MLS Tiebreaker Rules: How Playoff Spots Will be Determined on Decision Day

The MLS regular season finale is set to unfold on Saturday, Oct. 18.

MLS Decision Day promises must-see action that will have playoff consequences. / Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The final seedings and postseason spots for the MLS Cup playoffs could all come down to tiebreakers on Decision Day.

All 30 clubs in MLS will play one more game before the curtain closes on the 2025 regular season. Decision Day, set to unfold on Oct. 18, will determine not only the final teams to make the MLS Cup playoffs, but also the tournament’s seeding.

Come the final whistle on Saturday, the MLS standings will paint the playoff picture. Except if there are teams level on points, the league will be forced to turn to a series of tiebreakers to solidify the bracket for the MLS Cup playoffs.

Here’s a breakdown of the nine tiebreakers that could make or break a team’s postseason fate.

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MLS Tiebreaker Rules for Decision Day

There are nine potential MLS tiebreakers for Decision Day. / Tim Austen/Getty Images

The following tiebreaker procedures will determine seeding and qualification for the MLS Cup playoffs:

1. Total number of wins
2. Goal Differential (GD)
3. Goals For (GF)
4. Fewest Disciplinary Points per Match
5. Away Goals Differential
6. Away Goals For
7. Home Goals Differential
8. Home Goals For
9. Coin Toss (tie of two clubs) or Drawing of Lots (tie of three or more clubs)

If two clubs are level on points come the final whistle on Decision Day, the league will then look to the total number of wins each team has. The team with the higher number of wins will then come out on top over the team they were previously tied with.

Should both teams have the same number of wins, then goal differential will serve as the tiebreaker. If that number is also the same, then the league will turn to the team that scored the most goals.

The tiebreakers will continue on as listed above until a possible coin toss will be used to determine the team standings.

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MLS Tiebreakers: Disciplinary Points Guide

Inter Miami have had several disciplinary actions taken against them this season. / Rich Storry/Getty Images

If the first three tiebreakers cannot separate two teams, then the league will look to see which side has fewest disciplinary points per match.

Here’s how the disciplinary actions from a match correlate to disciplinary points:

• Foul: 1 Point
• Technical Staff Warnings: 2 Points
• Yellow Card: 3 Points
• Second Yellow Card: 7 Points
• Straight Red Card: 7 Points

A club can only receive a maximum amount of seven points for one incident. Therefore, if a player receives a second yellow card in a match, the team will only get seven points added to their total, as opposed to three points for the first yellow card and seven for the second.

The team with the least amount of points will win the tiebreaker.

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