The four top-ranked teams in each conference will make it into the playoffs. There is a one-game elimination match between the 1st- and 4th-ranked teams and between the 2nd- and 3rd-ranked teams in each conference, followed by an elimination match between the two winners. When these champions are decided, the winners from each conference face off in a best-of-three showdown. The winner of the division finals is crowned champion of the division, and is promoted to a higher level of divisions. In divisions VI and lower, both playoff finalists will promote to the higher level of divisions. To keep our community fresh and lively, the next best teams in your division will promote to fill in any Bot-controlled team spots in higher leagues. The league that a team will promote or demote to is random within the division that they are slated to go to.
To help the newly promoted teams compete in the higher leagues, promoting teams will now receive a one-time bonus. Both promoting league champions and teams that promoted from a bot cleanup will get the extra cash, though bot-promoted teams will not experience the same boost to their season ticket holders. The bonus for promoting to a higher league is as follows:
Promotion into DIV I: $ 1 000 000
Promotion into DIV II: $ 500 000
Promotion into DIV III: $ 300 000
Promotion into DIV IV: $ 200 000
Promotion into DIV V: $ 150 000
Promotion into any lower division: $ 150 000
The end of a season isn't all fun and glory, however. Four teams from each division will be demoted to a lower level of divisions. The 8th seed in each conference is automatically demoted, and the 6th-ranked team from each conference competes with the 7th-ranked team from the other conference in a best-of-three relegation series. The fifth-ranked teams are safe, but they dont get a shot at the championship, either.
For the single-match eliminations in the playoffs, the team with the higher standing is given the home-court advantage. When there is a best-of-three series, the team with the better win-loss record has the home-court for the first match and for the tie-breaker (if a third game is necessary), and the lower-ranked team has the home-court for the second match.
In the Play-Down, however, the 6th seeded will always receive the first and the eventual tie-breaker game home court advantage against the 7th seeded of the other conference, regardless of their win-loss record.