We knew a new NJSIAA rule designed to allow deserving teams from tough conferences into the state tournament would make things a little different this year. What we didn't know is that entry into the field hockey state tournament would be as simple as filing a form.

In an unexpected twist, every single Jersey Sports Now-area field hockey team will take part in the states. While every team with a .500 or better record automatically qualified, it appears the NJSIAA admitted every team, no matter its record, as long as it filled out the entry form to request a spot in the tourney.

Here's a look at each team's playoff scenario:

North Jersey Section 1, Group III:

This section has a whopping six JSN-area squads, including four of the top six seeds. All four of those higher seeds must be considered a threat to win the title.

Wayne Hills draws the #2 seed and a first-round bye. The Patriots will then take on the winner of High Point and Old Tappan.

The third seed is Passaic County champion Passaic Valley, which gets a bye before playing the winner of 6th seed West Milford and Mount Olive. A Hornets vs. Highlanders matchup would be a good one, but if Passaic Valley can get past that game, a rematch of the county final with Wayne Hills could be even more interesting.

Lakeland will be the fourth seed and opens with #13 seed Parsippany. With a win, the Lancers would move on to play the winner between fifth seed Northern Highlands and 12th seed Wayne Valley. The Indians are in the states despite a 4-9-1 record.

Montville is final team in this bracket, drawing the 8th seed and a home game against Demarest. If the Mustangs advance, they play top-seeded West Morris in the next round, probably the only team which could keep this sectional field hockey trophy from ending up in the hands of a local school.

North Jersey Section 1, Group II:

Pequannock keeps its string of state field hockey playoff berths alive, but only thanks to the new rule. The Panthers were under .500 at the cutoff and will be the 11th seed in this bracket. They have what seems to be a winnable game at sixth-seed Hackettstown, but with teams like Newton, Madison and West Essex waiting in the wings, a Cinderella run seems unlikely.

All 14 teams in this section were admitted to the states.

North Jersey Section 1, Group I:

Five local teams are among those taking part in this section. That includes winless Butler, which will be the 10th seed and opens with a return visit to 7th seed Whippany Park, a conference foe.

The other three local teams are legitimate contenders for the sectional crown. Pompton Lakes is the #1 seed despite its two recent losses to Passaic Valley. The Cardinals won the title last year and are probably the favorites again. After a bye, Pompton Lakes will play the winner of Glen Ridge and North Warren.

A tough Boonton team will be the 3rd seed in the bracket. The Bombers twice played Morris County champion Madison close, so they must be considered a serious threat. They'll have an opening bye and then get the winner of Morristown-Beard and Westwood.

Mountain Lakes will be the #5 seed in this section, and also cannot be overlooked. The Lakers lost to Pompton Lakes earlier in the year in overtime, and in three games against Boonton have a tie and two one-goal losses. They'll have to win a game at 4th seed Belvidere before they can start looking for a little revenge. -- Paul Mencher for Jersey Sports Now