How do the MLS playoffs work?

Confused about the MLS playoffs? This guide explains the format, seeding, match structure, and everything you need to know about the postseason.

The MLS season already feels pretty distinct from most leagues. You’ve got conferences instead of one table, unbalanced schedules, and teams traveling across an entire continent for games. 

And then the playoffs arrive and things get even weirder. 

That’s because the MLS Playoffs aren’t an extension of the league table. It’s a separate knockout tournament layered on top of the season. It's pretty exciting stuff, but it can be confusing at first. 

Here’s how the MLS Playoffs actually work.

Who qualifies for the MLS Playoffs?

MLS is split into two conferences: Eastern and Western. At the end of the regular season, nine teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs.

That gives you 18 playoff teams in total. The top seven teams in each conference qualify automatically. Teams finishing eighth and ninth aren’t quite safe yet, and have to go through a play-in game to earn their place in the main bracket.

This setup rewards teams that finish higher up the table, but still keeps the door open for late-season chaos.

What happens in the MLS play-in games?

The play-in round is a single knockout game between the teams that finish 8th and 9th in each conference. The higher seed hosts, the winner advances, and the loser is out.

There’s no second leg and no safety net. It’s one match to decide who grabs the final playoff spot and who starts planning for next season.

Once that game is done, the playoff field is set, with eight teams in each conference moving into the main bracket.

How is the MLS Playoff bracket set up?

After the play-in games, the MLS Playoffs move into a standard knockout format. Each conference runs its own bracket and teams don’t cross over until the MLS Cup.

The matchups are based on seeding:

• 1st seed plays the play-in winner

• 2nd seed plays 7th

• 3rd seed plays 6th

• 4th seed plays 5th

Higher seeds get home-field advantage. That matters more in MLS than in most leagues, thanks to travel, altitude, climate, and time zones.

Every round is single elimination, so that means no two-leg ties and no aggregate scores. The stakes are high, so one bad ninety minutes can end a season that took eight months to build.

If a playoff match is level after 90 minutes, it goes straight to extra time. If the score is still tied after extra time, the game is decided by penalties. That applies to every round, including MLS Cup. There’s no away goals or second chances, just a winner and a loser by the end of the night.

How many rounds are there in the MLS Playoffs?

Each conference goes through three knockout rounds:

1. Quarterfinals

2. Semifinals

3. Final

The winners of each conference then face off in the MLS Cup, which decides the league champion.

The MLS Cup is hosted by the finalist with the better regular-season record. So even late in the year, regular-season points still have some value. 

This format keeps more teams involved deeper into the season, gives fans high-stakes knockout games, and creates a clear championship moment at the end of the year. It also explains why finishing first in the standings doesn’t guarantee anything beyond home-field advantage.

What makes the MLS Playoffs unpredictable?

Single-elimination games are ruthless.

A red card, a bad bounce, or one defensive mistake can flip everything. Lower seeds often play more conservatively, absorb pressure, and wait for a chance to counter-attack. Higher seeds have more to lose and usually more expectations weighing on them every match.

Travel adds another wrinkle. Playing midweek in one city and then flying cross-country for the next round isn’t easy. That’s why home-field advantage shows up so clearly in MLS playoff results.

How Match Bingo fits into the MLS Playoff

The MLS Playoffs can get hard to follow once matches start piling up. With knockout games, extra time, and penalties, it’s easy to lose track of what actually matters in each match.

Match Bingo gives you a simple way to stay engaged while the game is happening.