In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference (that is, goals scored minus goals conceded) is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points.
Goal average is a different scheme that predated goal difference. Using the goal average scheme the number of goals scored is divided by the number of goals conceded. Goal difference replaced goal average in the 1970 World Cup finals and from 1976-1977 season in the English Football League. Goal average is also used as the tiebreaker in Australian rules football where it is referred to as "percentage". It is calculated as points scored for divided by points scored against multiplied by 100.
If a team's points and goal difference are equal, then often goals scored is used as a second tiebreaker, with the team scoring the most goals winning. Alternative tiebreakers that may be used include looking at the head-to-head results between sides, playing a playoff, or the drawing of lots.
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An event that was much talked about in the city of Sheffield for many years was the way the promotion race from the Second Division was won. Going into the last game of the season, Sheffield Wednesday needed to beat Tottenham Hotspur to clinch promotion at the expense of their local rivals Sheffield United. The resulting 0-0 draw meant Wednesday won promotion by a goal average difference of just 0.008 - a 1-1 draw would have left the two great rivals level on points and goal average, and a unique play-off match would have had to be played.
The 1952-53 Football League Championship was decided on goal average, with Arsenal just beating Preston North End to the title on the final day. Both teams finished on 54 points (2 points were awarded for a win, rather than the current 3); Arsenal's 97 goals for to 64 against gave an average of 1.516, Preston's 85 to 60 gave 1.417.
Arsenal famously won the League Championship on goals scored in 1989, thanks to a 2-0 victory over Liverpool on the last day of the season at Anfield. The second and decisive goal in the match was scored by Michael Thomas in injury time at the end of the match. Arsenal and Liverpool finished equal on points and goal difference, but Arsenal were ahead by 73 to 65 on goals scored.[1]
In 1965, Hearts lost 2–0 at home on the final day of the season to Kilmarnock, which meant that Kilmarnock won the League Championship on goal average by 0.042 of a goal.[2]
In the 1998-99 season of the English Football League, goals scored was used as the first tiebreaker in the hope that this would promote more attacking football. The system was not adopted by the Premier League. At the end of this season Bury were relegated from the First Division having scored ten goals fewer than Port Vale; their goal difference was five goals better. The experiment was abandoned after a single year.[3]
Rangers won the Scottish Premier League 2002-03 on goal difference. In the final round of matches, Rangers played Dunfermline, while second-placed Celtic were simultaneously playing at Kilmarnock. With Celtic and Rangers level on 94 points going into these matches, the Championship would be decided by which team, Celtic or Rangers, performed best during the final round of matches. If both teams won they would each finish on 97 points, and the League would be decided on goal difference. Rangers won 6–1 and Celtic won 0–4, which left Rangers with a goal difference of 73 (101 for and 28 against), and Celtic a goal difference of 72 (98 scored and 26 against) giving Rangers the title.