With the play-offs rapidly approaching, I felt that a brief reminder of how they work would be appropriate.

In the top three Men's divisions, and the two Women's, the system is very straightforward.

EBL Division 1 Men:

In the top two Men's divisions, and the top Women's league, the top eight qualify for the play-offs. The team finishing first in the league (the top seed) plays (at home) against the lowest qualifier (8th place) in the Quarter Finals.

In the semi-finals, the top seed (or the team that beat the top seed in the previous round) meets the fourth seed (or the team that beat them), and so on:

	Quarter Finals		Semi Finals (Two leg)		Final @ Newcastle;
	31-Mar. / 1-Apr.		14/15 & 21/22 Apr.		28 or 29 April
1st	___________________	}
8th	___________________	}	___________________	}
				}		}
4th	___________________	}	___________________	}		}
5th	___________________	}				}
						}
2nd	___________________	}				}
7th	___________________	}	___________________	}		}
				}		}
3rd	___________________	}	___________________	}
6th	___________________	}

EBL Division 2 Men:

	Quarter Finals		Semi Finals (Two leg)		Final @ Newcastle;
	31-Mar. / 1-Apr.		14/15 & 21/22 Apr.		28 or 29 April
1st	___________________	}
8th	___________________	}	___________________	}
				}		}
4th	___________________	}	___________________	}		}
5th	___________________	}				}
						}
2nd	___________________	}				}
7th	___________________	}	___________________	}		}
				}		}
3rd	___________________	}	___________________	}
6th	___________________	}

EBL Division 1 Women:

The only difference with the Division One Women's competition is that the semi-finals are straightforward single-game knockout, on the home courts of the 1st and 2nd seeds (or whoever knocked them out ... etc).

	Quarter Finals		Semi Finals		Final @ Newcastle;
	14/15 Apr.		21/22 Apr.		28 or 29 April
1st	___________________	}
8th	___________________	}	___________________	}
				}		}
4th	___________________	}	___________________	}		}
5th	___________________	}				}
						}
2nd	___________________	}				}
7th	___________________	}	___________________	}		}
				}		}
3rd	___________________	}	___________________	}
6th	___________________	}

EBL Division 3 Men:

The system is equally simple in Men's Division 3 and Women's Division 2.

In each of these competitions, the top four from the North section and the top four from the South qualify, with the quarter finals consisting of "crossover" matches, with the top seed from the North hosting the fourth seed from the South (and 1st South hosting 4th North), while the runners up in each region play host to the third placed team from the opposite region.

The semi-finals are designed to keep teams from the same region apart (unless, of course, a lower seed triumphs in the previous round), and if results go according to seeding, the Final would feature the top team from the North against the top team in the South.

These play-offs begin earlier than those for the higher divisions, as the Finals are to be held in mid-April, at Derby's Moorways Centre.

Quarter Finals		Semi Finals		Final @ Derby;
24/25-Mar.		31 Mar./1 Apr.		14 April
North 1	}
South 4	}	___________________	}
			}	___________________	}
South 2