Here's all you need to know about the National Lacrosse League's seemingly-simple tiebreaker system:

At some point in the last eight years, the NLL tweaked the rules slightly, with the trouble centering around the way in which the league breaks a three-way tie for two playoff spots.

According to league sources (since this is the kind of information not available on NLL.com), each qualifying position is decided separately -- which, in the Eastern Division (where it is possible that three teams will tie at 8-8), means that the third-place team will be decided first, then the tiebreakers reset to decide fourth place.

If it worked that way in 1998, the Ontario Raiders (now the Toronto Rock) would have qualified for the playoffs instead of the Buffalo Bandits, because while the Raiders finished third in a three-way tiebreaker with the Bandits and Rochester Knighthawks, they beat the Bandits alone.

It's a fairly critical change, and not just because it could have changed the course of history in the NLL. (For those who've forgotten, Ontario was the hottest team down the stretch that season and probably would have favored to win the first NLL Champion's Cup. Maybe they never even move north from Hamilton after that season?)

Today, it makes qualifying for the playoffs a bit more difficult for the Philadelphia Wings.

Under the 1998 rules, Philadelphia would qualify for the playoffs with a split against Buffalo this weekend and a Rochester loss to Toronto, since the Wings would finish second in a three-way tie with the Knighthawks and Minnesota Swarm on the basis of head-to-head records (Knighthawks 4-2, Wings 3-3, Swarm 2-4).

However, the current tiebreaker rules put the Knighthawks into third place and restart the process for Minnesota and Philadelphia; the Swarm took two of three, and thus would claim the final playoff spot.

That means that the Wings are looking to keep Minnesota out of a tie for the final playoff spot. More to the point, it means that if they land in a tie for the fourth playoff spot, the Wings want to be tied only with the Knighthawks, since they also lose a tiebreaker to Toronto.

(Oh, the humanity!)

Lest anyone think that this is entirely about the race to finish 8-8 in the Eastern Division, there are still four playoff spots up for grabs leaguewide -- and did we mention home-floor advantage throughout the playoffs, the Western Division title and the first-round home games for two other teams?

Here's how it breaks down, by team:

EASTERN DIVISION

Buffalo Bandits: Have clinched the Eastern Division title and will host first- and second-round games. Can clinch home-floor advantage throughout the playoffs with (1) Two wins over Philadelphia; (2) One win and a Calgary loss; or (3) One win, a Portland loss, and Calgary failing to surpass or tie the Bandits in season-long goal differential (currently Bandits +28, Roughnecks +18) -- a tie in this category would invoke the dreaded and unprecedented coin flip.

Minnesota Swarm: Can clinch a playoff berth with (1) A win over Portland; or (2) One Philadelphia loss to Buffalo. Can not host a first-round playoff game.

Philadelphia Wings: Can clinch a playoff berth with (1) Two wins over Buffalo; or (2) One win over Buffalo, a Toronto win over Rochester, and a Minnesota win over Portland. Can clinch a home playoff game with two wins, a Rochester win over Toronto, and a Portland win over Minnesota.

Rochester Knighthawks: Can clinch a playoff berth with (1) A win over Toronto; (2) A Portland win over Minnesota; or (3) Two Buffalo wins over Philadelphia. Can clinch a home playoff game with (1) A win over Toronto and a Minnesota win over Portland; or (2) A win over Toronto and one Buffalo win over Philadelphia.

Toronto Rock: Can clinch a playoff berth with (1) A win over Rochester; (2) A Portland win over Minnesota; or (3) One Buffalo win over Philadelphia. Can clinch a home playoff game with a win over Rochester.

WESTERN DIVISION

Arizona Sting: Can clinch a playoff berth with one win over San Jose. Can not host a first-round playoff game.

Calgary Roughnecks: Have clinched a playoff berth. Can clinch a home playoff game with (1) One win over Colorado; or (2) Two Portland losses. Can clinch the Western Division title with (1) Two wins over Colorado; or (2) One win over Colorado and one Portland loss. Can clinch home-floor advantage throughout the playoffs with (1) Two wins over Colorado and two Philadelphia wins over Buffalo; (2) Two wins over Colorado, one Philadelphia win over Buffalo and overcoming goal differential against Buffalo (see Buffalo notes); or (3) One win over Colorado, one Portland loss, two Philadelphia wins over Buffalo and overcoming goal differential against Buffalo (see Buffalo notes).

Colorado Mammoth: Have clinched a playoff berth. Can clinch a home playoff game with two wins over Calgary. Can clinch the Western Division title with two wins over Calgary and two Portland losses.

Edmonton Rush: Eliminated from playoff contention.

Portland LumberJax: Have clinched a playoff berth. Can clinch a home playoff game with (1) One win this weekend; or (2) One Calgary win over Colorado. Can clinch the Western Division title with (1) Two wins this weekend and one Colorado win over Calgary; or (2) One win this weekend and two Colorado wins over Calgary. Can clinch home-floor adabtage throughout the playoffs with (1) Two wins this weekend, one Colorado win over Calgary, and two Philadelphia wins over Buffalo; or (2) One win this weekend, two Colorado wins over Calgary, and two Philadelphia wins over Buffalo.

San Jose Stealth: Can clinch a playoff berth with two wins over Arizona. Can not host a playoff game in any round.