When teams finish level, competitions need rules to separate them. These tie-breakers decide group standings and two-legged knock-out ties.
Two-legged ties
Many qualifiers and club competitions play a home and an away leg. The team with the higher aggregate score (both matches added together) goes through. If the aggregate is level, the competition rules decide what happens next.
The away goals rule
For decades, a level aggregate was broken by away goals: the team that scored more goals away from home went through. The rule was meant to encourage attacking football away from home. UEFA abolished it from the 2021–22 season, arguing that home advantage had shrunk, and many competitions have followed. Where it is not used, a level aggregate goes to extra time and then a penalty shoot-out. Always check the regulations of the specific competition, because practice still varies.
Group stage tie-breakers
When teams finish a group on the same points, competitions typically compare, in a set order:
- points in the matches between the teams concerned (head-to-head);
- goal difference in those matches;
- goals scored in those matches;
- goal difference in all group matches;
- goals scored in all group matches;
- fair play points (fewer cards is better);
- drawing of lots.
The order differs between competitions: some, like the World Cup, put overall goal difference before head-to-head results, while others put head-to-head first.
Best runners-up
When some runners-up qualify, as in World Cup qualifying in Africa, teams in different groups are compared on points, goal difference and goals scored. If groups are uneven in size, results against the bottom team of larger groups may be removed. See how World Cup qualifying works in Africa.
Why it matters on our site
Our tournament tables rank teams by points, then goal difference and goals scored, and count shoot-outs as draws, which can differ from official standings that apply head-to-head rules.