The National Lacrosse League's 2026-27 season features 12 teams competing for eight playoff spots, with the top eight teams in the league standings advancing to the postseason and a chance to win the NLL championship.

The NLL playoff bracket features three rounds. The quarterfinals are single elimination, while the semifinals and NLL Finals are best-of-three series. A team must win five postseason games to become champion.

The NLL's 40th anniversary season begins Nov. 27, 2026, with the regular season and playoffs streaming on FloLacrosse and the FloSports app.

How Do The NLL Playoffs Work?

The NLL playoffs feature eight teams competing across three rounds: single-elimination quarterfinals, best-of-three semifinals and a best-of-three championship series.

The postseason begins with four quarterfinal games. Each winner advances to the semifinals, while each losing team is eliminated.

The four remaining teams compete in two best-of-three semifinal series, with the first team to win two games in each series advancing to the championship round.

The two semifinal winners then meet in the NLL Finals, where the first team to win two games claims the championship.

This format requires teams to survive a win-or-go-home opening round before competing in longer series for the league title.

How Many Teams Make The NLL Playoffs?

Eight of the NLL's 12 teams qualify for the playoffs.

The league uses a unified standings table rather than separate conferences or divisions to determine its postseason qualifiers.

Each team plays 18 regular-season games, including nine at home and nine on the road.

The eight highest-ranked teams qualify for the postseason, while the four remaining franchises are eliminated from championship contention.

With only 18 games per team, every result can affect the standings and ultimately determine which franchises earn playoff spots.

How Does NLL Playoff Seeding Work?

The eight playoff qualifiers are seeded No. 1 through No. 8 based on their positions in the unified NLL standings.

The highest seed faces the lowest seed in the quarterfinals, with the opening-round matchups structured as follows:

• No. 1 seed vs. No. 8 seed
• No. 2 seed vs. No. 7 seed
• No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
• No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed

These are the seed-based pairings, not confirmed matchups for the 2027 postseason.

The actual teams occupying each position will be determined by the final regular-season standings.

What Does The NLL Playoff Bracket Look Like?

The NLL playoff bracket begins with eight teams competing in four single-elimination quarterfinal games. The four winners advance to the best-of-three semifinals, and the two semifinal winners meet in the best-of-three NLL Finals.

Here's how the bracket works:

NLL Quarterfinals — Single Elimination

• No. 1 seed vs. No. 8 seed
• No. 2 seed vs. No. 7 seed
• No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
• No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed

Each quarterfinal is a single game. The winner advances, and the loser is eliminated.

NLL Semifinals — Best Of Three

Four quarterfinal winners advance to two best-of-three semifinal series.

The first team to win two games in each series advances to the championship round.

NLL Finals — Best Of Three

The two semifinal winners compete in a best-of-three championship series.

The first team to win two games becomes NLL champion.

The actual teams and matchups for the 2027 NLL playoffs will be determined after the regular season concludes.

Are NLL Playoff Games Single Elimination?

Only the NLL quarterfinals are single elimination. The semifinals and NLL Finals use a best-of-three format.

A quarterfinal loss immediately ends a team's season, regardless of its regular-season record or playoff seed.

In the semifinals, teams must win two games to advance to the championship round. A team can lose one game and still win the series.

The same rule applies in the NLL Finals, where the first team to earn two victories becomes league champion.

The format makes the quarterfinals especially unforgiving while allowing teams an opportunity to recover from one defeat in later rounds.

How Many Playoff Games Does It Take To Win The NLL Championship?

An NLL champion must win five postseason games: one quarterfinal, two semifinal games and two NLL Finals games.

Here's the path to winning the championship:

• Quarterfinals: One win required to advance.
• Semifinals: Two wins required to advance.
• NLL Finals: Two wins required to become champion.

Total: Five postseason victories required to win the NLL championship.

A championship team can play between five and seven postseason games, depending on whether the semifinal and championship series require deciding third games.

A team that wins every playoff game becomes champion in five games. A team that loses once in each best-of-three series but still advances would play seven.

What Happens If An NLL Playoff Game Is Tied?

NLL playoff games cannot end in ties. If the score is tied after regulation, the teams play sudden-death overtime until a winner is determined.

The first team to score in overtime wins the game.

There are no shootouts or tied results in the NLL playoffs.

That rule is particularly important during the single-elimination quarterfinals, where one overtime goal can determine which team advances and which team's season ends.

Sudden-death overtime also can decide semifinal games and NLL Finals contests, including potential series-deciding games.

When Are The 2027 NLL Playoffs?

The 2027 NLL playoffs begin after the conclusion of the 2026-27 regular season, which runs from Nov. 27, 2026, through April 25, 2027.

The final standings determine the eight postseason qualifiers and their seeds.

Specific playoff dates, game times and matchups have not been established in the available season information.

The postseason will include four quarterfinal games, two best-of-three semifinal series and a best-of-three NLL Finals series.

How To Watch The NLL Playoffs On FloLacrosse

The 2027 NLL playoffs will stream on FloLacrosse and the FloSports app as part of the new exclusive global streaming partnership between FloSports and the National Lacrosse League.

FloLacrosse launches Nov. 5, 2026, ahead of the NLL's 40th anniversary season.

The regular season begins Nov. 27, with all 12 franchises competing for eight postseason positions.

Fans can follow the league throughout the regular season and watch the playoff action from the single-elimination quarterfinals through the NLL Finals.