The PBA Tour Playoffs is an annual invitational event on the PBA Tour in North America that debuted in the 2019 season. After two years as a 24-player tournament, the event was set up in a 16-player bracket-style format since 2021.[1]
PBA Tour Playoffs participants are chosen and seeded based on points earned in qualifying to-date tournaments of the current season. (For 2019, this included 13 events, from the PBA Hall of Fame Classic through the USBC Masters; for 2020, this included 12 events due to the cancellation of the USBC Masters.) PBA Tour points are awarded on a tier system, as follows:
For 2019 and 2020, the top eight players in points received byes into the second round (round of 16). The #9 through #24 seeds competed in single-elimination matches (one standard ten-frame game each) to determine who advanced to the second round.[2]
For 2019, Round 2 and all subsequent rounds featured double-elimination matches, also known as the "race to two points". Any player winning both games in a match earns two points and advances to the next round. If the match is split one game each, the players bowl a 9th/10th frame roll-off to determine who wins the second point and the right to advance. If the 9th/10th frame roll-off results in a tie, a one-ball, sudden death roll-off is used until a winner is determined. For 2020, only the championship finals used the race to two points format. All other rounds were single-elimination matches.
The PBA Players Committee originally voted to make the playoffs a non-title event, citing the low number of games bowled as the primary reason.[3] However, on December 6, 2019, the PBA announced that the winner of the 2019 PBA Playoffs would retroactively be awarded a PBA Tour title, and that the winner of the 2020 PBA Playoffs and subsequent events will be credited with a PBA title.[4] As of 2020, winners also receive a WWE championship belt, as part of a cross-promotion with WWE wrestling, which is also broadcast on Fox Sports (current home of the PBA).[5]
Since 2021, the PBA Playoffs feature a 16-player field rather than a 24-player field. All PBA Playoffs matches are double-elimination ("race to two points") except for the final match, which uses a "race to three points" format. Players bowl a maximum of four games, with the first player to win three games earning the championship. If the match is split two games each, the players bowl a 9th/10th frame roll-off for the third point and the title.[6]
In 2024, the PBA Playoffs has a 16-player starting field, with the 12 through 16 seeds competing in a separate stepladder event to qualify for the #12 seed. The 5 through 11 seeds are then joined by the #12 seed in a bracketed round of eight. The top four seeds automatically gain entry into the quarterfinal round of eight, facing the four survivors of the 5 through 12 brackets. Elimination brackets then continue until a champion is crowned.[7]
| Season | Starting Field | Finals Airdate | Finals Location | Finals Format | (Seed) Winner | Finals Score | (Seed) Runner-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 24 | June 2, 2019 | Portland, ME | Race to 2 pts. | (9) Kris Prather[8] | 2–0 | (7) Bill O'Neill | |
| 2020 | 24 | November 8, 2020 | Centreville, VA | Race to 2 pts. | (2) Bill O'Neill[9] | 2–0 | (4) Anthony Simonsen | |
| 2021 | 16 | May 16, 2021 | Milford, CT | Race to 3 pts. | (1) Kyle Troup | 3–1 | (11) Sam Cooley | |
| 2022 | 16 | May 15, 2022 | Jupiter, FL | Race to 3 pts. | (9) Kyle Troup | 3–1 | (6) Tommy Jones | |
| 2023 | columnspan=7 align=center | not held | ||||||
| 2024 | 16 | May 19, 2024 | Kissimmee, FL | Race to 2 pts. | (9) David Krol | 1–1 (48–40)* | (10) Jesper Svensson |
16-player field based on 2024 PBA Tour points through April 28. $301,000 prize fund. All matches until the final round are single-game elimination.
Held May 4 in Arlington, Washington.[10]
Stepladder match 1: #15 Andrew Anderson defeats #16 A. J. Johnson, 217–193 (Johnson earns $5,000)
Stepladder match 2: #15 Andrew Anderson defeats #14 Graham Fach, 257–227 (Fach earns $6,000)
Stepladder match 3: #15 Andrew Anderson defeats #13 Packy Hanrahan, 191–185 (Hanrahan earns $7,000)
Stepladder match 4: #12 Tom Smallwood defeats #15 Andrew Anderson, 298–247 (Anderson earns $8,000)
Held May 5 in Arlington, Washington. Includes the #5 through #12 seeds. Winners (bold text) join the top four seeds in the quarterfinals. Losers earn $10,000.[11]
Match 1: #8 Zachary Wilkins (233) vs. #9 David Krol (246)
Match 2: #5 Jason Belmonte (218) vs. #12 Tom Smallwood (207)
Match 3: #7 Matt Russo (246) vs. #10 Jesper Svensson (249)
Match 4: #6 Kyle Troup (236) vs. #11 Chris Via (194)
Held May 5 in Arlington, Washington (air date: May 12). Top four seeds are automatically placed into this round. Winners (bold text) advance to the Semifinals. Losers earn $15,000.[12]
Match 1: #1 E. J. Tackett (213) vs. #9 David Krol (257)
Match 2: #4 Bill O'Neill (238) vs. #5 Jason Belmonte (206)
Match 3: #2 Marshall Kent (224) vs. #10 Jesper Svensson (289)
Match 4: #3 Anthony Simonsen (225) vs. #6 Kyle Troup (234)
Held May 19 in Kissimmee, Florida. Winners (bold text) advance to the finals. Losers earn $25,000.[13]
Match 1: #9 David Krol (243) vs. #4 Bill O'Neill (202)
Match 2: #10 Jesper Svensson (224) vs. #6 Kyle Troup (211)
Held May 19 in Kissimmee, Florida. Two semifinal winners face each other in a "race to two points" final round.[13]
Match 1: Jesper Svensson def. David Krol (220–213)
Match 2: David Krol def. Jesper Svensson (204–194)
Roll-off: David Krol def. Jesper Svensson (48–40)
David Krol earns $75,000.
Jesper Svensson earns $50,000.