With a negative record, the Carolina Panthers have secured the NFC South title and a place in the playoffs. But it’s not fair that the Panthers have home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. A commentary.

The playoff rules in the NFL are one of the peculiarities of the American sports system, like “tanking” or the lack of promotion and relegation rules – and this year, they are once again producing some curious results.

On Saturday, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, the home team, the Buccaneers, faced off against the Carolina Panthers, two teams whose performances this NFL season can be described as “average” at best.

In the end, Tampa Bay narrowly won 16-14. Both teams finished the regular season with eight wins and nine losses. And yet, even before kickoff, it was clear that one of the two franchises would make the playoffs – in the end, it was the Panthers, because the Atlanta Falcons provided assistance on Sunday.

NFL: Playoff rule becomes a farce

It all becomes a complete farce when you consider that other teams from the same conference with a better record will miss the playoffs, while the Panthers are guaranteed home-field advantage in the first round. The Los Angeles Rams will have to make the long journey to the eastern United States, even though they have won many more games.

It’s not fair. But it’s explainable. In the American sports system, the individual divisions are very important. Even though they are only the smallest regional units in the professional leagues, the fans’ focus is primarily on the games against teams from relatively nearby cities.

These duels, comparable to European derbies, are even more important in the NFL than in other US professional leagues. Of the only 17 regular season games in total, NFL teams play six – more than a third – against the three opponents from their own division.

It is therefore naturally important to emerge victorious in this four-way constellation. However, it is clearly not in the spirit of equal opportunity for the winner of a weaker division to be given preference over a significantly better team from a stronger division in the playoffs.

NFL playoffs: Detroit Lions fail with reform proposal

The Detroit Lions also came to this conclusion after last season, even though they were not disadvantaged by this rule at the time. At the annual team owners’ meeting last spring, they actually wanted to introduce their reform proposal, according to which the overall record rather than division affiliation should be decisive for the playoff seeding list. However, they withdrew this proposal because it would have clearly failed to achieve the necessary three-quarters majority among the 32 team owners.

However, this reform is not off the table for good. NFL boss Roger Goodell, at any rate, is considered a proponent of such a change. Now, the voices calling for reform could become louder again.

That would be better. In the interests of fairness.