The number of points that your team finishes the season with is crucial, as it determines how successful you have been.
But how does point scoring work in soccer? And what impact do goals scored and conceded have on your points total? Let’s find out.
How does point scoring work in soccer?
In soccer, your team receives three points for a win and one point for a tie. If you lose the match, you receive zero points. It doesn’t matter whether you win 1-0 or 10-0; you still only receive three points for a win. Equally, if you draw 0-0 or 5-5, you still only receive one point for a draw. In this sense, point-scoring in soccer is super easy to understand, and we explain it in more detail in the following sections.
The history of points in soccer
Until the 1980s, you only received two points for winning a game of soccer. However, in 1981, the English football league introduced three points for a win for the first time, and it was really only popular in the United Kingdom until the early 1990s.
At the USA 1994 World Cup, three points were awarded for wins, which led FIFA to introduce the amendment to the point scoring system in all of their competitions. In the nineties, most club leagues around the world followed suit, and three points for a win was now the standard system.
One point for a draw has always been the case in professional soccer, and a team has never received any points for a defeat, regardless of how many goals they score.
Do goals contribute towards points?
In many respects, point and goal-scoring go hand-in-hand in soccer. After all, if you don’t score any goals, the maximum number of points you can win is one. For instance, if you were to park the bus and keep the score at 0-0, you would win a point.
However, the main objective in soccer is to outscore your opponent to win the maximum amount of points – this much has always been true. If your opponents score two goals, you need to score at least three to win the maximum points, and so on.
It’s important to realize that goals on their own do not win you points in soccer.
For example, if you lose a game 5-4, you will receive the same amount of points (zero) as if you lost the game 5-0. The fact that you scored four goals doesn’t mean anything in terms of the outcome of the match.
It will, however, significantly affect your goal difference, as we explain in one of the following sections, as this can be a crucial determinant of where your team finishes in the league.
So, unless the goals that you score earn you a draw or win you the match, they don’t help you secure any points.
Do you lose points if you concede goals?
Just like you don’t receive additional points by scoring goals, you don’t lose any points if you concede goals. Remember, point-scoring in soccer is extremely easy to understand. You get three points for a win, one point for a tie, and zero points for a loss.
The number of goals you score and concede are only used to determine the outcome of the match (win, tie, or loss), and that’s it. However, keeping a clean sheet in soccer is great for your team and is something that you should always look to incorporate into your game management.
After all, if you’re able to keep a clean sheet, you will leave the game with at least one point, which is certainly better than zero!
Are there any bonus points in soccer?
The concept of bonus points is popular in lots of sports in the world, but soccer isn’t one of them. Again, the scoring system employed in soccer couldn’t be easier to understand, and there are no ways in which your team can be awarded bonus points.
Bonus points are used in rugby union, for instance. They were introduced by authorities to encourage attacking play and to make the sport more enjoyable for spectators. If your team in rugby scores more than four tries, they receive a bonus point.
While such an amendment to the law could certainly catch on in soccer, there is no indication that any changes are likely to be made in the future.
How cool would it be to tune into a game where both teams were going full-out attacking to try and win that bonus point?! It would certainly make things more exciting towards the end of the season, that’s for sure.
How can you get a points deduction in soccer?
You may have looked at league tables around the world and noticed that teams have a minus next to their points total. But how on earth can you score minus points in soccer? Well, there are several reasons why you might receive a points deduction.
Perhaps the most common reason in the modern game is if you break the rules of the competition in which your team is competing. For many clubs, this is something to do with the financial aspect of the game, rather than breaking the rules on the pitch.
For instance, Derby County started the EFL Championship in 2021 on minus 21 points because the club entered administration. Coached by former MLS player Wayne Rooney, the Rams are on a remarkable run and may even stay in the division!
Other reasons that you might incur a points deduction include racism or the inappropriate behavior of your supporters, or perhaps even being caught up in a match-fixing scandal, as was the case with Juventus a few years ago in Italy.
All this being said, points deductions are relatively rare in soccer, with authorities preferring to issue fines when clubs fail to behave in the correct manner.
How does a league table work in soccer?
The reason why points are so important to understand in soccer is that they contribute to the overall league table at the end of the season. The team at the top wins the title, while the team at the bottom gets relegated.
In many leagues in the world, certain positions are given to the play-offs, while others secure qualification for international competitions for those clubs that finish high enough up the league.
If you’ve ever looked at a league table, you will see the following sections, and we explain why it’s important to understand the below:
Games Played (GP)
At the end of the regular season, all teams will have played the same amount of games. The GP statistic is important throughout the season because it shows which teams have games in hand.
For instance, if your team is on 30 points from 15 games, but your nearest rival is on 30 points from 17 games, you have two games in hand on them. So, by the time you have played the same amount of games, you could be six points ahead of them.
This is an important metric to look at as the season progresses so you can see how your team is actually performing.
Points (Pts)
Naturally, the total number of points is the most important figure in the table. The more points you have, the higher you move up the league.
Goals For (GF)
Represented in the table as GF or (+), goals for simply refers to how many goals your team has scored in the current season.
Goals Against (GA)
Represented in the table as GA or (-), goals-against simply refers to how many goals your team has conceded in the current season.
Goal Difference (GD)
Goal difference is a calculation between your goals for and goals against. Here’s an example to show what we mean:
Let’s say your team has scored 48 goals and conceded 52. You would have a goal difference of -4. Conversely, if your team has scored 99 goals and conceded only 30, you would have a goal difference of +69.
Why is goal difference important?
The reason why goal difference is so important is that if you finish level on points at the end of a league season, goal difference is used to determine the winner of the league. So, if you and your nearest rivals both end the season with 96 points, the authority will consider your goal difference.
The team with the higher goal difference will win the title. If your goal difference and points are the same, the league will then look at your goals scored. If you have outscored your opponents in the season, you will be awarded the title.
Recap: Points scoring in soccer
The good news for anyone new to soccer is that the point scoring system in the game is super simple. Here’s the key takeaway – 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss.
There are no bonus points, and goals scored or conceded don’t affect your points tally (other than the result of the match).
From this perspective, understanding how soccer works is nice and simple and should give you the confidence you need to get involved.
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