The seeds for the Championship shall be determined based on each team’s regular-season conference finish (point system). In the event of a tie for a particular seed, the seed will be determined as follows:

Two Teams

(1) - Head-to-head winner shall be declared higher seed.
(2) - If still tied, the highest point total against the highest-seeded team(s) not involved in the tie shall be the higher seed. If the highest seeded team is also tied, the tie can only be broken if a breaking of the tie can occur using the entire pool of tied teams, otherwise move onto the next highest known seed.
(3) - If still tied, move onto the next highest-seeded team(s) until the tie is broken.
(4) - If still tied, the score differential ratio from all regular season conference matches will be used to determine the higher seed. A goal differential of +/- 4 goals is the maximum allowed per match.
(5) - If still tied, the higher seed shall be determined by a coin toss by the Commissioner.

Three or More Teams

(1) - The highest point total earned in matches involving the tied teams.
(2) - If a tie still exists, the highest point total against the highest-seeded team(s) not involved in the tie shall be the higher seed. If the highest seeded team is also tied, the tie can only be broken if a breaking of the tie can occur using the entire pool of tied teams, otherwise move onto the highest known seed.
(3) - If a tie still exists, move onto the next highest-seeded team(s) until the tie is broken.
(4) - If a tie still exists, the score differential ratio from all regular season conference matches will be used to determine the higher seed. A goal differential of +/- 4 goals is the maximum allowed per match.
(5) - If a tie still exists, the seeded position of the teams will be determined by a draw conducted by the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner.
(6) - For all multiple team ties, the applicable tie-breaking procedure is used until the highest-seeded team is determined. Once that seed is determined and properly seeded, the pool of remaining tied teams shall revert back to the beginning of the applicable tie-breaking procedure needed to break the remaining teams. This process continues until all tied teams have been seeded.

Example: If teams A, B, and C are all tied for the #2 seed, the tie must be broken by determining the #2 seed first. With teams A, B, and C all having the same overall point total, we must begin at the start of the “Three or More Team Tiebreaker”. Step 1 is to look at only the matches between the tied teams. Teams A and B both defeated C and tied each other (A= 4 points, B= 4 points, C= 0 points amongst the tied teams). Therefore, teams A and B will move onto Step 2. Step 2 begins at the top, so we must look at Teams A and B point total against the #1 seed. Because both teams lost to the #1 seeded team, we must progress to the next highest seeded team. At this point, we only know that C will be seeded at either the #3 or #4 seeded position, but don’t know where at this point. However, since both A and B beat C, we must continue down the seeds. In this example, let’s assume Teams D and E are tied for the #5 seed and the next “known seed” is not until the #7 seeded team. In this instance, we cannot break the tie using Teams D or E independently because they are tied and we do not know which team will get the #5 or #6 seed. Tiebreaking guidelines prevent us from breaking this tie before all seeds above this tie (seeds #1 through #4) are determined (must always seed from the top to the bottom). Therefore, the only way to use Teams D and E would be to pool them together. Here, Team A defeated Team D and lost to Team E, while Team B defeated Team E and lost to Team D. Again, since we cannot break the tie among D and E, one would look at the point total among both D and E combined. Team A has 3 points and Team B has 3 points against the combination of D and E. Therefore we must progress to the #7 seed, which Team A defeated and Team B tied. Team A has earned the #2 seed. In order to determine the #3 seed, we must take the remaining tied teams (Teams B and C) and revert back to the beginning of the appropriate tie breaker, in this case the “Two Team Tiebreaker”. Looking at Step 1 of this tiebreaker, we have already established that Team B defeated Team C in the head-to-head contest. Team B shall earn the #3 seed. Team C shall earn the #4 seed. As you recall, Teams D and E were also tied, now that seeds #1 through #4 have been determined, it is now time to break the tie for the #5 seed. Team E defeated Team D, so Team E earns the #5 seed, while Team D earns the #6 seed.