The top nine teams from each association, or 62% of the clubs, will advance to the playoffs, Major League Soccer announced on Tuesday.
A first round involving the “drafted” teams will pit the teams finishing eighth and ninth in the East and West Conferences against each other, at the home of the highest ranked team in each case.
The first round of the playoffs will be a best-of-three series, with the champion team from each association going head-to-head with the winning roster of the duel between the drafted teams.
The team that finishes the regular season in second place in its conference will face the one that finishes seventh, while the third seed will meet the sixth, and the fourth will face the fifth.
The top-ranked team from each of these duels will play the first and third games – if necessary, of course – of a best-of-three series on their home turf.
The conference semi-finals, finals and the MLS Cup will be single-elimination matches, which will be played at the home of the highest-ranked team.
Previously, only the top seven teams in each association advanced to the MLS playoffs. The Eastern and Western champion teams in the regular season had a bye to the conference semifinals.
The last day of the regular schedule will be October 21, and games between drafted teams will take place on October 25 and 26. The MLS Cup will take place on December 9.