PBA Tour Playoffs

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 has been 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:

• Tier 3: PBA short format or limited field tournaments (2500 points for first, and descending thereafter)
• Tier 2: PBA standard tournaments with a fully open field (double the points of Tier 3 events)
• Tier 1: PBA major tournaments (triple the points of Tier 3 events)

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 had 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 were then joined by the #12 seed in a bracketed round of eight. The top four seeds automatically gained entry into the quarterfinal round of eight, facing the four survivors of the 5 through 12 brackets. Elimination brackets then continued until a champion was crowned.^[7]

• *Second point earned in a 9th/10th frame roll-off.

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.