Statheads Gameplay: Games and Playoffs

Statheads provides schedules for a variety of league sizes and formats. All leagues play 120 regular season matches and two seven-game post-season series. The traditional Statheads schedule uses a split-season format to provide two opportunities for teams to make the playoffs. Single season schedules are also available. The following league configurations are available:

8-team Leagues
Divided into two 4-team divisions with interdivisional play or one single 8-team division.

12-team Leagues
Divided into two 6-team divisions with interdivisional play.

16-team Leagues
Divided into two 8-team or four 4-team divisions with interdivisional play.

Home Field Advantage
Since there are no ties in baseball and the home field inherently has an advantage in the major leagues, the team designated as the home team in any match will get 2.5 extra points. Leagues may choose to change this advantage, with the minimum value being .5 points.

Playoffs
After the regular season is completed the playoffs begin. Every league sends 4 teams to the playoffs to compete in two seven-game series -- a divisional (or semi-final) series, and the championship series.

If any two teams are tied for a playoff slot, a single game playoff is played to break the tie. Ties between more than two teams will be resolved by comparing their head-to-head aggregate records. The two best records will play a playoff game. If more than two are still tied, then comparisons of the teams' total points against each other will be used, followed by total points scored in all games. After that, unbroken ties will be decided by a coin toss.

Here's how the playoffs break down for each league format:

Split Season, Two Division Leagues

The winners of the first half of the season will play the winners of the second half to determine each division's champion. If the same team wins both half-season schedules, the team in the division with the next-best full season record will make the playoffs. Ties between two teams will be resolved with a playoff game. Multiple team ties will be resolved using the tiebreaker system above, with the best two teams competing in the tiebreaker game. Winners of the divisional series will meet in the championship series.

Split Season, One Division Leagues

The first and second place teams of each half will compete in the semi-final series, with the winners meeting in the championship series. In the event that fewer than four teams qualify for the playoffs, the team with the next-best full season record will be included until all playoff slots have been filled. Ties will be resolved as above.

Single Season, Two Division Leagues

The top two teams in each division will compete in the divisional playoff series. The winners meet in the championship series. In the event of a second-place tie a playoff game will be played to determine the second-place finisher. Multiple team ties will be resolved using the tiebreaker system above, with the best two teams competing in the tiebreaker game.

Single Season, One Division Leagues

The top four teams will compete in the playoffs, seeded 1-4 with the semi-final series matching 1-4 and 2-3. The winners of the semi-finals meet in the championship series. In the event of a tie the tiebreaker system will be used to determine the final seeding (no playoff game will take place).

Single Season, Four Division Leagues

The top team in each division will compete in the playoffs, seeded 1-4 with the semi-final series matching 1-4 and 2-3. The winners of the semi-finals meet in the championship series. In the event of a tie the tiebreaker system will be used to determine the final seeding (no playoff game will take place).

Home field advantage in any playoff series or one-game playoff will go to the team with the better full-season record. Ties for home-field advantage are broken by the full-season head-to-head record, then record against the next best team, then the next, etc. Coin flip settles any remaining tie.

Return to Overview