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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Category: World Football
Tags: games won, goal difference, goals scored, head to head, level on points, Playoffs, tie-breaker.tie breaker, World Football, World SoccerSubscribe
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Comments
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Didnt know the premier league did a play-off if GD and GS is the same. Has that ever been the case though?
Do these rules apply for teams level on points in contention to win the league, or do they also apply for relegation spots, european spots, etc?
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J-League uses the following.
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, meaning fewer yellow and reds accumulation over the season)
7. Drawing of lotsPosted from
United States -
For Serie A:
if two or more teams end the season with the same number of points, the ordering is determined by their head-to-head records. In case two or more teams have same total points and same head-to-head records, goal difference becomes the secondary deciding factor.
Posted from
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In general, I love stuff like this (international comparisons of rules/regs). Thank you.
Posted from
United States -
Asian Champions League
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 lotsPosted from
United States -
Polish Ekstraklasa:
1. Head-to-head points
2. Head-to-head goal difference
3. Head-to-head “away goals” rule
4. Goal difference during the entire season
5. Number of goals scored during the entire season
6. Fair Play classification
7. Playoff at neutral venuePosted from
Poland -
The post is about “Tie Breakers for Football Teams Tied on Points” but off topic, during a cup game, what if there are no flood lights and the referee suspends the penalty shoot-out due to darkness?
On October 29, 1996, two Alsatian teams, Obernai (PH, sixth level) and ASCA Wittelsheim (N3, fifth level) played each other to a 2-2 draw after extra time, and then started an interminable shoot-out. Literally: after both teams had taken 20 penalties (so 40 in all), the score was 15-15, both having missed 5. At that stage the referee had to suspend the shoot-out due to darkness. As the fixture list was congested, the League of Alsatia (Ligue d’Alsace) decided to qualify Obernai to the 6th round of the cup, as the lower level team in the league pyramid.
Posted from
United States -
The tie-breakers in Brazil’s Série A are actually:
1) number of victories
2) goal difference
3) goals scored
4) head-to-head
5) lower number of red cards
6) lower number of yellow cards
7) drawing lotsIf it’s head-to-head between two clubs, their two games are treated like a cup tie, with the away goals rule. Also, the championship and the relegation spots can’t be decided by drawing lots — they would hold another game in a neutral venue.
Posted from
United States -
Haha penalties are a bad enough lottery, but can you imagine losing a title from a coin flip!?
Posted from
Spain -
I think a 11 vs 11 rock paper scissors would be best, and would obviously test the mental strength of players (in the same way as penalty shootouts does). So what if it doesnt have anything to do with football…
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Drabik,
Just done a bit of reading and the Premier League only uses a playoff when the title, relegation or Euro qualification is at stake:
“If at the end of the Season either the League Champions or the Clubs to be relegated or the
question of qualification for other competitions cannot be determined because 2 or more
Clubs are equal on points, goal difference and goals scored, the Clubs concerned shall play off
one or more deciding League Matches on neutral grounds, the format, timing and venue of
which shall be determined by the Board.”Premier League Handbook (bottom of page 82)
Posted from
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Much thanks Jeremy, Francesco, dylan, and Jacek.
Have updated the post with that information.
Posted from
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I’d like to see more leagues adopt a play-off, or at least head-to-head records if points are even.
Posted from
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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.
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United Kingdom -
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?Posted from
United Kingdom -
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.
Posted from
United States -
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.
Posted from
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