If you’ve been following soccer for a while, tournaments like the World Cup or the Olympics probably mean a lot to you. You might already know how ties work. But if you’re new to soccer, now is a great time to learn how scoring and ties are handled in the game. For some, the idea that a soccer match, even in big tournaments, can end in a tie is surprising. People often wonder, “Doesn’t someone need to win?” Well, not always. The rules vary depending on where the game takes place and what stage of a tournament it is. In this article, we will provide a detailed look at how ties are handled in soccer, including in events like the World Cup and the Olympics.
Soccer Tiebreakers in Tournaments
Let’s break down each tie-breaking method and when they are used.
1. Game Ends in a Tie, and Teams Get One Point
In most soccer leagues around the world, if a game ends in a tie, the game just stops. Each team earns one point, and those points contribute to their standings in the league table. For example, in a league system like the English Premier League or the group stages of the World Cup, every team plays each other twice, once at home and once away. In these cases, the goal isn’t to win every game but to earn enough points over the course of the season to rank high on the table. A win gets a team three points, a tie gets them one, and a loss earns them zero. At the end of the season, the team with the most points wins the league.
During the group stages of the World Cup, the same rule applies. Teams get three points for a win, one point for a tie, and zero for a loss. The two teams with the most points in each group move on to the knockout rounds.
2. Extra Time and Penalty Shootouts
In tournaments where a winner must be decided, like the knockout rounds of the World Cup or the Olympics, ties can’t happen. If the score is still tied after the standard 90 minutes, the game goes into two extra periods of 15 minutes each. These extra periods are known as “extra time.” If a team scores more than the other during extra time, they win. If no one scores, the game goes to a penalty shootout. In a penalty shootout, each team selects five players to take shots from the penalty spot, 12 yards away from the goal. Each player takes turns trying to score, and the team that scores the most out of five wins. If the teams are still tied after five shots, they continue to take one penalty shot each until one team scores and the other doesn’t—this is called “sudden death.” The penalty shootout can continue for a long time if neither team misses, but the game ends as soon as one team pulls ahead.
For example, in the 2005 Namibian Cup, a game between KK Palace and Civics lasted through 48 penalty kicks before KK Palace finally won!
3. Replays or Rematches
Historically, if teams tied in important matches, they would stop playing and come back another day for a rematch. Before the introduction of penalty shootouts in the 1970s, soccer tournaments would often rely on replays to decide a winner. This is still done occasionally in modern soccer. For example, the early rounds of the FA Cup in England allow for replays if a game ends in a tie. The teams come back a few days later to play again, and only if that game also ends in a tie does the game go into extra time or a penalty shootout.
How Ties Work in Major Tournaments?
Ties in the World Cup
In the World Cup, the tournament begins with a group stage. During this stage, ties are allowed. Teams are placed into groups, and they play each other in a round-robin format. For each win, teams earn three points, and for each tie, they earn one point. After the group stage, the two teams with the most points from each group move on to the knockout stage. Once the knockout stage begins, ties are not allowed. If a game ends in a tie after 90 minutes, the teams play 30 minutes of extra time. If it’s still tied after that, the game moves to a penalty shootout to decide the winner. This format ensures that only one team can advance in each round until a World Cup champion is crowned.
Ties in the Olympics
Soccer in the Olympics works almost the same way as the World Cup. The tournament starts with a group stage where ties are allowed, and teams earn points based on the results. After the group stage, the tournament moves into knockout rounds, where ties are broken with extra time and penalty shootouts. The rules are slightly different for the men’s and women’s tournaments in the Olympics. For instance, in the women’s tournament, the two best third-place teams from the group stage also advance to the knockout round.
Conclusion
This explanation provides a clear look at how ties work in soccer, whether in a regular league match or a major tournament like the World Cup or Olympics. While ties are common, different rules come into play depending on the competition and the need to determine a winner.
