MLS changed its playoff format by introducing first round series similar to those used in other American sports.
Like the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, the MLS has always used a post-season format to determine its annual champions.
But starting this weekend, it will follow in the footsteps of basketball, baseball and hockey with additional changes.
In the first round of the playoffs – after the wild card matches – the teams will play a best-of-three series.
Eight teams from each conference will take part, including the winners of the wild card matches between the eighth and ninth seeds.
Again, following the lead of the NBA, MLB, and NHL, every game in the series must have a winner with mandatory penalties if the score is tied in regulation time.
Instead of using the cumulative score, teams must simply win two games to advance.
The post-season tournament will then return to a more standard format with knockout matches for the Conference Semi-Finals, Conference Finals and the MLS Cup Final.
Major League Soccer announces Audi 2023 MLS Cup playoff format and schedulehttps://t.co/HL2MKircFd
— MLS Communications (@MLS_PR) February 21, 2023
