Tie-Breakers for Football Teams Level on Points

By: Daryl | May 18th, 2009
   

As far as I’m aware, every football league in the world uses number of points gained as the way to rank teams in a table. Everyone seems to agree that that’s definitely the way to go, and football is all the better for it.

But not everyone agrees on how to split teams that finish level on points. There are various methods used in various orders of preference by various soccer leagues. Goal difference, goals scored, head to head record, games won, a specially arranged playoff. Tossing a coin and drawing lots even comes into it, when things get desperate.

Here’s a(n incomplete list) of which football leagues use which tie-breakers (and in which order) when two or more teams finish level on points.


Argentina Primera Division: Playoff at neutral venue

Austrian Bundesliga: 1. Goal difference, 2. Goals scored

Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1. Number of wins, 2. Goal difference, 3. Goals scored, 4. Head-to-head (with away goals rule), 5. Lower number of red cards, 6. Lower number of yellow cards, 7. Drawing lots (unless for title or relegation, in which case: playoff at neutral venue)

Belgium Erste Klasse: 1. Games won, 2. Two-legged play-off

English Premier League: 1. Goal difference, 2. Goals scored, 3. Playoff at neutral venue (if for title, relegation or Euro qualification, otherwise: teams share position)

France Ligue 1: 1. Goal difference, 2. Goals scored

German Bundesliga: 1. Goal difference, 2. Goals scored, 3. Head to head points, 4. Head to head goal difference, 5. Head to head away goals scored, 6. Total away goals scored, 7. Playoff at neutral venue

Super League Greece: 1. Head to head points, 2. Head to head goal difference, 3. Playoff at neutral venue

Italy Serie A: 1. Head to head records, 2. Goal difference

J-League (Japan): 1. Goal difference, 2. Goals scored, 3. Head-to-head points, 4. Head-to-head goal difference, 5. Head-to-head goals scored, 6. Fairplay points (lower number wins), 7. Drawing of lots

Major League Soccer (USA): 1. Head to head, 2. Goal difference, 3. Goals scored, 4. Start tie-breakers again but away games only, 5. And again with home games only, 6. Fewest disciplinary points, 7. Coin toss (no, seriously!)

Primera División de México: 1. Goal difference, 2. Goals scored

Netherlands Eredivise: 1. Goal difference, 2. Goals scored

Polish Ekstraklasa: 1. Head-to-head points, 2. Head-to-head goal difference, 3. Head-to-head “away goals” rule, 4. Goal difference, 5. Goals scored, 6. Fair Play classification, 7. Playoff at neutral venue

Portuguese Liga: 1. Head to head points, 2. Head to head goal difference, 3. Head to head away goals scored, 4. Goal difference, 5. Number of wins

Russian Premier League: 1. Number of wins, 2. Goal differece (But if to decide title then: Number of wins, head to head results, championship playoff at neutral venue)

Scottish Premier League: 1. Goal difference, 2. goals scored

Spain La Liga: 1. Head to head points, 2. Head to head goal difference, 3. Head to head goals scored, 4. Goal difference, 5. Goals scored

Allsvenskan (Sweden): 1. Goal difference, 2. Goals scored

Turkish Süper Lig: 1. Goal difference, 2. Goals scored

UEFA Champions League group stage: 1. Head to head points, 2. Head to head goal difference, 3. Away goals between tied teams, 4. Goal difference, 5. Goals scored, 6. UEFA co-effecient points

AFC Champions League group stage: 1. Head-to-head points, 2. Head-to-head goal difference, 3. Head-to-head goals scored, 4. Goal difference in all group games, 5. Goals scored in all group games, 6. PKs (if they played against each other in the final game of the group), 7. Fairplay points (lower number wins, meaning fewer yellow and reds accumulated), 8. Drawing of lots

World Cup group stage: 1. Goal difference, 2. Goals scored, 3. Head to head points, 4. Head to head goal difference, 5. Drawing of lots (for reals, see page 20)


If any of the above is incorrect or incomplete, please let me know in the comments. And please do the same if you know the tie-breakers for any leagues not mentioned above. The goal here is to get a fairly conclusive list together that can be used for future reference.


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  • Josh, read the post again.

    Read the phrase "for reals" in reference to the MLS coin toss and the phrase "no, seriously" in reference to the World Cup drawing of lots.

  • Josh

    Interesting that you make fun the MLS for using a coin flip, but seem to be OK with many others (including the World Cup) using a drawing of lots. They are the same thing!! But of course anything that is American must be bad.

  • olliemag

    Can anyone help. This Saturday 30th May, Italy series B, are Mantova safe from relegation?
    If Pisa and Modena both win and Mantova lose, all three would be on 51 points. Who finishes lower and goes in the relegation play off. A mini group shows all three have 5 points and zero goal diff. Would it be Mantova on fewer mini group goals/ away goals, or would it probably be Modena on worst normal league goal difference?

  • olliemag

    Excellent article, crucial for betting. I agree with all stated except Turkey. Turkey is 1.Head to head points 2.head to head goal difference 3. head to head total goals.

    Wikipedia gives the wrong information on Czech republic saying Goal difference. At the end of the season I believe it is head to head results that count.

  • Ian

    I'd like to see more leagues adopt a play-off, or at least head-to-head records if points are even.

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