Playoffs Structure & Matchups
2021 NPSL Lone Star Conference Playoffs
- Conference champion is determined by the conference playoff below, not regular season PPG
- Top 4 teams qualify based on regular season PPG
2021 NPSL Lone Star Conference Semifinals – July 14: Each game hosted by higher seed
#1 seed Denton Diablos FC 7-0 #4 seed Katy 1895 FC
#2 seed Laredo Heat SC 3-0 #3 seed Midland-Odessa Sockers FC
2021 NPSL Lone Star Conference Final – July 17: Hosted by higher seed
#1 seed Denton Diablos FC 3-1 #2 seed Laredo Heat SC
2021 NPSL Southwest Conference Playoffs
- Conference champion is determined by the conference playoff below, not regular season PPG
- Top 3 teams qualify based on regular season PPG
- #1 seed receives a Bye into the Southwest Conference Final
2021 NPSL Southwest Conference Semifinal – July 14: Hosted by higher seed
#2 seed FC Golden State 2-0 #3 seed FC Arizona
2021 NPSL Southwest Conference Final – July 17: Hosted by higher seed
#1 seed Las Vegas Legends FC 0-3 #2 seed FC Golden State
2021 NPSL West Region Playoffs
- 2 Teams qualify:
- Lone Star Conference Champion (determined by conference playoffs)
- Southwest Conference Champion (determined by conference playoffs)
- Teams will be seeded by regular season PPG
2021 NPSL West Region Final – July 24: Hosted by higher seed
#1 seed Denton Diablos FC 4-2 #2 seed FC Golden State
2021 NPSL Midwest Region Playoffs
- Conference champions are determined by regular season PPG
- 6 Teams qualify:
- Great Lakes Conference: 2 teams
- North Conference: 2 teams
- Rust Belt Conference: 2 teams
- The 3 conference champions will be seeded 1-3 by PPG
- The remaining 3 teams will be seeded 4-6 by PPG
- Top 2 seeds receive a Bye into the Midwest Region Semifinals
- Seeds 3 thru 6 will be split geographically with the two western-most teams playing each other, and the two eastern-most teams playing each other
- #3 Seed will host a Quarterfinal match against the team seeded 4-6 that is closest to them, based on the geographical split noted above. The remaining two teams will play each other with the higher seed hosting.
2021 NPSL Midwest Region Quarterfinals – July 20: Each game hosted by higher seed
#3 seed Cleveland SC 4-0 #4 seed Pittsburgh Hotspurs
#5 seed Duluth FC (4) 2-2 (5) #6 seed Carpathia FC
2021 NPSL Midwest Region Semifinals – July 23: Hosted by Minneapolis City SC
#1 seed Minneapolis City SC 3-0 #6 seed Carpathia FC
#2 seed FC Milwaukee Torrent 1-2 #3 seed Cleveland SC
2021 NPSL Midwest Region Final – July 25: Hosted by Minneapolis City SC
#1 seed Minneapolis City SC 0-2 #3 seed Cleveland SC
2021 NPSL Gulf Coast Conference Playoffs
- Conference champion is determined by the conference playoff below, not regular season PPG
- Top 4 teams qualify based on regular season PPG
2021 NPSL Gulf Coast Conference Semifinals – July 14: Each game hosted by higher seed
#1 seed Jacksonville Armada FC U-23 1-3 #4 seed New Orleans Jesters
#2 seed Pensacola FC 1-2 #3 seed Southern States SC
2021 NPSL Gulf Coast Conference Final: Hosted by higher seed
#3 seed Southern States SC x #4 seed New Orleans Jesters
View statement here regarding this game
2021 NPSL Heartland Conference Playoffs
- Conference champion is determined by the conference playoff below, not regular season PPG
- Top 4 teams qualify based on regular season PPG
2021 NPSL Heartland Conference Semifinals – July 14: Each game hosted by higher seed
#1 seed Demize NPSL 2-1 #4 seed Arkansas Wolves FC
#2 seed Tulsa Athletic (5) 2-2 (4) #3 seed OKC 1889 FC
2021 NPSL Heartland Conference Final – July 17: Hosted by higher seed
#1 seed Demize NPSL 1-2 #2 seed Tulsa Athletic
2021 NPSL Sunshine Conference Playoffs
- Conference champion is determined by the conference playoff below, not regular season PPG
- Top 4 teams qualify based on regular season PPG
2021 NPSL Sunshine Conference Semifinals – July 14: Each game hosted by higher seed
#1 seed Miami United FC 4-2 #4 seed Boca Raton FC
#2 seed Miami Dutch Lions FC 1-4 #3 seed Naples United FC
2021 NPSL Sunshine Conference Final – July 17: Hosted by higher seed
#1 seed Miami United FC 1-4 #3 seed Naples United FC
2021 NPSL South Region Playoffs
- 3 Teams qualify:
- Gulf Coast Conference Champion (determined by conference playoffs)
- Heartland Conference Champion (determined by conference playoffs)
- Sunshine Conference Champion (determined by conference playoffs)
- Teams are seeded 1-3 based on regular season PPG
- #1 seed receives a Bye into the South Region Final
2021 NPSL South Region Semifinal – July 23: Hosted by higher seed
#2 seed Southern States SC 5-1 #3 seed Naples United FC
2021 NPSL South Region Final – July 25: Hosted by higher seed
#1 seed Tulsa Athletic 2-1 #2 seed Southern States SC
2021 NPSL Keystone Conference Playoffs
- Conference champion is determined by the conference playoff below, not regular season PPG
- Top 4 teams qualify based on regular season PPG
2021 NPSL Keystone Conference Semifinals – July 16: Each game hosted by higher seed
#1 seed West Chester United SC 1-3 #4 seed FC Monmouth
#2 seed Atlantic City FC 2-3 #3 seed FC Motown
2021 NPSL Keystone Conference Final – July 18: Hosted by higher seed
#3 seed FC Motown 2-0 #4 seed FC Monmouth
2021 NPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference Playoffs
- Conference champion is determined by the conference playoff below, not regular season PPG
- Top 3 teams qualify based on regular season PPG
- #1 seed receives a Bye into the Mid-Atlantic Conference Final
2021 NPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference Semifinal – July 14: Hosted by higher seed
#2 seed Northern Virginia United 2-3 #3 seed Philadelphia Lone Star FC
2021 NPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference Final – July 17: Hosted by higher seed
#1 seed FC Baltimore Christos 3-0 #3 seed Philadelphia Lone Star FC
2021 NPSL North Atlantic Conference Playoffs
- Conference champion is determined by the conference playoff below, not regular season PPG
- Top 4 teams qualify based on regular season PPG
2021 NPSL North Atlantic Conference Semifinals – July 14: Each game hosted by higher seed
#1 seed Hartford City FC 1-0 #4 seed Valeo FC
#2 seed New York Shockers (2) 1-1 (4) #3 seed Kingston Stockade FC
2021 NPSL North Atlantic Conference Final – July 17: Hosted by higher seed
#1 seed Hartford City FC 3-2 #3 seed Kingston Stockade FC
2021 NPSL Southeast Conference Playoffs
- Conference champion is determined by the conference playoff below, not regular season PPG
- Top 4 teams qualify based on regular season PPG
2021 NPSL Southeast Conference Semifinals – July 14: Each game hosted by higher seed
#1 seed Georgia Revolution FC (6) 2-2 (5) #4 seed LSA Athletico Lanier
#2 seed Georgia Storm 2-1 #3 seed Appalachian FC
2021 NPSL Southeast Conference Final – July 17: Hosted by higher seed
#1 seed Georgia Revolution FC 2-1 #2 seed Georgia Storm
2021 NPSL East Region Playoffs
- 4 Teams qualify:
- Keystone Conference Champion (determined by conference playoffs)
- Mid-Atlantic Conference Champion (determined by conference playoffs)
- North Atlantic Conference Champion (determined by conference playoffs)
- Southeast Conference Champion (determined by conference playoffs)
- Teams are seeded 1-4 based on regular season PPG
2021 NPSL East Region Semifinals – July 23: Hosted by FC Baltimore Christos
#1 seed FC Baltimore Christos 1-0 #4 seed Hartford City FC
#2 seed Georgia Revolution FC 1-2 #3 seed FC Motown
2021 NPSL East Region Final – July 25: Hosted by FC Baltimore Christos
#1 seed FC Baltimore Christos (4) 3-3 (3) #3 seed FC Motown
2021 NPSL National Semifinals & Championship
2021 NPSL National Semifinals – July 31: Each game hosted by higher seed
#1 seed FC Baltimore Christos 0-1 #4 seed Tulsa Athletic
#2 seed Cleveland SC 3-4 #3 seed Denton Diablos FC
2021 NPSL National Championship – August 7: Hosted by higher seed
#3 seed Denton Diablos FC 5-2 #4 seed Tulsa Athletic
Tiebreakers
Tiebreakers between 2 teams:
- Head-to-head results
- Goal difference in head-to-head matchups
- Most wins in conference competition
- Goal difference in conference competition
- Fewest losses in conference competition
- Coin toss
Tiebreakers between 3 or more teams:
A mini table involving only the tied teams shall be used. If there is a 2-team tie in the mini table, the 2-team tiebreakers listed above will apply. If there is a tie for points between 3 or more teams, the following tiebreakers will apply:
- Most wins in conference competition
- Goal difference in conference competition
- Fewest losses in conference competition
- Coin toss
- Regular season average points per game
- Regular season average goal difference per game
- Regular season average goals scored per game
- Coin toss