[1] PBA Tour Playoffs participants are chosen and seeded based on points earned in qualifying to-date tournaments of the current season.
The #9 through #24 seeds competed in single-elimination matches (one standard ten-frame game each) to determine who advanced to the second round.
Any player winning both games in a match earns two points and advances to the next round.
If the match is split one game each, the players bowl a 9th/10th frame roll-off to determine who wins the second point and the right to advance.
The PBA Players Committee originally voted to make the playoffs a non-title event, citing the low number of games bowled as the primary reason.
If the match is split two games each, the players bowl a 9th/10th frame roll-off for the third point and the title.
The top four seeds automatically gained entry into the quarterfinal round of eight, facing the four survivors of the 5 through 12 brackets.
Winners (bold text) join the top four seeds in the quarterfinals.
Two semifinal winners face each other in a "race to two points" final round.