WPIAL committee to meet to discuss potential tweaks to soccer playoff format

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, September 25, 2020 | 4:29 PM

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The WPIAL soccer playoffs could look similar to previous years, but that is not a certainty as a condensed, 32-day regular season winds into late September.

A format change could be in order when the WPIAL soccer committee meets next Friday to review the season.

As it stands, the top four teams and ties from each section qualify for the postseason. That could change if the committee sees a need to tweak the bracket setup.

The season started about two weeks later than usual. Some teams are well behind others in games played due to program suspensions over covid-19 issues.

“As we mentioned back in July when this all started,” WPIAL Executive Director Amy Scheuneman said, “we would have our fall sport specific steering committees meet in early October to review the situation and season up to that point, to then determine what our playoff structure would be.”

The WPIAL also will decide on a site or sites for its eight championship games. Highmark Stadium has been a regular host for the finals.

One big postseason change was announced this week regarding the PIAA playoffs. Only the eight WPIAL champions will advance to the state tournaments.

Therefore, WPIAL third-place consolation games will not be necessary.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.