In general, the rules of play for playoff games are the same as for regular season games. The only difference comes in revised restrictions for player use. The limitations and restrictions shown below are for 7-game series. See Wild Card Game rules for player usage guidelines for a 1-game playoff.
The limitations for starting pitchers are determined by their limit of starts from the ABA regular season. Consult the following table:
| Regular Season GS Limit | Starts per Playoff Series | Days of Rest Required |
|---|---|---|
| 0-9 | 0 | N/A |
| 10-19 | 1 | 4 |
| 20-35 | 2 | 4 |
| 36 up | 3 | 3 |
"Days" for rest purposes are calculated as one day for each game plus travel days after Games 2 and 5 plus two days off following Game 7. A team which wins a series in less than 7 games will gain extra days off prior to the beginning of the next series. The following table illustrates the entire schedule:
| Day | Series | Game Number |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wild Card Series | 1 |
| 2 | " | 2 |
| 3 | " | 3 |
| 4 | - | Off |
| 5 | Second Round | 1 |
| 6 | " | 2 |
| 7 | " | Travel |
| 8 | " | 3 |
| 9 | " | 4 |
| 10 | " | 5 |
| 11 | " | Travel |
| 12 | " | 6 |
| 13 | " | 7 |
| 14 | - | Off |
| 15 | - | Off |
| 16 | League Championship | 1 |
| 17 | " | 2 |
| 18 | " | Travel |
| 19 | " | 3 |
| 20 | " | 4 |
| 21 | " | 5 |
| 22 | " | Travel |
| 23 | " | 6 |
| 24 | " | 7 |
| 25 | - | Off |
| 26 | - | Off |
| 27 | World Series | 1 |
| 28 | " | 2 |
| 29 | " | Travel |
| 30 | " | 3 |
| 31 | " | 4 |
| 32 | " | 5 |
| 33 | " | Travel |
| 34 | " | 6 |
| 35 | " | 7 |
There is no limitation on number of games for relief pitchers in the playoffs. However, their IP are limited based on their IP limitation from the ABA regular season. Consult the following table (use the first 4 lines of the table for Grades 8 and up; use the 5th line of the table for Grades 1-7):
| Regular Season IP Limit | IP per Playoff Series |
|---|---|
| 0-45 | 3 |
| 46-60 | 5 |
| 61-75 | 6 |
| 76 up | 8 |
| Grades 1-7 | 7 |
Consult the following table for AB limitations for hitters in each playoff series:
| Regular Season AB Limit | AB per Playoff Series |
|---|---|
| 50-100 | 5 |
| 101-200 | 10 |
| 201-300 | 15 |
| 301-400 | 20 |
| 401-500 | 25 |
| 501 up | Unlimited |
Players are limited in SB attempts to 10% of their regular season SB limit in each playoff series. See following table:
| Regular Season SB Limit | SB per Playoff Series |
|---|---|
| 0-4 | 0 |
| 5-14 | 1 |
| 15-24 | 2 |
| 25-34 | 3 |
| 35-44 | 4 |
| 45-54 | 5 |
| 55-64 | 6 |
| 65-74 | 7 |
| 75-84 | 8 |
| 85-94 | 9 |
| 95-104 | 10 |
| 105-114 | 11 |
| 115-124 | 12 |
| 125-134 | 13 |
| 135-144 | 14 |
| 145-154 | 15 |
| 155 up | 10% of SB Limit |