New District & Playoff Structure Announced By FHSAA

For months there has been speculation regarding what to expect with the new FHSAA baseball playoff structure and district realignment here in Florida. Both were released on Tuesday, and its time for everyone to exhale, as the new structure at first look appears it will provide some highly competitive baseball come next May.

The details of the new playoff structure, misunderstood by most up until this point, were revealed, here is a breakdown of the key points.

How do I make the playoffs?

– Play your District Tournament (Seeding determined by using end of the current season MaxPreps Rankings)
– The four district champions in each region automatically qualify for playoffs (Seeded 1-4 by MaxPreps Rankings)
– Teams 5-8 receive at-large bids via MaxPreps Rankings
– Higher Seed Hosts – Regional Tournament seeding determined by using MaxPreps rankings inclusive of regular season and district tournament

Am I required to schedule teams in my district?

NO. You are not required to play regular season district games.

Am I required to play regular-season district games in order to qualify for the district tournament?

NO. Regular season district games are not required in order to participate in the district tournament. Teams have the freedom to schedule whoever they want in the regular season.

Could a district champion have to travel to a higher-seeded district runner-up?

NO. The district champions automatically qualify for playoff seeds 1-4. After the district champions are seeded 1-4 via MaxPreps rankings, four at-large teams then qualify for seeds 5-8 via their MaxPreps rankings. The higher seed ALWAYS hosts.

Will all teams be required to report their scores on MaxPreps?

YES. Scores are required to be inputted in MaxPreps. Member schools who do not input their scores in the regular season will be fined.

Will schools be required to enter stats into MaxPreps with this new system?

NO. Only schools advancing to the Florida High School State Championships will be required to have updated stats on MaxPreps. Member schools who do not input update their stats, rosters and scores in the State Series will be fined $100 per round.

Now, for the district breakdowns, here they are, by region. We will further break down what all this realignment means for individual teams and districts later this summer on an HSBN Live! Realignment & Playoff Preview show.

Class 7A
Class 6A
Class 5A
Class 4A
Class 3A
Class 2A
Class 1A

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