Who will advance to the semifinals? Play-off phase rules in METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga

The first quarterfinal matches in METLKAS 2. Ekstraliga are behind us. Now, it is time for rematches, which will all take place at the same time. Moreover, the 2024 season is the third and final year in which six teams will advance to the play-off phase – also in the PGE Ekstraliga.

Last weekend, three quarterfinal matches of METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga took place. First, CELLFAST WILKI Krosno defeated INNPRO ROW Rybnik 46:44, then #ORZECHOWAOSADA PSŻ Poznań won 52:37 against ABRAMCZYK POLONIA Bydgoszcz, and ARGED MALESA Ostrów Wlkp. beat H.SKRZYDLEWSKA ORZEŁ Łódź 48:42. What needs to happen for each of the mentioned teams to advance to the semifinals?

Four out of six teams will qualify for the next stage of the play-off phase. Three that won their two-legged matches and one that earns the title of so-called lucky loser, that is the lucky loser. This and the positions of other teams are determined using a table where only points scored in the quarterfinals count. In the first instance, match points are considered, with a maximum of four points achievable. Next are small points, which are points scored directly on the track (note: totals, not differences). In the case of an equal number of both, the club that finished higher in the regular season will be ranked higher. After determining the positions, the team from the first place will go against the team from the fourth, and the crew from the second against the team from the third.

Currently, the METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga table after the first quarterfinals looks as follows:

1. #ORZECHOWAOSADA PSŻ Poznań
2. ARGED MALESA Ostrów Wlkp.
3. CELLFAST WILKI Krosno
4. INNPRO ROW Rybnik
5. H.SKRZYDLEWSKA ORZEŁ Łódź
6. ABRAMCZYK POLONIA Bydgoszcz

More HERE.

The table will likely change further as we await the rematches, which will take place next Sunday at 16:00. The team from Poznań will travel to Bydgoszcz. Łódź, on the other hand, will go to Ostrow Wlkp., and Rybnik will host the team from Krosno.

So how many points does each team need to advance to the semifinals regardless of the outcomes of other matches (calculations for the top three in two-legged matches)?

• #ORZECHOWAOSADA PSŻ Poznań – 38 pts
• ARGED MALESA Ostrów Wlkp. – 42 pts
• CELLFAST WILKI Krosno – 45 pts
• INNPRO ROW Rybnik – 46 pts
• H.SKRZYDLEWSKA ORZEŁ Łódź – 49 pts
• ABRAMCZYK POLONIA Bydgoszcz – 53 pts

It is worth noting that this is the last season in which the final part will look this way. Starting in 2025, after the regular season, the league will divide into two parts, with the first four teams going into the play-off phase and the second into the play-down. Play-offs, that is, the match for a place in the world’s best league between the seventh team of the PGE Ekstraliga and the second team of METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga, will also return to the calendar.

Marcin Rusewicz