The CIF Southern Section will implement a new high school baseball playoff format for the Division 1 playoffs in 2026.
The new format is only for Division 1. The remaining divisions will be single-elimination tournament style with field sizes as large as 32 teams.
For years, coaches have been advocating for a playoff format that will give teams more than one game to show their worth in the postseason. That reality is finally here.
This spring, a Pool Play format will be installed that allows all Division 1 teams in a 16-team field to earn their way deeper into the playoffs even if they lose their first game. Essentially, instead of a traditional win-or-go-home, single-game elimination tournament, teams will be able to showcase a body of work with at least three guaranteed games in pool play before eventual bracket play.
THE BREAKDOWNThe 16-team field will be broken into four pools of four.Each team gets a guaranteed three games.Top two finishers of each pool advance to knockout stage (quarterfinals).Quarterfinal matchups will be pool winners vs. other pool runner-ups.Semifinals scheduled for May 26. Finals set for either May 29 or 30.
Here’s how it looks on paper …
The new CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoff format highlighted by guaranteed games and pool play. | CIF
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