Elimination from possibility of reaching postseason

Elimination from possibility of reaching postseason, or being eliminated from playoff contention, refers to when the record of a team in a sports league has fallen so low that it is mathematically impossible for the team to qualify for the postseason, even if they win all their remaining games and the team(s) they are trailing lose all their remaining games. This occurs when the number of wins paired with losses of higher-ranking teams in the league or division needed in order to reach first place in the division or a wild card spot (where applicable) exceeds the remaining number of games to be played.

The concept of "being eliminated from possibility of reaching the post-season" is applicable to sports leagues and programs where qualifying requires a first-place finish or at-large berth (i.e., a "wild card" spot). It does not apply to certain sports leagues, often (but not always) for some high school and college-level sports where all teams participate in the playoffs or conference tournament, regardless of record. It also does not strictly apply to those sports that do not have a postseason or whose postseason criteria are too subjective to determine until the selectors make their decisions (a classic example of the latter is top-level American college football, where the number of teams is so high, and the season so short, that a panel of judges typically is tasked with sorting out the numerous teams with equal records and determining who gets to play in the College Football Playoff or, in previous years, the BCS National Championship Game), although in these competitions the selection criteria are often sufficiently established and stringent that many lower-ranking teams can be considered effectively eliminated from serious consideration before the regular season is over.

When a sports season is reaching its conclusion, ranking watchers, such as the media, keep track of which teams have clinched divisions and playoff berths, and what teams close to this point must accomplish in order to achieve this ahead of the season's conclusion. Often, a team that has won a championship (such as a conference or divisional championship) is automatically granted a postseason berth, regardless of record, and there are still teams remaining in contention for one or more "wild card" or "at-large" playoff berths. At the same time, the poorer performing teams face the prospect of elimination before and sometimes long before the season is over. Elimination occurs when, regardless of the outcomes of all unplayed games on the league schedule, the eliminated team is unable to qualify for advancement to the playoffs. In exceptional cases, such as forfeits against a leading team, an "eliminated" team may be chosen to advance in their stead.

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