Winning the title by having the most points is the most straightforward way to victory – but what happens when teams end up level?
Goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head – how do leagues determine ranking when clubs are level on goal difference?
The amount of yellow cards you pick up in a season could also potentially determine your finish in the league, as well as a slew of other quirky tie-breakers and rules.
So how do the likes of the Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A and other top competitions determine their table rankings? Goal takes a look.
Jump to
- What is goal difference vs. head-to-head?
- How does the Premier League rank teams level on points?
- How does the Champions League rank teams level on points?
- How does La Ligarank teams level on points?
- How does the Bundesliga rank teams level on points?
- How does Ligue 1 rank teams level on points?
- How does Serie A rank teams level on points?
- How does goal difference and head-to-head work in international competitions?
What is goal difference vs. head-to-head?
Goal differenceis a tie-breaker used to rank teams who finish on equal points in a league tournament.
Goal difference is counted as the number of goals scored by a team in all league matches across the season, minus the number of goals conceded – for instance, if a team were to score four goals but concede two across two matches, their goal difference would be +2. A negative goal differenceoccurs when a team concedes more goals than they have scored, like if they conceded three but managed to score one goal (giving them a goal difference of -2).
The usage of goal difference as a tie-breaker was first introduced at the 1970 World Cup, and then used by the English Football League in 1975. Since then, the majority of European football leagues as well as tournaments around the world use goal difference to determine ranking – though other competitions may favour the "head-to-head" record or other variations as a priority tie-breaker.
Using head-to-head as a tie-breaker determines the form of the two level clubs when they have faced each other. If Chelsea and Liverpool were level on points but Chelsea managed to beat Liverpool home and away in the league, the Londonside would be deemed victorious.
How does the Premier League rank teams level on points?
In the English top-flight, if any clubs finish the season with the same number of points, their position is first determined by:
- Goal difference
- Higher number of goals scored
- Playoff at neutral venue if relevant for deciding champion, relegation or participating in a European league, otherwise by draw.
How does the Champions League rank teams level on points?
In the Champions League group stages, teams are organised into groups of four and then ranked according to points. The teams to finish in the top two of their group will progress to the knockout stages, while the latter two will either be eliminated or dropped into the Europa League.
- Head-to-head points between tied teams
- Head-to-head goal difference between tied teams
- Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams
- Away goalsscored in head-to-head matches among tied teams
- If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams
- Goal difference in all group matches
- Goals scored in all group matches
- Away goals scored in all group matches
- Wins in all group matches
- Away wins in all group matches
- Disciplinary points (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points)
- UEFA club coefficient
How does La Ligarank teams level on points?
La Liga decides their tie-breakers between two level clubs first through goal difference, like in the Premier League.
But, if points are equal between two or more clubs, then the tie is broken through:
- Head-to-head points between tied teams
- Head-to-head goal difference between tied teams
- Goal difference
If the tie is still not broken, then the winner will be determined byFair Playscales:
- Receiving a yellow card: -1 point
- Doubled yellow card/ejection -2 points
- Direct red card -3 points
- Suspension of coach or other club personnel -5 points
- Misconduct of supporters -5-7 points
- Stadium closure -10 points
Then, if the clubs are stilllevel, the ranking will be resolved with a tie-break match in a neutral stadium.
How does the Bundesliga rank teams level on points?
In the Bundesliga, they also use goal difference as the priority tie-breaker. Their rules for determining the end-of-seasonranking are as follows:
- Goal difference
- Goals scored for the entire season
- Head-to-head results (total points accumulated)
- Head-to-head goals scored
- Head-to-head away goals scored
- Total away goals scored for the entire season
- Playoff at neutral venue if relevant for deciding champion, relegation or participating in a European league, otherwise by draw.
How does Ligue 1 rank teams level on points?
In Ligue 1, the following tie-breakers are observed:
- Goal difference
- Higher number of goals scored
- Playoffat neutral venue if relevant for deciding champion, relegation or participating in a European league, otherwise by draw.
How does Serie A rank teams level on points?
The deciding tie-breakers in Serie A are as follows:
- Head-to-head points
- Head-to-head goal difference
- Goal difference
- Higher number of goals scored
- Playoffat neutral venue if relevant for deciding champion, relegation or participating in a European league, otherwise by draw.
Until the 2004-05season, a playoff fixture at the end of the season would be used to determine the champions, European spots or relegation, if the two teams were tied on points.
The last championship playoff occurred in the1963-64 seasonwhen Bologna and Inter both finished on 54 points andBologna won the playoff 2-0.
How does goal difference and head-to-head work in international competitions?
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In the group stage of the World Cup, which is the first round of the final tournament before the last-16 stage, the following tie-breakers are observed to determine the ranking of teams who are level on points:
- Points obtained in all group matches
- Goal difference in all group matches
- Number of goals scored in all group matches
- Points obtained in the matches played between the teams in question
- Goal difference in the matches played between the teams in question
- Number of goals scored in the matches played between the teams in question
- Fair play points in all group matches (only one deduction could be applied to a player in a single match)
The fair play point deductionsare as follows:
- Yellow card: -1 point
- Indirect red card (second yellow card): -3 points
- Direct red card: -4 points
- Yellow card and direct red card: -5 points
The fair play point deductions were observed to determine the winners of Group H in the 2018 World Cup, where Senegal and Japan were level on points, form, goal difference, number of goals scored and number of goals conceded.
Japan eventually progressed to the next round based on fair play after it was ruled that they received two feweryellow cards than Senegal, earning a deduction of -4points compared to Senegal's of -6points.
>What league titles have been decided by goal difference and head-to-head?
One of the most classic, cases of a league title won based on goal difference came during the race between city rivals Manchester City and Manchester United in the 2011-12 season.
Much of the league season was a two-horse race contested by the two Manchester clubs, with the two finishing19 points ahead of third-placed Arsenal. City and United headed into their final game of the season level on points, but City were ranked first due to their goal difference superiority of eight goals. In order to win the league, they had to make sure that they bettered United's result – who faced Sunderland away.
City clinched the title in remarkable, unscripted fashion, scoring two goals in injury time to stage a dramatic 3-2 comeback. United scored early on to win 1-0 and had thought that they won the league after the 90th minute in the City game, where they were still 2-1 down – but an equalizer fromEdin Dzeko andSergio Aguero's later winner secured the Sky Blues the Premier League title ahead of their fiercest rivals based on goal difference.
Another league title was won in classic dramatic fashion when Arsenal beat Liverpool in the 1988-89 season. The Gunners defeated Liverpool 2-0 away at Anfield to win the championship on the last day of the season after the two finished level on points and goal difference.
PSV, Ajax and AZ headed into the final day of the 2006-07 Eredivisie season all level on points.
PSV eventually won the title during a breathless 90 minutes for all sides after winning 5-1 against Vitesse Arnhem which secured them a goal difference of +50 to Ajax's +49, while AZ lost to Excelsior.
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FAQs
Goal difference is calculated as the number of goals scored in all league matches minus the number of goals conceded, and is sometimes known simply as plus–minus.
What happens if two teams are level on points and goal difference? ›
If any two or more Clubs have scored the same number of points and have the same goal difference the higher or highest placed Club shall be the Club having scored the most goals in League Matches in that Season.
What is head to head points in football? ›
This is the most commonly used scoring format in fantasy football. In a Head-to-Head points league, your team plays against another team each week, per the league's schedule. The team that accumulates the most fantasy points wins the game for that week.
Is it goal difference or head to head? ›
If teams finish level on points and with the same goal difference, the next decider will be goals scored. If sides finish level on points, score the same number of goals and have the same goal difference it will then come down to head-to-head record.
How do you explain a goal difference? ›
Goal difference is counted as the number of goals scored by a team in all league matches across the season, minus the number of goals conceded – for instance, if a team were to score four goals but concede two across two matches, their goal difference would be +2.
What means goal difference? ›
the amount by which the total number of goals a football team scores is greater than the total number of goals scored against it, used as a way of deciding the position of teams with the same number of points: After their 2-0 win on Saturday, City lead the title race on goal difference.
What happens if points and goal difference are equal Premier League? ›
If any clubs finish with the same number of points, their position in the Premier League table is determined by goal difference, then the number of goals scored, then the team who collected the most points in the head-to-head matches, then who scored most away goals in the head-to-head.
How do you determine both teams to score? ›
This type of wager combines the Both Teams to Score market and the Over/Under market. You would need to predict both outcomes correctly (if both teams would score or not, and if the total number of goals is over or under a specified amount by the bookmaker) to win the wager.
What happens if 3 teams have the same points? ›
If a points tie still can't be decided after taking into account goal difference, goals scored and the three head-to-head criteria, FIFA turns to teams' fair-play record.
What are 3 points in football called? ›
Touchdown: 6 points. Field Goal: 3 points. Safety: 2 points. Try after touchdown: 1 point (Field Goal or Safety) or 2 points (Touchdown)
A touchdown is worth six points.
After a touchdown is scored, the offense can earn one or or two additional points with the extra kick or two point conversion. As a result, touchdowns can often lead to seven points (with an extra kick) or eight points (with a two point conversion).
Why do you get 6 points in football? ›
Touchdown - 6 points
Touchdowns are the primary goal in football and they score the most points. Players score a touchdown when they advance the ball across the other team's goal line into the end zone. Players must have possession of the football and it must "break the plane" of the goal line.
How do you head a goal? ›
Most header goals are scored as a result of a cross or a corner. The playmaker passes the ball across the goal in the air, and the attacking player (either standing, jumping or diving position) strikes the ball with his head.
Who goes top if goal difference is the same? ›
If the goal difference is the same for both teams, goals scored is the deciding factor. The team that has scored more goals in the three games will finish higher than the team who has scored fewer.
What happens if two teams are level on points in the Champions League? ›
If only two teams are still level at the end of this stage, direct head-to-head is not applied and these two teams alone move to point 5. The third team is now locked in position. If all three teams are still level, the order is decided by point 5.
How you set your goals explain with its example? ›
General Goal Setting Tips
- set both short- and long-term goals.
- set SMART goals.
- set goals that motivate you.
- write your goals down and put them in a place you can see.
- adjust your goals as necessary.
- Recognize and reward yourself when you meet a goal.
Laying out a list of goals doesn't make for a very convincing answer. Instead, focus on one or two main goals and briefly explain how you plan on achieving them or how they will benefit your career in the long-term. This shows that you have thought these goals through and are clear about what you want in the future.
What is the biggest goal difference in football? ›
"149-0 scoreline sets new record". BBC Sport. 1 November 2002.
What are the 4 types of goals? ›
Goals can be separated into four types of organizational categories.
- Time-based goals.
- Performance-based goals. Performance-based goals are short-term objectives set for specific duties or tasks. ...
- Quantitative vs. qualitative goals. ...
- Outcome- vs. process-oriented goals.
To fix this, you must understand the difference between goals and plans so you can have both. A goal is an objective that you're working toward, or a result you seek. Plans, on the other hand, are the specific daily or weekly efforts you're going to take to get there.
The Premier League title was memorably decided on goal difference in the 2011-12 season when Sergio Aguero scored a dramatic late winner for Manchester City against QPR. The victory allowed Manchester City to finish even with rivals Manchester United atop of the table on 89 points.
Has anyone won the league on goal difference? ›
City finished level on 89 points with Manchester United, but their goal difference was eight better than their local rivals', making it the only time the Premier League had been won on goal difference.
How is goal difference in football calculated? ›
Goal difference is counted as the number of goals scored by a team in all league matches across the season, minus the number of goals conceded – for instance, if a team were to score four goals but concede two across two matches, their goal difference would be +2.
How do you predict a match draw? ›
One of the biggest indicators around when finding a draw on football is the over/under 2.5 goals market. You want to look for games that have low odds on under 2.5 goals as that is telling you the market isn't expecting many goals. The fewer goals, the more chance of a draw.
How team performance points are calculated? ›
Team Performance: Spread based on the following occurring in a match: Win = 25 points, draw = 10, goal = 15, clean sheet = 10, each corner taken = 3, each yellow card = -5, each red card = -15.
Why do football teams get 3 points? ›
Rationale. "Three points for a win" is supposed to encourage more attacking play than "two points for a win", as teams will not settle for a draw if the prospect of gaining two extra points (by playing for a late winning goal) outweighs the prospect of losing one point by conceding a late goal to lose the match.
What happens if two teams tie in the World Cup? ›
What is the second tiebreaker during the FIFA World Cup? If two teams share the same number of points and goal differential, the next criteria to determine ranking is number of goals scored in all group matches. The higher-scoring team gets the advantage over the lower-scoring one.
What happens if two teams have same points in World Cup? ›
In such case, both teams will have seven or five points and qualify for the round of 16. However, group topper will be decided according to the following tiebreaker criteria, in the order below: ⦿ superior goal difference. ⦿ greatest number of goals scored.
Can you score 4 points in football? ›
Neither option is common, and four points have been scored just once in NFL history. This occurred in 1923 when the Chicago Cardinals scored four points against the Racine Legion. The Cardinals did so by twice scoring a safety.
What is the point of football? ›
The object of the game is to score points by advancing the football into the opposing team's end zone. The ball can be advanced by carrying the ball, or by throwing or handing it from one teammate to the other.
Field goal (3 points)
A field goal is scored when the ball is place kicked, drop kicked, or free kicked after a fair catch or awarded fair catch (High School or NFL only) between the goalposts behind the opponent's end zone.
How do you get 9 points football? ›
Recall that the ways to score in Football are safety (2 points), field goal (3 points), touchdown (6 points), touchdown + extra point (7 points), and touchdown + 2-point conversion (8 points). For example, given 9 as input, the program should return 4, since you could score: 1 touchdown + extra point and 1 safety.
Can you get 40 points in football? ›
In the 23 seasons since the Premier League was reduced to 20 clubs, only three sides have hit the 40-point mark and gone down – and none in the last 15 years. West Ham were relegated with 42 points in 2002-03, and Bolton and Sunderland both went down with 40 points on the board in the late 1990s.
Can you get 100 points in football? ›
In college football, games in which 100 points are scored by a single team are rare, especially since 1940. In the post-World War II era, it is considered in poor form to run up the score of lopsided games. There have been only three occurrences since 1970, and just one since 2000.
Can you score 50 points in football? ›
105 points (Kansas City Chiefs vs.
Both teams combined for 14 touchdowns and 1,001 yards. It is the only NFL game in which both teams have scored 50 points.
How do you get 8 points in a football game? ›
In football, a touchdown is scored as six points.
However, that is because teams must make an extra point after scoring the touchdown to get to seven points. They can even choose to go for a two-point conversion, resulting in the team ending up with eight points.
How do you score 2 points in football? ›
A safety in football is when the offense commits a foul in their end zone, fumbles the ball out of their end zone, or is tackled in their end zone. The result of safety is 2 points.
How do you write a goal? ›
How to Write Effective Goals
- Make it Actionable. Use a verb when writing your goal. ...
- Assign an Accountable Goal Owner. ...
- Establish Timing. ...
- Clearly Define Success. ...
- Connect to Why. ...
- Break it Down into Milestone Actions.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United and Portugal – 111
Unsurprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list of players with the most headed goals in the 21st century as he has found the back of the net 111 times using his head so far in his career.
Who has better goal ratio in football? ›
Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 0.80 Goal Ratio. The Argentine striker Lionel Messi has been one of the best players ever to grace on the football pitch. The 7 time Ballon d'Or winner has one of the best goal-per-game ratios of 0.80, which is mind-blowing.
Goal difference is most often used as a statistical tiebreaker between two teams tied on a league table (standings). If two or more teams have the same number of total points (awarded based on the results of matches), the team with the higher goal difference value will be awarded the higher position.
What happens if teams finish level on points and goal difference? ›
If two or more teams' total points scored and goal differences are both equal, then often goals scored is used as a further tiebreaker, with the team scoring the most goals winning. After this a variety of other tiebreakers may be used.
What happens if teams draw on points and goal difference? ›
What happens if teams are level on points, goal difference and goals scored at the World Cup? If teams finish level on points at the end of the group stage, the decision on who goes through will be decided as the team who scored the most goals out of those in question would progress.
Can 5 teams from same league play in Champions League? ›
If a club win the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League and finish in the top four, their qualification for the UCL through their league position is not transferred to another team. A maximum of five Premier League teams are eligible for UEFA Champions League qualification.
Who wins if goal difference is the same? ›
Goals scored
If countries win an equal number of points and have the same goal difference, the team that has scored the most goals comes out on top. This has eliminated sides from the World Cup on four occasions.
Is it better to have a higher or lower goal difference? ›
Because GD is written in terms of positive or negative numbers, with the number being determined by subtracting goals allowed from goals scored, a higher positive number result means that a team has more goals scored than goals allowed, which is far preferable to having more goals allowed than goals scored.
Who wins the Premier League if goal difference is the same? ›
If any clubs finish with the same number of points, their position in the Premier League table is determined by goal difference, then the number of goals scored, then the team who collected the most points in the head-to-head matches, then who scored most away goals in the head-to-head.
What if goal difference is the same? ›
If two or more teams end up with same points in points table, then team having more Goal Difference i.e., Goals Scored minus Goals Against, wins the title. if Goal Differences are also same for those teams, then team having more Goals Scored would win the title.
What decides after goal difference? ›
If the goal difference is the same for both teams, goals scored is the deciding factor. The team that has scored more goals in the three games will finish higher than the team who has scored fewer.
How many types of goals are there in football? ›
There are five goal categories: Progressive Pass, Basic Pass, Set Piece Pass, Individual Play, and Set Piece Kick.
Top 10 Best Goals of All Time
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs. NAC Breda (2004) ...
- Carlos Alberto vs. Italy (1970) ...
- George Weah vs. Verona (1996) ...
- Zinedine Zidane vs. Bayer Leverkusen (2002) ...
- Dennis Bergkamp vs. Newcastle (2002) ...
- Roberto Carlos vs. France (1997) ...
- Marco Van Basten vs. USSR (1988) ...
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs. England (2012)
World
| Player | Goals | For |
|---|
| Peter Osgood | 5 | Chelsea |
| Lionel Messi | 5 | Barcelona |
| Luiz Adriano | 5 | Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Aritz Aduriz | 5 | Athletic Bilbao |
5 more rowsUnlike the Premier League - which uses goal difference when teams are tied on points - the Champions League separates the teams on head-to-head points among the two fixtures between the sides.
Can goal difference go down? ›
In the event the two teams finish with the same number of points, goal difference would decide who finishes second. If that is also equal come the end of the campaign, English Football League rules state it will come down to goals scored.
Who has better goal ratio? ›
Pele is considered by most to be the best player in the history of football. Pele has officially scored 767 goals in 831 games.
Has anyone been relegated on goal difference? ›
"Manchester City completed an awesome double in 1937-38," says Ian Kay. "Not only did they become the only team ever to be relegated with a positive goal difference, they also became the only team ever to be relegated the year after being champions.
Is Champions League group stage head to head or goal difference? ›
Teams that finish level on points after their six Champions League group stage games are first determined by head-to-head points in the fixtures between the two sides. This is different to the Premier League, which uses goal difference to separate sides when they are tied on the same number of points.
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