- Source: 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.
Tournament Structure
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.
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. 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. 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).
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.
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.
Tournament history
= Past winners
=*Second point earned in a 9th/10th frame roll-off.
= 2024 event
=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.
Play-in round
Held May 4 in Arlington, Washington.
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)
Round of 12
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.
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)
Quarterfinals
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.
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)
Semifinals
Held May 19 in Kissimmee, Florida. Winners (bold text) advance to the finals. Losers earn $25,000.
Match 1: #9 David Krol (243) vs. #4 Bill O'Neill (202)
Match 2: #10 Jesper Svensson (224) vs. #6 Kyle Troup (211)
Finals
Held May 19 in Kissimmee, Florida. Two semifinal winners face each other in a "race to two points" final round.
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.