Football Playoff Information Handbook

Football Post-Season FAQs

5A/6A – 1^st Round Questions regarding Home-Field Advantage

For the 1^st round of the playoffs for 5A & 6A, who gets home-field advantage?: The opponent with the higher district finish will determine whether the game is played on its home field or mutually agree to play the game at a neutral site. This supersedes the “flipping home fields for the past two seasons.” If the opponents have the same district finish, the two teams will flip a coin or agree on a neutral site.

If two teams finish tied in their district, can both teams claim the same place finish when determining home-field advantage for the bi-district round of the playoffs?: No, each district must certify their district by a 1^st through 4^th place finish according to district policy. This will be the determining factor for home-field advantage in the first round for 5A & 6A.

If two opponents finish with the same 6A district finish and are matched up in the first round, who gets home-field advantage?: If the opponents have the same district finish, the two teams will flip a coin or agree on a neutral site. EXCEPTION: If these teams have faced each other in the playoffs in the past two seasons, the team that was the visiting team the last time the two teams met on a home field in a post-district playoff game may require the game to be played at its home field. (For the 2024 playoffs, this would include the 2022 & 2023 Playoffs)

Does the team that gets home-field advantage in the first round get to determine the date and time of the contest as well?: The Date and Time of the contest are negotiated by both teams unless a multi-school district has multiple teams in the playoffs that earned home-field advantage, which could limit facility availability for a set date. If there are additional questions regarding a specific situation, you can contact AJ Martinez for more direction.

All Classification FAQ

Is there a mileage limit for a home and home situation?: No, football does not have a mileage limit for home and home.

Who is required to update the playoff information on MaxPreps following a contest?: The winning team must submit playoff game results (scores) and next-round details (location, date, and time) immediately after each game via MaxPreps.

If I played at an opponent's home field in the last two postseasons, can I require them to play at my home field this year?: Yes, the team that was the visiting team the last time the two teams met on a home field in a post-district playoff game may require the game to be played at its home field.

NOTE: A Home-Neutral (Site) that has been played at in the last two football seasons would not fall under the same guidelines as Home Field.

If a team plays a playoff game on Saturday, can the next-round opponent flip for a Thursday night game?: No team or student in any conference shall be permitted to take part in more than one playoff game within six calendar days unless mutually agreeable to play within five calendar days.

During the playoffs, am I required to trade all my game films with the opponent?: Playoff teams are required to exchange all videos leading up to the playoff game to include regular season and post-season games. Upon mutual agreement, teams may agree on trading a specific number of games.

Can schools broadcast their playoff game?: Live or tape-delayed video broadcasts of a postseason contest require approval from the UIL. The UIL retains all broadcast rights to postseason contests and has granted rights to its broadcast partners, who have first rights to all postseason activities. The UIL’s broadcast partners are the NFHS Network. Please see below for more information. Any questions should be directed to the UIL Media Department: pr@uiltexas.org

Do I have to flip for officials?: A school is not required to flip for officials. If the two schools cannot reach a mutual agreement, the UIL office may assign the officials. This can be done on the UIL Website: https://www.uiltexas.org/form/officials-request/football.php