The Virginia High School League announced the formats for the final two games of the football state playoffs after allowing all six of its newly formed classifications to choose how they wanted the Final Four to be conducted.
The different classes — which group schools based on enrollment size for postseason play — won’t all be using the same format.
VHSL Assistant Director Tom Dolan said the state’s three smallest classifications — 1A, 2A and 3A — elected to cross brackets for the state semifinals, meaning the lower seeded team in one region plays the higher seeded team in the opposing region to decide the state championship game. Each class comprises two regions.
Classes 4A, 5A and 6A will hold a traditional regional final and not cross brackets, with the winners of each regional final meeting to decide the state title.
Classifications for Bay Rivers District teams
2A- Bruton
3A- Lafayette, Poquoson, Warhill, York and New Kent
4A- Jamestown, Tabb, Smithfield and Grafton
VHSL Football Playoff Formats
Group 1A, 2A and 3A
Top 16 by power rating regardless of conference and cross bracket semifinals
Group 4A
Top 16 by power rating regardless of conference and semifinals will NOT cross bracket
Group 5A
5A South: Top 8 from Central Conferences bracketed together; Top 8 from Eastern Conferences bracketed together, final teams from each bracket meet in state semifinal (will NOT cross bracket semifinals)
5A North: Top 16 by power rating regardless of conference and will NOT cross bracket semifinals
Group 6A
6A South: Top 8 each section (Conference 1 & 2 – top 8; Conference 3 & 4 – top 8) with final 4 in region then reseeded and will NOT cross bracket in state semifinals
6A North: Top 16 by power rating regardless of conference and will NOT cross bracket semifinals
