Debate over CFL playoff structure continues to rage
TORONTO The fate of a fifth-place team was not top of mind when the CFL created its crossover rule more than two decades ago. It’s something the league may want to consider for the future.
The rule gives a fourthplace team a crossover playoff spot when the club finishes with more points than the third-place team in the other division. It happened again this year when the B.C. Lions (9-9) finished with a better record than the 5-13 Montreal Alouettes, who were third in the East.
However, for the first time in the rule’s history, the Edmonton Eskimos — who were at the bottom of the fiveteam West at 9-9 — missed the playoffs despite owning a better record than both the Alouettes and the East’s second-place team, the 8-10 Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Unfortunately for the Eskimos, there is no provision for when the five teams in the West have better records than all but the first-place team in the East. As a result, Edmonton will be on the outside looking in when the postseason kicks off this weekend.
“We will continue to look at this issue and we’re always open to new ideas,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in an email. “But the EastWest format has deep roots in our league going back decades and there is the potential to enhance it in the years ahead if the dream of a coast-tocoast CFL becomes reality and we add a 10th team in Halifax, providing us with balanced five-team divisions.”
This is the fourth time the crossover has been needed in the last five years.
Since the rule made its debut in 1996, there have been 10 seasons where the West has had five teams and this unique scenario has even been possible. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have had to move back to the East at times to fill vacancies when Ottawa hasn’t had a team in the league.
It can be tough to ensure playoff balance in a nine-team league, especially in a year when one division is far superior to the other. The crossover rule was implemented to try to maximize meaningful and competitive games down the stretch and to reward the better teams with playoff spots. The crossover team never has advanced to the Grey Cup, though.