Definition of "playoff" []

• Sports A final game or series of games played to break a tie. (noun)
• Sports A series of games played to determine a championship. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The authors are adamant that not only could bowl games continue to co-exist with a playoff, they argue that a playoff is actually necessary in order to save the bowl games."
• "Cashman was asked if it was unfair that the first round of the playoff is a best-of-five series when the next two rounds are best-of-seven, and he only laughed."
• "For fans that believe a playoff is the only way to end the controversy, realize that there will always be controversy in the method of selecting teams, where to play and if it is the right way to select a champion."