Points system and tie-breakers in a league

The points system decides who wins the league and, above all, how people feel about it. A well-thought-out split rewards the winners and avoids arguments when two teams finish level. Let's look at the most common options.

Points per fixture: 3-1-0 or 2-1-0

If your fixtures have an odd number of games (5 or 7), a draw isn't possible and 1-0 or 3-0 will do.

Games within the fixture

As well as the team's points, it's worth keeping the fixture score (for example, 4-3), because you'll use it to break ties. Each game won adds 1 to the score (or 0.5 if the game can end in a draw).

The most commonly used tie-breakers

1. Game difference: games for minus games against across the whole league.
2. Games for: the team that has won the most games.
3. Head-to-head: the result between the tied teams (only works with two teams level, or a mini-league between them).
4. A draw of lots or a play-off if everything above is level.

Choose the order of criteria before you start and write it in the rules. Changing it once the league is under way is the best recipe for an argument.

A worked example

Two teams finish on 18 points. Team A has 31 games for and 25 against (+6) and team B 29 to 24 (+5). Using game difference as the tie-breaker, A is champion. Had head-to-head been chosen and B won both meetings, B would be champion. That's why it matters to settle it beforehand.

Individual ranking: how many games are needed

If you also keep a player ranking, set a minimum number of games to qualify; otherwise someone who plays a single game and wins it would have 100%. A simple rule is to require a percentage of the games of the most active player (for example, 60%): that way the bar rises by itself as the season goes on.

Let the tool do the sums

With CreaTuLiga you choose the points system when you create the league, and the standings apply score difference as the tie-breaker automatically, for both teams and players. You can start for free.

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