While the inaugural season of GRIDIRON AMERICA featured only the AmeriBowl Championship Game as a playoff event, for the upcoming second season Commissioner D.P. McIntire has devised a four-team playoff format... with a twist.

 

"Traditionally with a four-team format, the first-place team would face the fourth-place finisher, and the second- and third-place teams would square off, and the winners of each then squaring off in the championship.  But I thought the incentive should be to finish in the top two, and not just make the playoffs, so I came up with something different."  While the top four teams will qualify for the AmeriBowl Championship playoffs, that's essentially where the similarity to a traditional format ends.

 

In the first of three rounds of competition, the first-place finisher from the regular season takes on their second-place rivals, while the third- and fourth-place clubs square off against one another.  The winner of the "1 vs. 2" game advances to the AmeriBowl Championship Game, but the loser is not eliminated from the playoffs.  Instead, they advance to a second round, in which they meet the winner of the "3 vs. 4" playoff game.  The loser of the "3 vs. 4" playoff game is eliminated from the playoffs.

 

"This format provides great incentive for finishing in the top two in the league, as a first-round loss won't spell immediate doom, while simultaneously providing some well-balanced matchups in the first round of playoff competition.  Each playoff game, at least on paper, would be competitive."