Everything you need to know about the playoffs

February 14, 2022

The 2021–22 Baltic Handball League season is rapidly approaching its most important and exciting stage – the playoffs. A stage where every goal, every shot, and every referee’s whistle can be decisive. Mistakes can be addressed throughout the regular season, but the playoffs necessitate maximal preparation and concentration. As we near the end of the regular season, we welcome you to become acquainted with the playoff system.

This year’s Baltic Handball League features 13 teams, with five from Lithuania, four from Latvia, and four from Estonia. Unfortunately, only six tickets are available for the playoffs. The regular season champions and runners-up receive direct tickets to the BHL Final Four, while the third through sixth place teams qualify for the quarter-finals, where they will share the remaining two tickets to the Final Four.

QUARTERFINALS

The quarter-finals will be played over two-legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The sixth-placed team from the regular season will face the third-placed team in the quarter-finals. The fifth and fourth-placed teams in the regular season will meet in the other quarter-final matchup. The lower-ranked clubs in each quarter-final pair will play their first match at home, with the first quarter-final match slated for March 26-27 and the return match scheduled for April 2-3.

THE FINAL FOUR

The Final Four will be held on April 23-24, with the semi-finals on the first day and the finals on the second. In the Final Four’s first semi-final pairing the regular season champions will face the winner of the second quarter-final pairing (4th or 5th place in the regular season). The regular season runner-up and the winner of the first quarter-final pairing (3rd or 6th place in the regular season) will form the second semi-final pairing.

Polva Serviti of Estonia is the only team that has already qualified for the playoffs. It is also evident that the Latvian team SK Latgols Ludza has no practical or theoretical prospect of climbing to at least sixth position, which means they have no chance to make the playoffs.