NHIAA makes changes to football playoffs

There will be no confusion this fall when its time for the high school football playoffs to begin.

After a season in which there was some controversy surrounding the Division I and II football postseason, the NHIAA put a plan in place for the 2015 season to avoid such an outcome. Changes were also made to the Division III playoffs.

Division I

The four teams that finish first in their respective conference (East, West, North and South) will earn a spot in the playoffs. After that, the final four teams will be determined based on win/loss records of teams within each "scheduling cluster."

For the 2015 season, the scheduling clusters are North-West and East-South, meaning that after the conference winners are determined, two teams will be selected from the eight remaining teams from the North and West and two teams will be selected from the eight remaining from the East and South.

The conference champions will earn the top two seeds based on win/loss record against common opponents, and the remaining two teams will be seeded based on win/loss record against common opponents.

For example, if this had been in place last season, when the West and the South were a "scheduling cluster," Salem would have made the postseason instead of Alvirne, and would have played at Pinkerton, while Londonderry would have played at Bishop Guertin.

Teams will stay within the cluster for the semifinals, and the tournament field would look like the following.

Quarterfinals

• North-West 4 at North-West 1 (conference winner)
• North-West 3 at North-West 2 (conference winner)
• South-East 4 at South-East 1 (conference winner)
• South-East 3 at South-East 2 (conference winner)

Semifinals

• Winner of NW 1 vs. 4 against winner of NW 2 vs. 3
• Winner of SE 1 vs. 4 against winner of SE 2 vs. 3

Final

• Semifinal winners, seeded based on football rating system

Division II

The four conference winners, determined by football rating, not win/loss record, will be in the tournament. The next four teams with the best football rating, regardless of conference, will fill out the eight-team tournament field.

Teams are then seeded based on the football rating system.

Again, using last year as an example, the four conference winners were (in order of rating) Windham, Kennett, St. Thomas and Sanborn. Merrimack Valley and Milford also would have been in, while Souhegan, Trinity and Kearsarge all finished tied for the final two spots.

For this example, lets say Souhegan and Trinity won the tiebreakers and got the final two spots. With seeding based on rating, Sanborn would go in as the eight seed, even though it was a conference winner, because its rating was lower than the other teams.

From there, the postseason would run like an eight-team tournament.

Division III

The top four teams, according to football rating, from the two conferences will make the postseason, but this year, teams will crossover. The top team in one conference will play the fourth-best team from the other, while the second seed from one plays the third from the other.

The three championship games will return to the University of New Hampshire, but this year, will be held on Sunday, Nov. 22, starting at 11 a.m.