Goal difference
Goal difference, goal differential or points difference is a form of
).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
Goal difference has often replaced the older goal average, or goal ratio. Goal average is the number of goals scored divided by the number of goals conceded,[2] and is therefore a dimensionless quantity. It was replaced by goal difference, which was thought to encourage more attacking play, encouraging teams to score more goals (or points) as opposed to defending against conceding.[1] However goal average is still used as a tiebreaker in Australia, where it is referred to as "percentage". This is calculated as points scored divided by points conceded, and then multiplied by 100.[3]
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.[4] After this a variety of other tiebreakers may be used.
Goal difference v. goal average
Team A | 3–0 | Team B |
---|---|---|
Team B | 6–0 | Team C |
---|---|---|
Team A | 0–1 | Team C |
---|---|---|
Under goal average, Team A would win:
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Team A | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3.000 | 3 |
2 | Team B | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2.000 | 3 |
3 | Team C | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0.167 | 3 |
Under goal difference, Team B would win:
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Team B | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 3 |
2 | Team A | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 3 |
3 | Team C | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 3 |
Goal average was replaced by goal difference due to the former's encouragement of lower-scoring games. For example, a team that scores 70 while conceding 40 would have a lesser goal average (1.750) than another team that scores 69 while conceding 39 (1.769). Or, for the team that has scored 70 while conceding 40, conceding another would reduce the goal average by 0.043 (to 1.707), whereas scoring another would increase it by only 0.025 (to 1.775), making not conceding much more important than scoring again.
The opposite effect occurs when the number of goals scored is less than the number of goals conceded, with goal difference encouraging more defensive play for teams in relegation battles. Consider a team that scores 10 while conceding 20. Under goal difference, an extra goal scored cancels out an extra goal conceded. However, under goal average, an extra goal would increase the goal average by 0.05, while conceding would reduce it by only 0.024.
Another issue with goal average is that, if a team has conceded no goals (e.g. England in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Group 1), the value cannot be calculated, as division by zero is undefined.
Titles decided on goal difference
Netherlands top-flight
2007, PSV Eindhoven and Ajax
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | AZ Alkmaar | 33 | 21 | 9 | 3 | 81 | 28 | +53 | 72 |
2 | Ajax | 33 | 22 | 6 | 5 | 82 | 35 | +47 | 72 |
3 | PSV Eindhoven | 33 | 22 | 6 | 5 | 70 | 24 | +46 | 72 |
Heading into the final day of the
These final matches were played on April 29, 2007. AZ struggled against
Meanwhile, in Tilburg, Ajax took the lead in the 18th minute with a goal from Urby Emanuelson. Ajax added a second goal in the 69th minute as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored his 21st goal of the season.[6]
Meanwhile, PSV scored twice in the first 10 minutes, but gave up a goal three minutes later and led only 2–1 at half-time. In the second half, Ibrahim Afellay scored in the 58th minute before another goal from Jefferson Farfan made the score 4–1 to PSV.[7]
Following Huntelaar's 69th-minute goal, PSV and Ajax were level on points and goal difference, but Ajax had a superior goals scored. But in the 77th minute, Philip Cocu put PSV up 5–1 and the team was up on goal difference (+50 to Ajax's +49). The scores stayed that way at full time, and so PSV won the 2006–07 Eredivisie in one of the most exciting finishes to a season in recent memory.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | PSV Eindhoven | 34 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 75 | 25 | +50 | 75 |
2 | Ajax | 34 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 84 | 35 | +49 | 75 |
3 | AZ Alkmaar | 34 | 21 | 9 | 4 | 83 | 31 | +52 | 72 |
Iceland top-flight
2010, FH Hafnarfjörður
The 2010 Úrvalsdeild season concluded on September 25, 2010, and three teams were still in contention to win the league title. Leading the table was Breiðablik, based in Kópavogur, who knew that a win would give them their first ever league title. Trailing one point behind were ÍBV from Vestmannaeyjar, who were looking to win their fourth league title, but its first since 1998. In third place was two-time defending champions FH, looking to win the league title, but trailing Breiðablik by only two points.
Breiðablik traveled to Stjarnan and were held to a scoreless draw, but would get encouraging news. Playing their final game at Keflavík, ÍBV were losing 2–0 with 16 minutes remaining when Denis Sytnik scored for ÍBV to cut the deficit to 2–1. But two late goals from Keflavík's Magnús Þorsteinsson and Bojan Ljubicic denied ÍBV a chance to overtake Breiðablik, as ÍBV lost to Keflavík by 4–1.
Meanwhile, a draw opened the door for FH as they traveled to Reykjavík to face Fram needing to overturn an 11-goal difference. FH got two goals from Gunnar Kristjansson and a third from Atli Viðar Björnsson (which would tie him with two players for the league lead with 14 goals). However, the 3–0 victory was not enough to deny Breiðablik their first ever league title.[8][9][10][11]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Breiðablik UBK
|
22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 47 | 23 | +24 | 44 |
2 | FH Hafnarfjörður
|
22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 48 | 31 | +17 | 44 |
3 | ÍBV
|
22 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 36 | 27 | +9 | 42 |
Hungary top-flight
2014, Debreceni VSC and Győri ETO FC
Ahead of the final day of the
England top-flight
2012, Manchester City and Manchester United
The
A Manchester City win would guarantee the title due to a realistically unassailable superior goal difference. If not a win, then City just needed to match United's result at the Stadium of Light against Sunderland or have United lose against Sunderland. United scored in the 20th minute, winning 1–0. City scored two goals in injury time to come from behind and win 3–2.[14]
1989, Arsenal and Liverpool
Arsenal won the league championship on goals-scored, after finishing level on points and goal difference with Liverpool in the 1988–89 season. Arsenal defeated Liverpool 2–0 in the final game of the season to win the championship.
England lower division titles decided on goal difference
Sheffield Wednesday
Chelsea 88 points and goal difference 50, Sheffield Wednesday 88 points and goal difference 38.
Leeds United–Sheffield United
Leeds United 85 points and goal difference 27, Sheffield United 85 points and goal difference 20.
Carlisle United
Burnley 80 points and goal difference 21, Carlisle United 80 points and goal difference 15.
2016–17, League 2 – Portsmouth-Plymouth Argyle
Portsmouth 87 points and goal difference 39, Plymouth 87 points and goal difference 25.
2021–22, League 2 – Forest Green-Exeter City
Forest Green 84 points and goal difference 31, Exeter City 84 points and goal difference 24.
(N.B. in
Scotland
1986, Premier Division – Hearts–Celtic
In 1986, Hearts lost 2–0 at Dundee on the final day of the season, which allowed Celtic to win the league championship on goal difference. Had the first tie-breaker been a goal average, Hearts would have won the championship.[15]
2003, Premier League – Old Firm
Rangers won the Scottish Premier League in 2003 on goal difference. In the final round of matches, Rangers played Dunfermline, while second-placed Celtic were playing at Kilmarnock. With Celtic and Rangers level on 94 points going into these matches, the Championship would be decided by which team, Celtic or Rangers, performed best during the final round of matches. If both teams won they would each finish on 97 points, and the League would be decided on goal difference. Rangers won 6–1 and Celtic won 4–0, which left Rangers with a goal difference of 73 (101 for and 28 against), and Celtic a goal difference of 72 (98 scored and 26 against) giving Rangers the title.
Titles decided on goal average
England top-flight
1924, First Division–Huddersfield Town-Cardiff City
In the
1950, First Division–Portsmouth-Wolverhampton Wanderers
In the
1953, First Division–Arsenal-Preston North End
In the
1965, First Division–Manchester United-Leeds United
In the
England lower divisions
1950, Second Division–Sheffield United-Sheffield Wednesday
Going into the last game of the
1927, Second Division – Portsmouth-Manchester City
Going into the last game of the
Scotland
1953, Division A – Rangers–Hibernian
1965, First Division – Hearts–Kilmarnock
Entering the final day of the
Yugoslavia
1951, First League – Red Star Belgrade–Dinamo Zagreb
Red Star Belgrade won the 1951 Yugoslav First League championship ahead of Dinamo Zagreb with a 0.013 better goal average. Dinamo's final match against BSK Belgrade ended in a 2–2 draw, and the following day Red Star defeated Partizan 2–0, meaning that both teams finished on 35 points. Red Star's 50 goals for and 21 against gave a goal average of 2.381, while Dinamo's 45 to 19 gave 2.368.[17][18]
1958, First League – RNK Split–Budućnost
In the 1957–58 Yugoslav First League championship, RNK Split and Budućnost finished the season leveled on points and goal average. Both teams had 25 points, with Budućnost's 30 goals for and 36 against giving a goal average of 0.833, the same as RNK Split's 35 goals for and 42 against. A two-legged play-off match between the two was needed to decide who will enter relegation play-offs. The match in Split ended in a goalless draw, while in the return leg Budućnost defeated RNK Split 4–0. RNK Split entered the relegation play-offs and was relegated in their first season in the top flight.[19]
See also
- Net Run Rate, a similar tiebreaker in cricket
References
- ^ ISBN 9780099584230.
- ^ "goal average". Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
- ^ "Calculating Percentages for the AFL Ladder". The Power From Port. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
- ^ "Who wins the League if teams have the same number of points?". FA Premier League. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
- ^ "Excelsior vs. AZ – 29 April 2007 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
- ^ "Willem II vs. Ajax – 29 April 2007 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
- ^ "PSV vs. Vitesse – 29 April 2007 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
- ^ uefa.com (25 September 2010). "Breidablik celebrate first Icelandic title – UEFA.com". www.uefa.com.
- ^ "Stjarnan vs. Breidablik – 25 September 2010 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
- ^ "Keflavík vs. ÍBV – 25 September 2010 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
- ^ "Fram vs. FH – 25 September 2010 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
- ^ uefa.com (31 May 2014). "Member associations - Hungary - News – UEFA.com".
- ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson eyes 'stupid' Manchester City result". BBC Sport. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
- ^ "How Joey Barton handed Manchester City the Premier League title". The Guardian. 13 May 2012. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
- ^ a b Forsyth, Roddy (22 May 2009). "How Hearts lost the Scottish title to Celtic in 1986". Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on 2022-01-12. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- ^ "Rangers Champions". Manchester Guardian. 8 May 1953.
- ^ "Ovako je sve počelo..." crvenazvezdafk.com (in Serbian). 5 November 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- ^ "Šest decenija od prve Zvezdine titule". sportal.rs (in Serbian). 2 November 2011. Archived from the original on 4 November 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- ^ Bibić, Milorad (16 April 2002). "Devedeset ljeta splitskih crvenih". Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). Retrieved 26 January 2012.