in league play. The top two teams at the end of the league stage carried over 3 competition points to the promotion play-offs.

2011: ITM Cup Splits into Premiership and Championship Leagues

In 2011, the ITM Cup was split into two seven-team leagues: the top-level Premiership and the second-level Championship, with promotion and relegation being introduced.

2011: Semi-finals become two-legged

In 2011, the semi-finals became two-legged. The top team in each pool played the second-place team from the other group in the semi-finals, with the winners advancing to a two-legged final.

2011: Semi-finals held at Stadium de Toulouse

In the 2011–12 season, the Top 14 semifinals were held at Stadium de Toulouse, which is occasionally used by Stade Toulousain.

2012: Pool stage abolished in promotion playoffs

Beginning with the 2012–13 season, the pool stage of the promotion playoffs was abolished, with the top four sides directly entering the semi-finals. At the other end of the table, the bottom club is now automatically relegated in 2012.

2012: MLB Wild Card Game

From 2012 to 2019 and 2021 season, Major League Baseball consisted of a first round single-elimination Wild Card Game between the two wild-card teams in each league.

2012: Changes in promotion and relegation play-offs

From 2012–13 through to 2016–17, the top four teams advanced to the promotion play-offs. A relegation play-off involving the bottom four teams existed through the 2011–12 season, but was scrapped from 2012 to 2013 on.

2012: MLS Cup Playoffs Expansion

From the 2012 season to the 2014 season, the top five teams in each of its two conferences played in the MLS Cup playoffs.

2012: Dale Earnhardt Jr. misses playoff races

In 2012, Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed two playoff races due to injury. Regan Smith drove the No. 88 car for two races, including a top-10 finish at Kansas Speedway. Smith's points weren't enough to move the No. 88 team out of 12th place in 2012.

2012: Teams carried over points in relegation play-offs

In 2012, each team in the relegation play-offs carried over 1 competition point for every win in the league season.

2012: Teams rewarded for league play performance

In 2012, teams were rewarded for their performance in league play. The top two teams at the end of the league stage carried over 3 competition points to the promotion play-offs.

2012: Shaughnessy Finals Series Returns

In 2012, the Shaughnessy finals series was reinstated in both divisions of the competition.

2012: Ulster's Ravenhill Ground Fails to Meet Venue Requirements

In 2012, the URC's top seed, Ulster, was unable to host the final at its home ground, Ravenhill, due to the venue's capacity being below the required 18,000.

2012: J. League Division 2/J2 League Promotion/Relegation Series

Promotion/relegation Series occurred with the 2012–2016 seasons of J. League Division 2/J2 League, conditional on the top two J3 League (JFL teams from 2012 to 2013) fulfilling J. League club criteria.

2012: MLS Cup Hosting

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

2012: NRL finals system change

Starting with the 2012 season, the National Rugby League (NRL) changed its finals system from the McIntyre final eight to the same system used by the AFL.

2012: Knockout Tournament

Starting with the 2012–13 season, the A-League finals format was changed to a pure knockout tournament consisting entirely of one-off matches.

2013: Merger of SPL and SFL

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, a modified test match format was introduced between the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Championship.

2013: Changes in promotion and relegation play-offs

From 2012–13 through to 2016–17, the top four teams advanced to the promotion play-offs. A relegation play-off involving the bottom four teams existed through the 2011–12 season, but was scrapped from 2012 to 2013 on.

2013: NBA Finals 2-3-2 Format Ended

From the 1985 NBA Finals to 2013, the 2-3-2 finals format was adopted, copying the format that was then in effect in the National Hockey League.

2013: Division II Final at Braly Municipal Stadium

In 2013, the Division II final was played at Braly Municipal Stadium near the campus of the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama.

2013: NWSL Launched

In 2013, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) was launched as a replacement for the defunct Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), using a single elimination tournament. From 2013 to 2019, the NWSL had a 4-team single elimination tournament.

2013: Ulster's Ravenhill Ground Ineligible for URC Final

In 2013, top seed Ulster could not use its regular home ground of Ravenhill for the URC final because the venue did not meet the minimum capacity requirement of 18,000.

2013: JFL teams in J3 League

Promotion/relegation Series occurred with the 2012–2016 seasons of J. League Division 2/J2 League, conditional on the top two J3 League (JFL teams from 2012 to 2013) fulfilling J. League club criteria.

January 30, 2014: Radical Chase changes announced

On January 30, 2014, NASCAR announced even more radical changes to the Chase, which took effect for the 2014 season.

July 14, 2014: Unveiling of the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy

On July 14, 2014, the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy, sponsored by Dr Pepper, was unveiled. The 26.5-inch high, 35-pound trophy was a new championship trophy, unconnected with the previous BCS championship system.

2014: Leagues abandon top six system

After the 2014 season, both the Championship and League 1 abandoned the top six system.

2014: Introduction of SPFL and Scottish Regional Leagues Promotion and Relegation

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 and Lowland Leagues compete in a two-legged playoff.

2014: MLS Cup Playoffs Expansion

From the 2012 season to the 2014 season, the top five teams in each of its two conferences played in the MLS Cup playoffs.

2014: College Football Playoff National Championship

In 2014, the College Football Playoff National Championship, a post-season college football bowl game, began to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

2014: Division II Final at Children's Mercy Park

In 2014, the Division II final was played at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

2014: Super League play-off format scrapped

In 2014, the Super League's play-off format was scrapped after that season.

2014: URC Changes Championship Final Venue Selection

In 2014, the United Rugby Championship (URC) transitioned to using a predetermined site for its championship final, moving away from the previous system where the top surviving seed chose the venue.

2014: Liga Dominicana de Fútbol Playoff Introduction

In 2014, with the creation of the Liga Dominicana de Fútbol to replace the Primera División de Republica Dominicana, a playoff system was introduced to determine the champion of the season, influenced by baseball's popularity in the nation.

2014: World Cup Qualifying Inter-Confederation Play-Offs

Later World Cup qualifying inter-confederation play-offs were held for the 2014 World Cup.

2014: Conference Quarterfinals Seedings

Since 2014, the Conference Quarterfinals in the NHL consists of four match-ups in each conference, based on the seedings division-wise (No. 1 vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3).

2014: NBA Finals Restores Original Format

Since 2014, the NBA Finals restored the original format.

2014: NBA Playoff Seeding Through 2014-15

Through the 2014–15 season, the NBA's three division champions and best division runner-up received the top four seeds in the playoffs, with their ranking based on regular-season record.

2015: Super League season reorganized

Beginning in 2015, the Super League season was radically reorganized, and more closely integrated with that of the second-level Championship. The top eight clubs in Super League enter a single round-robin mini-league known as the Super 8s, with the top four entering a knockout play-off.

2015: NBA Eliminates Automatic Playoff Berths

Beginning in the 2015–16 season, the NBA became the first major American league to eliminate automatic playoff berths for division champions; the top eight teams overall in each conference now qualify for the playoffs, regardless of divisional alignment.

2015: Playoff Pool Ended

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 Second Division after each season, to determine which of these teams played in the First Division/Pro League the oncoming season.

2015: Belgian League Playoff Teams

From 2009–10 through 2015–16, in the Belgian League, teams ranked 7–14 played in two groups in the playoffs. There were some structural changes starting in 2015-16.

2015: MLS Cup Playoffs Expansion

From 2015 to 2018, the top six teams in each of its two conferences played in the MLS Cup playoffs.

2015: Kyle Busch wins Cup Series

In 2015, Kyle Busch won the Cup Series championship after missing the first 11 races due to injury, with other drivers filling in. Despite this, both he and the No. 18 team won their respective championships with 5043 points in 2015.

2015: Abandonment of Apertura and Clausura format

In 2015, the top-flight Argentine Primera División abandoned its traditional Apertura and Clausura format in favor of an expanded single season.

2015: New system for Super League and Championship

Since 2015, all clubs in Super League and the Championship play a 22-match home-and-away season, splitting into three leagues. The Super 8s feature the top eight Super League sides. The Qualifiers include the bottom four from Super League and the top four from the Championship.

2015: J1 League Championship Resumption

The J.League Championship was held in the J1 League for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, as a post-season tournament to determine the annual champion.

2015: Super Rugby Playoff System

Through 2015, the Super Rugby playoff involved six teams—the winners of each of three conferences (Australia, New Zealand and South Africa conferences), plus the three non-winners with the most competition points without regard to conference affiliation.

2016: Change to August-June Format

Effective in the 2016-17 season, relegation from the Argentine Primera División will be based solely on league position at the end of the season, which changed from a February–December format to an August–June format.

2016: New group of playoff teams

From 2016–17 forward, in the Belgian League, the playoff will continue to be contested in two groups, but with a total of 12 teams. All points gained from the regular competition are lost.

2016: Chase format extended to other series

In 2016, NASCAR extended the Chase format to the Xfinity Series and Gander Outdoors Truck Series, with some differences from the Cup Series format.

2016: Super Rugby Playoff Bracket Expands to Eight Teams

In 2016, Super Rugby expanded to 18 teams, resulting in an eight-team playoff bracket. Conference winners received the top four seeds, and were joined by the top three remaining Australasian teams and the top remaining team from the African group.

2016: Europa League Playoff Changes

In 2016, changes were introduced to the Europa League playoffs involving 12 teams: nine from First Division A (7th to 15th place) and three from First Division B (top three, excluding the champion). These teams were divided into two groups for home-and-away matches, with group winners playing a final to advance against a championship playoff team for a Europa League spot.

2016: Soliciting Bids for Title Games

In 2016, organizers said bids for the title games must propose host stadiums with a capacity of at least 65,000 spectators, and cities cannot host both a semi-final game and the title game in the same year.

2016: Final at Camp Nou

In 2016, the Top 14 final was held at Camp Nou in Barcelona due to conflict with UEFA Euro 2016.

2016: Competition Renamed Mitre 10 Cup

In 2016, the competition was renamed the Mitre 10 Cup.

2016: Bulgaria's First League Playoff System

In the 2016-17 season, Bulgaria instituted an elaborate playoff system in its top flight, the First League, to determine placement.

2016: J. League Division 2/J2 League Promotion/Relegation Series end

Promotion/relegation Series occurred with the 2012–2016 seasons of J. League Division 2/J2 League, conditional on the top two J3 League (JFL teams from 2012 to 2013) fulfilling J. League club criteria. In turn, J2 implemented a promotion playoff to J1 on the style of England for the 3rd to 6th clubs.

2016: J1 League Championship

The J.League Championship was held in the J1 League for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, as a post-season tournament to determine the annual champion.

2016: RFU Championship play-offs used

Through the 2016–17 season, the second-level RFU Championship used play-offs, with top teams advancing to promotion play-offs.

2016: SANZAR Renamed SANZAAR

Throughout the pre-2011 history of Super Rugby, the competition's organiser, SANZAR was renamed SANZAAR in 2016.

2017: Bottom club relegated

Beginning in 2017–18, only the bottom club is automatically relegated to Rugby Pro D2. The second-from-bottom Top 14 side plays a one-off match against the runner-up of the Pro D2 playoffs for the final place in the next Top 14 season.

2017: Promotion play-offs scrapped

Effective with the 2017–18 season, the promotion play-offs were scrapped for a minimum of three seasons, to be replaced with automatic promotion for the club finishing atop the league.

2017: Playoff Competition

From 2017 in the Belgian League, playoffs continue to be contested in two groups, but with a total of 12 teams. All points gained from the regular competition are lost.

2017: Pro D2 Adopts Top 14 Playoff System

In 2017, Pro D2 adopted the Top 14 playoff system. Under this system, the playoff champion earns automatic promotion, while the runner-up enters a one-off match for potential promotion to Top 14.

2017: Europa League Playoff Changes Continued

In 2017, changes were introduced to the Europa League playoffs involving 12 teams: nine from First Division A (7th to 15th place) and three from First Division B (top three, excluding the champion). These teams were divided into two groups for home-and-away matches, with group winners playing a final to advance against a championship playoff team for a Europa League spot.

2017: Soliciting Bids for Title Games

In 2017, organizers said bids for the title games must propose host stadiums with a capacity of at least 65,000 spectators, and cities cannot host both a semi-final game and the title game in the same year.

2017: Division II Final at Children's Mercy Park

In 2017, the Division II final was played at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

2017: Philippines Football League Playoffs

In 2017, the Philippines Football League (PFL) adopted a playoffs format for its inaugural season, featuring the top four clubs in the regular season in a "Finals Series".

2017: URC Expands Playoffs to Six Teams

In 2017, with the addition of two South African sides, the United Rugby Championship split into two conferences and expanded its playoffs to six teams. The top team of each conference earns a bye into the semifinals.

2017: Chase becomes Playoffs

Starting with the 2017 season, NASCAR abandoned the term "Chase" and instead called its final series the "playoffs".

2018: MLS Cup Playoffs Expansion

From 2015 to 2018, the top six teams in each of its two conferences played in the MLS Cup playoffs.

2018: Super Rugby Playoff Format Changes Again

In 2018, with the contraction of the league to 15 teams, the Super Rugby playoff format changed again. The playoff remained at eight teams, with the three conference winners joined by five "wildcards".

2018: World Cup Qualifying Inter-Confederation Play-Offs

Later World Cup qualifying inter-confederation play-offs were held for the 2018 World Cup.

2019: COVID-19 Pandemic Ended Regular Season

For the 2019–20 NHL season, in which the regular season was prematurely ended by the COVID-19 pandemic only the top four teams in each conference, as determined by points-per-game, qualified directly to the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

2019: MLB Wild Card Game

From 2012 to 2019 and 2021 season, Major League Baseball consisted of a first round single-elimination Wild Card Game between the two wild-card teams in each league.

2019: NWSL 4-Team Single Elimination Tournament Ended

From 2013 to 2019, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) had a 4-team single elimination tournament.

2019: MLS Cup Playoffs Further Expansion

In the 2019 season, the top seven teams in each of its two conferences played in the MLS Cup playoffs, with all rounds switched to single-elimination matches.

2019: NBA Play-in Tournament

Since the 2019–20 season, only the top six teams in the NBA qualify directly to the playoffs. The remaining two teams in each conference are determined through a play-in tournament, consisting of the seventh through tenth-placed teams.

2020: South African Sides Leave and Competition Rebrands

After the 2020 season, the South African sides left the league and were replaced by the country's four former Super Rugby franchises, with the competition being rebranded as the URC.

2020: Increased Wild-Card Qualifiers

By 2020, the number of wild-card qualifiers in the NFL playoffs returned to six.

2020: Dr Pepper Sponsorship

In 2020, Dr Pepper's sponsorship of the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy, which began in 2014, was ongoing.

2020: MLB Wild Card Series

In 2020, Major League Baseball created the Wild Card Series, a best-of-three round, along with the other rounds, for the first round of the postseason.

2020: No Playoffs

There were no playoffs in 2020.

2021: MiLB Reorganization

Before the 2021 reorganization of MiLB, most leagues at the Triple-A, Double-A, and Class A-Advanced classification levels included four qualifying teams which competed in two best-of-five rounds: semi-finals and finals.

2021: MLB Wild Card Game

From 2012 to 2019 and 2021 season, Major League Baseball consisted of a first round single-elimination Wild Card Game between the two wild-card teams in each league.

2021: NWSL 6-Team Tournament

From 2021 to 2023, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) had a 6-team tournament.

2021: MiLB Post-Reorganization Playoffs

In the 2021 season, the first after the reorganization, no MiLB league had more than two teams involved in playoffs, with some leagues not holding a postseason at all.

2022: MLB Postseason Format Change

From 2022, the Major League Baseball postseason begins with a two best-of-three Wild Card Series first round, followed by a best-of-five second round series called the Division Series, and two rounds of best-of-seven series for the League Championship Series and World Series.

2022: World Cup Qualifying Inter-Confederation Play-Offs

Later World Cup qualifying inter-confederation play-offs were held for the 2022 World Cup.

2022: Primera Federación Femenina Playoffs

Since the 2022–23 season, the Primera Federación Femenina has playoffs between the 2nd to 5th-placed teams, as only the champions are automatically promoted to Liga F.

2023: NWSL 6-Team Tournament

From 2021 to 2023, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) had a 6-team tournament.

2023: Changes to the MLS Cup Playoffs

Since the 2023 edition, the MLS Cup Playoffs have had nine teams from each conference playing in separate brackets until the MLS Cup final.

2024: Japan Football League Promotion/Relegation Series

In 2024, a promotion/relegation series was added for the second places against the bottom J3 clubs in the Japan Football League, provided that they qualify for promotion criteria.