the.com/playoff

means A postseason contest or series held to determine a champion after the regular schedule has ended.

from A compound of 'play' plus 'off,' in the sense of playing something off to a decisive finish — the same 'off' found in 'run-off' or 'face-off,' meaning to settle a tie or complete an unfinished contest. The word surfaces in American sporting usage in the late 1800s, originally for a single tie-breaking match, before swelling in the 20th century to mean the whole bracketed tournament that now crowns champions in leagues worldwide.