Major League Soccer could be set for a massive change as The Guardian’s Pablo Maurer reports the league is considering overhauling its playoff format with the launch of a fall-to-spring season starting in 2027.

Before diving into how everything would unfold, Maurer reports a move would change how seeding works, as we could see the end of conferences as the league shifts to a divisional model with five divisions.

Divisions will not mean a lot in terms of playoff implications, as the top 20 of the league’s 30 teams would be in contention to make the playoffs in a “double-elimination” style that closely resembles Australian football’s playoffs.

Once the regular season ends, the bottom eight of the top 20 would battle in a play-in, with the four winning teams advancing to field a group of 16 entering the MLS Cup Playoffs.

With the 16 clubs set, the “double-elimination” takes effect as the top eight teams battle. The winners of each match earn a spot in the quarterfinals.

The eight losing sides join the remaining clubs as the field gets reseeded. With everything reset, the higher-seeded sides will host the lower-seeded sides as everyone looks to advance to the quarterfinals.

The interesting part of the proposed playoff change is that the field will be reseeded after each round to incentivize regular-season performance to gain home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Chris Ivey (@chrisivey.bsky.social)
MLS is reportedly planning a major playoff shakeup for 2027. 20 teams, one combined table, and a “double chance” round for the top 8 seeds modeled on Australian Rules Football’s system. I mocked up how the new MLS playoff system could work 👇 (Reporting via @mlsist.bsky.social)
Bluesky SocialChris Ivey

While Major League Soccer has yet to finalize any future postseason plans, the league says it's exploring options.

“Major League Soccer is continuing to evaluate potential adjustments to its postseason format as part of a broader review of the league’s shift to a new competition calendar, beginning with the 2027-28 season," the league said in a statement provided to The Guardian. "This process remains ongoing, and no determinations have been made at this time.”

While it’s unknown if MLS will adopt a “double-elimination” format, one source told Maurer that the league has had conversations with the AFL (Australian Football League) about its playoff approach.