<P> The NFL was the first league ever to use the wild - card format . The decision to implement a Wild Card coincided with the completion of the AFL - NFL merger in 1970 . Prior to the merger , the right to compete in the postseason for the NFL title was restricted to division / conference champions . Until 1967 , a tiebreaker game was played to resolve a deadlock for first place in either of the two conferences . When the league expanded to 16 teams , it realigned into four divisions and expanded the playoffs to two rounds . Tiebreaker games were eliminated in favor of the use of performance - based criteria to determine division champions . The rival American Football League , which reached a final size of ten teams in two divisions , also restricted its postseason to division winners until the 1969 season ( the AFL 's last as a separate league ) when it expanded the playoffs to include division runners - up . The runners - up played the winners of the opposite divisions for the right to contest the AFL Championship Game . </P>
<P> The NFL was the first league ever to use the wild - card format . The decision to implement a Wild Card coincided with the completion of the AFL - NFL merger in 1970 . Prior to the merger , the right to compete in the postseason for the NFL title was restricted to division / conference champions . Until 1967 , a tiebreaker game was played to resolve a deadlock for first place in either of the two conferences . When the league expanded to 16 teams , it realigned into four divisions and expanded the playoffs to two rounds . Tiebreaker games were eliminated in favor of the use of performance - based criteria to determine division champions . The rival American Football League , which reached a final size of ten teams in two divisions , also restricted its postseason to division winners until the 1969 season ( the AFL 's last as a separate league ) when it expanded the playoffs to include division runners - up . The runners - up played the winners of the opposite divisions for the right to contest the AFL Championship Game . </P>
when did the wild card start in football
when did the wild card start in football
1970
1970