NWSL Playoffs
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Playoffs are a single elimination tournament among four teams in the National Women's Soccer League, ultimately deciding the winner of the NWSL Championship.
Since playoff games cannot end in ties, those are broken by two straight 15-minute extra time periods, followed by shootouts of best-of-five rounds plus extra rounds as needed if still drawn.
Format
The top four teams in the final standings at the end of the NWSL season qualify for the playoffs and are seeded in order of their record.[1]
Tiebreakers
The initial determining factor for a team's position in the standings is most points earned, with three points earned for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. If at least two teams tie in point total, when determining rank and playoff qualification and seeding, the NWSL uses the following tiebreaker rules,[2] going down the list until all teams are ranked. Coin tosses (2 teams) or draw of lots (at least 3 teams) will be used as the last resort if all other tiebreakers fail.
- 1. Head to Head win/loss record between the teams (or points-per-game if more than two teams).
- 2. Greater goal difference across the entire season (against all teams, not just tied teams).
- 3. Greatest total number of goals scored (against all teams).
- 4. Apply #1–3 to games played on the road.
- 5. Apply #1–3 to games played at home.
NOTE: If two clubs remain tied after another club with the same number of points advances during any step, the tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format.
| Semi-finals | NWSL Championship | ||||||||
| 1 | |||||||||
| 4 | |||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||
| 2 | |||||||||
Playoff series history
2019 season
| Semi-finals | Championship | ||||||||
| 1 | North Carolina (a.e.t.) | 4 | |||||||
| 4 | Reign FC | 1 | |||||||
| 1 | North Carolina | 4 | |||||||
| 2 | Chicago | 0 | |||||||
| 2 | Chicago | 1 | |||||||
| 3 | Portland | 0 | |||||||
2018 season
| Semi-finals | Championship | ||||||||
| 1 | North Carolina | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Chicago | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | North Carolina | 3 | |||||||
| 2 | Portland | 0 | |||||||
| 2 | Portland | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Seattle | 1 | |||||||
2017 season
| Semi-finals | Championship | ||||||||
| 1 | North Carolina | 1 | |||||||
| 4 | Chicago | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | North Carolina | 0 | |||||||
| 2 | Portland | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | Portland | 4 | |||||||
| 3 | Orlando | 1 | |||||||
2016 season
| Semi-finals | Championship | ||||||||
| 1 | Portland | 3 | |||||||
| 4 | Western New York (a.e.t.) | 4 | |||||||
| 4 | Western New York (pen.) | 2 (3) | |||||||
| 2 | Washington | 2 (2) | |||||||
| 2 | Washington (a.e.t.) | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Chicago | 1 | |||||||
2015 season
| Semi-finals | Championship | ||||||||
| 1 | Seattle | 3 | |||||||
| 4 | Washington | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | Seattle | 0 | |||||||
| 3 | Kansas City | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | Chicago | 0 | |||||||
| 3 | Kansas City | 3 | |||||||
2014 season
| Semi-finals | Championship | ||||||||
| 1 | Seattle | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Washington | 1 | |||||||
| 1 | Seattle | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | Kansas City | 2 | |||||||
| 2 | Kansas City | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Portland | 0 | |||||||
2013 season
| Semi-finals | Championship | ||||||||
| 1 | Western New York | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Sky Blue | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | Western New York | 0 | |||||||
| 3 | Portland | 2 | |||||||
| 2 | Kansas City | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Portland (a.e.t.) | 3 | |||||||
Records and statistics
Correct as of conclusion of 2019 NWSL Playoffs
Playoff results
| Club | Won | Runner-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina Courage (formerly Western New York Flash) | 3 | 2 | 2016, 2018, 2019 | 2013, 2017 |
| Portland Thorns FC | 2 | 1 | 2013, 2017 | 2018 |
| FC Kansas City | 2 | 0 | 2014, 2015 | |
| Washington Spirit | 0 | 1 | 2016 | |
| Chicago Red Stars | 0 | 1 | 2019 | |
| Seattle Reign FC | 0 | 2 | 2014, 2015 |
Playoff Games and Win-Loss Record
| Team | Games Played | W | L | % | Most recent appearance | Most recent title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina Courage | 6 | 5 | 1 | .833 | 2019 | 2019 |
| FC Kansas City | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 | 2015 | 2015 |
| Western New York Flash | 4 | 3 | 1 | .750 | 2016 | 2016 |
| Portland Thorns FC | 9 | 5 | 4 | .556 | 2019 | 2017 |
| Seattle Reign FC | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | 2019 | Never |
| Washington Spirit | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | 2016 | Never |
| Chicago Red Stars | 6 | 1 | 5 | .167 | 2019 | Never |
| Sky Blue FC | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2013 | Never |
| Orlando Pride | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2017 | Never |
Appearances by team
| Team | Appearances |
|---|---|
| Portland Thorns FC | 6 |
| Chicago Red Stars | 5 |
| Seattle Reign FC | 4 |
| FC Kansas City | 3 |
| Washington Spirit | 3 |
| North Carolina Courage | 3 |
| Western New York Flash | 2 |
| Orlando Pride | 1 |
| Sky Blue FC | 1 |
References
- "2014 Competition Rules and Regulations". National Women's Soccer League. Archived from the original on December 12, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- "2016 Competition Rules and Regulations – National Women's Soccer League". Archived from the original on April 22, 2016.