The Baltimore Brigade, with a record of 4-8, announced earlier this week they had clinched a playoff berth. But that was not the case.
"Due to an oversight in the AFL Playoff scenarios, Baltimore was misinformed that they had clinched a playoff berth earlier this week," the team said in an email.
Well, that sucks!
So how did this all happen? A rep from the team and a league official say there was a misunderstanding of playoff tie-breakers involving three or more teams. As it stands now, Baltimore, Washington, and Cleveland could all end the season with a 4-10 record.
Playoff spots are then determined by: 1. head-to-head record among the teams in playoff contention, 2. strength of schedule, and 3. best net points in all games.
If it's not settled after consulting all these criteria, there's a coin toss (!).
By virtue of its 3-2 record against Baltimore and Washington, Cleveland has locked down a playoff spot.
The good news is the Brigade (4-8) can still make the postseason by winning its next game against the top-ranked Philadelphia Soul, on July 29, or if the Washington Valor (2-10) lose that same day against the Cleveland Gladiators (4-9).
The Valor and Brigade square off on Aug. 4, with potential playoff ramifications if the above scenarios do not play out.
With a record of 10-3, the Tampa Bay Storm, the only other team in the recently rebooted AFL, have also clinched a postseason spot.
Hey, at least the Brigade had fun with the whole mix-up on Twitter.
The Arena Bowl, the league's version of the Super Bowl, is scheduled for Aug. 26.
