STANDINGS AND TIEBREAKERS
Standings points are awarded based on the outcome of each GRIDIRON AMERICA regular season game: 3 points are awarded for each win, and 1 point is awarded to both clubs in the event of a tie.
A fourth, bonus point is earned if a team wins its game via the GRIDIRON AMERICA 35-point or 21-point "mercy" rules (but not the "final minute" mercy rule). Standing among teams is determined by the number of points accumulated during the regular season.
SEEDING OF TEAMS FOR PLAYOFFS
Playoff qualifying teams are divided into two distinct segments for seeding purposes: Division Champions and Wild Card Qualifiers. Teams in the Division Champions segment are seeded among themselves, beginning with the #1 position. Teams in the Wild Card Qualifiers segment meanwhile are also seeded among themselves, with the highest among them earning the seed position immediately following that of the lowest-seeded team from the Division Champions segment.
GENERAL TIEBREAKING PROCEDURES
- Only one team advances as the result of applying any tiebreaking step. Remaining tied teams, if any, revert to the first step of the appropriate tiebreaking procedure. For example, if two teams remain tied in any tiebreaking step after all other teams have been eliminated, the procedure reverts to Step 1 of the tiebreaker format to determine a winner.
- The highest won-lost-tied percentage is the deciding factor in tiebreakers, as teams may have played an unequal number of games in a particular category.
- To determine the best combined ranking among teams, add a team's position in the categories, with the lowest score winning. For example, if Team A is 1st in points scored and 5th in points allowed, its combined ranking is 6. If Team B is 3rd in points scored and 4th in points allowed, its combined ranking is 7. Team A wins the tiebreaker.
- If two or more teams are tied for a ranking position, each is awarded the ranking as if it held it exclusively. For example, if Teams A, B and C are tied for 1st in points scored, each is assigned a category ranking of 1. If Team D is next highest on the list, its ranking is 4.
- Tie games are always counted as one-half win, one-half loss for each team, except that ties awarded as the result of a game forfeiture are counted as losses.
- For purposes of calculating Fewest Average Points Allowed Per Game, victories awarded via forfeiture are excluded from the calculation, but defeats imposed via forfeiture are included.
TIEBREAKING PROCEDURES
If, at the conclusion of the regular season, two or more clubs finish with an identical number of standing points, the following steps shall be taken until a champion (or an order of standing among them) is determined:
- Fewest games lost via forfeiture.
- Fewest Unsportsmanlike Conduct Fouls assessed.
- Most victories in regular season games.
- Most bonus points awarded (due to 35- or 21-point abbreviations).
- Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage) between tied teams.
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division, if applicable.
- Fewest Average Points Allowed Per Game.
- Strength of Victory.
- Strength of Schedule.
- Best combined ranking among tied teams in points scored and points allowed.
- Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
- Best net points (points scored less points allowed) in head-to-head games, if applicable.
- Best net points in division games, if applicable.
- Best net points in all games, if applicable.
- Coin toss (or if three or more clubs remain tied, random draw).