Postseason implications for high school football starts tonight in week one of the season. A new Missouri football playoff system has been put in place, based on teams being awarded points based on wins and losses, margin of victory and strength of schedule.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association developed bonus points for teams that choose to play up a class, and does not penalize a team for playing smaller-class teams. For Class 6 teams, no such bonus points are possible with no place to go up.

While the new system doesn’t sit well with some coaches, the new plan is a welcomed change from year’s past where early-season games had no effect on the playoffs. Instead, postseason fate was decided over the final three weeks of district play.

As district play begins, teams will be seeded based on the rankings, with each district tournament starting in week 10. In Class 6, the winner of each eight-team district reaches the semifinals. In Classes 1-5, the winners advance to the quarterfinals.