<P> In each league, between four and eight teams (depending on league size) qualify for the finals based on the league ladder at the end of the season . Australian rules football leagues employ finals systems which act as a combination between a single elimination tournament for lower - ranked teams and a double elimination tournament for higher - ranked teams in order to provide teams with an easier pathway to the Grand Final as reward for strong performances throughout the season . Finals are decided by single matches, rather than series . </P> <P> The Australian Football League, which is the top level of the sport, currently has eight teams qualify for the finals under a system designed by the league in 2000 . Between 1931--1999, variants of the McIntyre System were used to accommodate four, five, six and eight teams, and prior to 1930, six different finals systems were used . </P> <P> In most other leagues, from state - level leagues such as the South Australian National Football League and West Australian Football League, down to local suburban leagues, it is most common for either four or five teams to qualify for the finals . In these cases the Page--McIntyre final four system or the McIntyre final five system are used universally . </P> <P> The Australian Football League (which was known until 1990 as the Victorian Football League) was the first league to introduce regular finals when it was established in 1897 . The South Australian National Football League introduced finals in 1898, and other leagues soon followed . </P>

How many games are in the american league playoff series