Season 3 Playoffs Demystified

TiHi everybody! I'm making this post to explain exactly how teams will earn a spot in the Season 3 playoffs and how the brackets will be filled. I will be using terminology as follows: the color-coded divisions that we are used to will be referred to as Divisions; the paired Divisions will be referred to collectively as Conferences (Orange/Blue Conference and Red/Green Conference). Without further ado:

• The top two teams from each division automatically qualify for the playoffs
• The top team in each division will have a bye in the first round of the playoffs
• Of the teams that don't qualify for a playoff spot, the two teams with the highest point total in each Conference will earn a Wildcard spot. This means that if the third and fourth place teams in Red have a higher point totals than third place team in green, they will both get Wildcard spots and the third place Green team will not.
• Seeding is based on point totals within the categories: Division Winner, Division Qualifier, Wildcard
  
• The first seed team will play the winner of the fourth and fifth seeded teams.
• The post-season will be extended to four weeks.

To illustrate this, I will use the current point standings to fill brackets as an example of how this would work if the playoffs began today.

As the Division winners, Soupreme, Team Rank 5, N.W.A, and Xnergy would get a bye in the first round. Team Rank 5 and N.W.A are considered the second seeds because they have lower point totals. The Hairy Generals, Noob Central, Archon Storm, and Avatar qualify as second place teams in their Divisions. Netherstorm, Damaged Ones, Yogg Champs, and Danger Zone earn the Wildcard spots. It is  worth repeating that one Division can fill both Wildcard spots for that Conference if their fourth place team has a higher point total than the third place team in the competing Division.

Here is what the bracket would look like with this seeding

I hope this helps. Good luck to all in these final three weeks!