Below are the rules for the 1-game Wild Card playoff game, governing scheduling, home team and player usage for the game.
The Wild Card game will be considered to take place 2 days prior to the opening game of the playoffs.
The home team will be the team with the best record. If the 2 teams are tied, the home team will be determined based on the following tie-breakers (in order): (1) Record in games against each other, (2) Record in divisional games (only when teams are in the same division), (3) Dice Roll.
Each team must select a starting pitcher who had at least 15 GS in the regular season. If the pitcher chosen had 15-19 GS (1 allowable start per playoff series), that pitcher will be ineligible to start in the second round of the playoffs. If the pitcher chosen has 2 or 3 allowable starts per series, that pitcher cannot start again until at least Game 3 of the second round of the playoffs (he will have had 4 days of rest by then).
In order to start in the game, a player must be eligible for at least 20 AB per series in the playoffs. If no such player exists on the team for a particular position, then the player who had the most AB for the team in the regular ABA season who plays that position may be used. In general, it is expected that each team will field a representative lineup based on what was used during the regular season.
Note: These same rules will also be used in the event that a tie-breaker game is necessary to determine playoff berths at the end of the regular season. A tie-breaker game would take place prior to any Wild Card games.