The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be either a single game, a series of games, or a tournament, and may use a single-elimination system or one of several other different playoff formats. Playoff, in regard to international fixtures, is to qualify or progress to the next round of a competition or tournament.
There are a number of formats used in various levels of competition in sports and games to determine an overall champion. Some of the most common are the single elimination, the best-of- series, the total points series more commonly known as on aggregate, and the round-robin tournament.
A wild card is a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that fails to qualify in the normal way; for example, by having a high ranking or winning a qualifying stage. In some events, wildcards are chosen freely by the organizers. Other events have fixed rules. Some North American professional sports leagues compare the records of teams which did not qualify directly by winning a division or conference.
The NBA playoffs is the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association (NBA) held to determine the league's champion. An annual best-of-seven elimination tournament, the NBA playoffs are held after the league's regular season and its preliminary postseason tournament, the NBA play-in tournament.
The Long Island Rough Riders, formerly known as the Long Island Lady Riders, is an American women's soccer team, based out of Long Island, New York. Founded in 1994, the team was under the ownership of Chuck Jacob, who at the time also owned the men's Long Island Rough Riders up until 1997 before selling it to Frank Boulton. At this time, the Rough Riders transitioned names and became known as the Lady Riders for several years. In 2007, the Rough Riders acquired territorial and franchise rights to the women's Lady Riders team. For the first time since 1997, the men's and women's teams would be under the same name and they have been ever since. The Rough Riders were an original member of the USL W-League and played in all 21 seasons before the league disbanded in late 2015. The team was a member of United Women's Soccer from 2016-2021. They now play in the second version of the USL W League.
The 2008 W-League Season was the league's 14th. The regular season began on May 10, 2008, and ended on July 20.
The 2009 W-League Season was the league's 15th. The regular season began on May 8 with the Hampton Roads Piranhas defeating the Charlotte Lady Eagles 2–1 in Charlotte. The season ended with 10 games on July 19. The playoffs began on July 22 and ended on August 7.
The 2007 W-League Season was the league's 13th.
The 2006 W-League Season was the league's 12th.
The 2004 W-League Season was the league's 10th. The Vancouver Whitecaps Women won the W-League title, defeating the New Jersey Wildcats 4-2 in Ottawa.
The 2010 Colorado Rapids season was the fifteenth year and season of the club's existence. It was Colorado's fifteenth year in Major League Soccer, and the sixth-consecutive year for the club in the top-flight of American soccer.
The 2010 W-League Season was the league's 16th. The regular season began in May and ended in July. The playoffs began in late July and ended in August.
The 2010–11 ECHL season was the 23rd season of the ECHL. The regular season schedule ran from October 15, 2010, to April 2, 2011. The Kelly Cup playoffs followed the regular season, with the first playoff game held on April 4, 2011, and the final game held on May 21, 2011. The league welcomed one new franchise, a relocation of the Johnstown Chiefs to Greenville, South Carolina, who played in the BI-LO Center. The ECHL held its annual All-Star Game and Skills Challenge on January 26 at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, California, home of the Bakersfield Condors.
The 2009 season was the 97th season of soccer in the United States. This season included playing in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs was the sixteenth post-season tournament culminating the Major League Soccer regular season. The tournament began on October 26 with the play-in round and concluded on November 20 with the championship match. It was the first playoff series to include ten clubs, two more than the traditional eight. Six of the ten teams earned a direct bye into the conference semifinals, while the four wildcard teams played a single-elimination match to earn a berth into the conference semis. These eight clubs played in a single-elimination tournament en route to playoffs championship MLS Cup 2011, which doubles as the league championship for the 2011 MLS season altogether.
The 2011–12 ECHL season was the 24th season of the ECHL. The regular season schedule ran from October 4, 2011 to March 31, 2012 and was followed by the 2012 Kelly Cup playoffs beginning on April 2, 2012.
The 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs was the eighteenth post-season tournament culminating the Major League Soccer regular season. The tournament began in late October and culminated on December 7, 2013, with MLS Cup 2013, the eighteenth league championship for MLS. This was the third year that the playoffs included ten teams, and the second playoff series since 2006 in which teams could not cross conference brackets. The top five teams in both the Eastern and Western conferences of the league earned berths, with the top three clubs in each conference earning direct byes to the conference semifinals. The fourth and fifth-place finishers of both conferences competed in a single-elimination play-in match.
The 2015 USL Premier Development League season was the 21st season of the PDL and consisted of 63 teams. The regular season began on May 2 and ended on July 19. The Michigan Bucks were the defending champions and posted the best overall record in the League; however, they were defeated by K-W United FC in the Central Conference finals. K-W United went on to win the league championship by defeating the Seattle Sounders FC U-23 1-0 in the semi-finals and in high scoring final they overcame the New York Red Bulls U-23 4-3. 63 clubs competed in the semi-professional soccer leagues.
The 2003 W-League Season was the 9th season of the USL W-League, the second-highest division of women's soccer in the United States. The Boston Renegades were the defending champions. The Hampton Roads Piranhas were crowned champions after defeating the Chicago Cobras in the Championship game.
Chicago Gaels 
Mile High Edge 
Atlanta Silverbacks Women 
Central Florida Krush 
San Diego Gauchos Women 
Toronto Lady Lynx 
Vermont Lady Voltage 
