Playoffs
This page displays the BFL playoffs based on the final BFL standings.
BFL standings and playoff results are based on the performance of each team’s assigned NFL affiliate. Full details on affiliate selection, standings calculation, tie rules, and playoff procedures are available on the BFL Rules & Structure page.
Playoff Format (2025-2027)
Learn more about the 2028 Playoff Format
The BFL Playoffs feature eight teams: the four division champions and four wild card teams with the best overall records. Teams are seeded 1–8 based on regular season performance.
From 2019-2024, top three per division qualified for the playoffs.
From 2015-2018, top two per division qualified for the playoffs.
- 1 & 2 seeds — Division Champions
- 4 seed — Wild Card
The playoffs consist of two rounds:
Conference Semi-Finals
- 1 vs 4
- 2 vs 3
Conference Finals
- Highest remaining seed vs lowest remaining seed
The winners advance to the BFL Bowl.
Both Division and Conference Playoffs records can be found under the individual pages.
Tyneside Mariners remain the only team yet to win a playoff game, out of 12 playoff teams as of the 2026 BFL season and excludes both Avon Fire and Sheffield Surge who have yet to qualify.
Caledonian Knights and Scottish Claymores (as of 2023) and Thames Valley Thunder (as of 2022 and BFL record) have the longest playoff droughts.
PLAYOFFS TEAMS
The qualifying playoffs teams will remain at the current eight teams, and expand to 12 teams from the 2028 BFL season, in order to ensure fairness, increase competition and remain elite in nature.
| Seasons | # |
|---|---|
| 2015-2018 | 4 |
| 2019-2024 | 6 |
| 2025-2027 | 8 |
| 2028-PRESENT | 12 |
PLAYOFF ROUNDS
All playoff pages use '@' to indicate away games and 'VS' for home games. Home and away designations follow conference (formerly division) affiliation, beginning with the North Division in 2015.
Conference seeds #1–#4 / Conference seeds #1–#6 from 2028.
The championship game to determine the BFL champion, which is played at a neutral site.
From 2015-2024, this was called the BFL Championship Game.
Pre-2025
- 2015-2018: Division Champions plus 2nd place teams
- 2019-2024: Division Champions plus 2nd and 3rd place teams
2028 Playoff Format
The BFL Playoffs feature twelve teams: the six division champions and six wild card teams with the best overall records. Teams are seeded 1–12 per conference based on regular season performance.
- 1-3 seeds — Division Champions
- 4-6 seeds — Lowest remaining Division Champion plus Wild Cards
The playoffs will now consist of four rounds:
Conference Wild Card Playoffs
- 3 vs 6
- 4 vs 5
Conference Semi-Finals
- 1 vs lowest remaining seed
- 2 vs remaining seed
Conference Finals
- Highest remaining seed vs lowest remaining seed
The winners advance to the BFL Bowl.