Don’t expect any playoff for the eighth and final spot in the quarterfinals starting in PBA Season 50.
The league’s Board of Governors has agreed to scrap the old tiebreaker format, which previously gave teams a do-or-die chance to squeeze into the playoffs.
Instead, the PBA will now lean on the quotient system to determine the last slot in the quarterfinal picture beginning with the Philippine Cup.
Under the new setup, only the scores of games involving the tied teams will be considered, with the quotient calculated by dividing the total points scored by the total points allowed.
If multiple teams end up tied, those with the superior quotients will claim the higher positions in the standings.
Even in cases of three-way ties, the quotient will dictate which squads move on, while the rest will fall short.
But what if the numbers still can’t break the deadlock?
The league clarified that the win-loss records between tied teams will be reviewed next, and if the tie persists, the quotient of all elimination-round games will come into play.
As a last resort, a coin toss will decide the final placings.
The shift marks the end of sudden-death playoffs for the eighth seed, a staple of past seasons that often added late drama to the elimination round.
The most recent example came in the 2024 Governors’ Cup, when Terrafirma outlasted NorthPort, 104-96, to punch its ticket to the quarterfinals.
