The formula
points = won × 3 + drawn × 1
Where it comes from
Three points for a win and one for a draw has been standard since the nineties, when it went up from two to reward attacking play, but it is not universal: hockey gives two and scores overtime separately, and some futsal leagues have their own rules. That is why the points are fields. What does not change is the tie-break order: points first, then goal difference, then goals scored, which rewards the side that attacks rather than only the one that concedes less.
How to work it out by hand
- Work out each team points with your competition values
- Sort by points, highest first
- On level points, sort by goal difference
- If still level, by goals scored
What is worth knowing
The points-still-available figure is what settles whether a title is mathematically won: if the leader lead is bigger than what is left to play for, there is nothing more to do. Watch out, though, because many leagues put head-to-head record ahead of goal difference — Spain does, England does not — and there the order can change without any of the numbers changing. This calculator applies the most widely used international criterion.