Last updated on November 7th, 2023 at 08:04 pm
Since friendly matches don’t count for wins or personal stats, they can end in a tie since there does not need to be a winner. Think of a friendly game as a spring training game in baseball where the game’s conclusion does not matter at all. Since these friendly games also allow more substitutions than a regular-season game, player stats don’t count because star players don’t play the entire game, and thus neither does the outcome.
Professional soccer games can also end in a tie during the regular season, which still holds value for teams since tying gives you one match point. The game concludes after 90 minutes because the game isn’t a knockout match during the regular season. That means there does not need to be a winner to move on to the next round.
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Soccer Match Point Brief Explanation
Match points help determine the standings for professional soccer clubs. The football club with the most match points is first in the standings. Here is the breakdown of how match points occur during the season.
- Win: 3 Points
- Tie: 1 Point
- Loss: Zero Points
How Do Ties Help Soccer Teams During the Regular Season?
A tie in the English Premier League or Major League Soccer gives both teams one point in the rankings. At the end of the season, a team’s match point combines wins and ties. Each win receives three points, while a tie is worth one point.
Tying during a game, especially when playing a difficult appointment, is an achievement. A tie as an away team is also seen as a success, especially if the away team plays in a challenging environment due to the fan’s atmosphere or opponent.
Tying Means Both Squads Were Even During a Match
A tie in professional soccer leagues is also a sign of respect between the two squads. Since both units play two 45 minute periods that require lots of running around the pitch, tying a game promotes good sportsmanship at the end of the match. A tie game at the end illustrates that both teams were equal, and they shouldn’t keep playing because they were on the same level that day.
Usually, you will see players shake each other’s hands or give hugs to the opposing team after a game.
Tying is Good for the Fans via Mutual Respect
Soccer matches that end in a tie are also good for the fans. While everyone wants to see their squad win a game, tying creates a sense of mutual respect between fans of different teams. Mutual respect between fans at a game is essential during competition.
Why I Like Ties in Soccer
As a new soccer fan, I was a bit skeptical when I heard about ties in soccer. However, I’ve been to plenty of MLS games and have seen numerous ties. The most recent tie that I saw took place in September 2023 at Gillette Stadium where the New England Revolution gave up a tying goal in the final minutes. The game ended in a tie, but it did feel like a loss. While the feeling doesn’t feel good for a fan, it does add another element to soccer that is different from other sports, which is something I like.
Keeps Players Healthy from Unnecessary Play Time
A soccer match is grueling due to running around constantly during a game. With tackles, collisions, and bruises during a game, not playing extra time during the regular season keeps players fresh for the next game. Since regular-season games don’t need a winner, each team gets one point for a tie and moves on to the next game on the schedule.
What Games Don’t End in a Tie?
A winner needs to occur if a soccer game is in the playoffs, like the MLS Cup playoffs. The same goes with something like the World Cup Final. If, after 90 minutes of the game is in a tie, then extra time occurs.
Extra time is two 15-minute halves that both teams play in full to determine a winner. The first team who scores during extra time does not win automatically since both teams need to play the full 30 minutes of extra time.
If the game is still in a tie after extra time, then the game moves into penalty kicks to determine a winner.
Can Ties Occur in the UEFA Champions League?
Like in the UEFA Champions League, club tournaments use an aggregate scoring process to determine a winner. The UEFA Champions League tournament is two games, so there is a good chance that the teams can split one win from each other. If that is the case, an aggregate scoring result occurs to break the tiebreaker and allow one group to move to the next round.
Can the FIFA World Cup Have Ties?
During the group stage of the World Cup, there can be ties. However, once the FIFA World Cup moves into the knockout stage, there needs to be a winner. During the knockout stage, it works with extra time and then a penalty shootout if there still is a tie during a game.
Do Ties Occur in NCAA Soccer Games?
NCAA soccer games go into an overtime period if the game is in a tie after 90 minutes of action. The golden goal rule makes NCAA soccer games different from professional games and declares a winning team based on who scores first. The golden goal rule differs from professional soccer games where the full 30 minutes of extra time need to conclude before a winner is declared, even if a team scores first.
Conclusion: Why Do Soccer Games End in a Tie
In summary, professional soccer matches end in a tie for a few reasons. First, soccer leagues use a match point system that sums up wins and ties for each team to determine the best squad that year. Tying gives each team one point, which goes into their tally for match points.
Second, tying is a way to keep players healthy by not playing unnecessary extra time. Since regular-season games don’t need a winner, the league doesn’t want players to hurt themselves in playing longer than 90 minutes. In addition to keeping players healthy, tying during a game helps promote mutual respect between fans at the match.
Soccer (association football) matches don’t tie during a knockout game. During the MLS Cup playoffs, a knockout round needs a winner to move to the next game or have a winner. There won’t be a tie during these knockout stages when soccer games occur, which is when you will see things like a penalty kick shootout.
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Greg Kristan( Owner and Author of The Stadium Reviews )
Greg Kristan, owner of The Stadium Reviews, LLC andTM Blast, LLC, brings his extensive experience visiting over half of the MLB ballparks, along with numerous MLS, NHL, NBA, and NFL venues, to provide in-depth coverage on the bag policy, food options, and parking. He has also been interviewed about his experiences on several sports podcasts.
