What Is a Wild Card Team?
In sports, a wild card team is one that does not win its division but still qualifies for the playoffs. It is usually the team with the next-best record in the conference or league. The term “wild card” was first used in Major League Baseball in 1969 when two additional teams were added to the American League and National League playoffs.
In other sports, the term wild card team is often used to refer to teams that qualify for the playoffs without winning their division. For example, in the National Football League (NFL), teams that fail to win their division but still qualify for the playoffs are referred to as wild card teams.
Wild Card Teams in 2022
For the 2022 season, the wild card teams for the NFL playoffs will be determined by the teams that have the best records after the regular season is complete. The exact number of wild card teams will depend on the number of teams that win their respective divisions.
The NFL playoffs will consist of 12 teams, with four from each conference. The four division winners from each conference will automatically qualify for the playoffs. The remaining eight teams will be determined by the best records among the teams that did not win their division. Those eight teams will be the wild card teams for the 2022 season.
How Wild Card Teams Are Decided
The wild card teams are decided based on the regular season record of the teams in each conference. The teams with the best records after the regular season is complete will qualify for the playoffs as wild card teams.
Tiebreakers
If two or more teams have the same record, the NFL uses tiebreakers to decide which team gets the wild card spot. The tiebreakers used are:
- Head-to-head record. If two teams have the same record, the team that won the head-to-head matchup between them will win the tiebreaker.
- Division record. If two teams are tied and did not play each other during the regular season, the team with the better division record will win the tiebreaker.
- Common opponents. If two teams are tied and did not play each other during the regular season, the team that had the better record against common opponents will win the tiebreaker.
- Conference record. If two teams are tied and did not play each other during the regular season, the team with the better conference record will win the tiebreaker.
- Strength of victory. If two teams are tied and did not play each other during the regular season, the team with the higher strength of victory (the combined record of the teams they beat) will win the tiebreaker.
Wild Card Teams in Other Sports
The term “wild card team” is used in other sports as well. In Major League Baseball, the two wild card teams from each league are determined by the teams with the best records after the regular season is complete. The two wild card teams in each league will then play a one-game playoff to determine which team will advance to the Division Series.
In the National Hockey League (NHL), the wild card teams are the two teams with the best records in each conference that did not win their division. The wild card teams then play each other in a best-of-five series to determine which team will advance to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Benefits of Being a Wild Card Team
Being a wild card team has several advantages. For one, it gives teams a chance to make the playoffs even if they did not win their division. This gives teams that otherwise may not have made the playoffs a chance to compete for a championship.
Additionally, wild card teams have an advantage over their opponents in that they have more time to prepare for the playoffs. Since wild card teams will have to play an extra game, they have more time to rest and prepare for their opponents. This can give them an advantage over teams that have already clinched a playoff spot.
Wild Card Teams in 2022
For the 2022 season, the wild card teams for the NFL playoffs will be determined by the teams that have the best records after the regular season is complete. The exact number of wild card teams will depend on the number of teams that win their respective divisions.
The NFL playoffs will consist of 12 teams, with four from each conference. The four division winners from each conference will automatically qualify for the playoffs. The remaining eight teams will be determined by the best records among the teams that did not win their division. Those eight teams will be the wild card teams for the 2022 season.
Conclusion
Wild card teams are an important part of many professional sports leagues. They give teams that would otherwise miss out on the playoffs a chance to compete for a championship. For the 2022 season, the wild card teams for the NFL playoffs will be determined by the teams that have the best records after the regular season is complete. The exact number of wild card teams will depend on the number of teams that win their respective divisions.