Away goals rule
Encyclopedia
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties
in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal. This is sometimes expressed by saying that away goals (or at least one of them) "count double" in the event of equal scores.
The away-goals rule is most often invoked in two-legged fixtures, where the initial result is determined by the aggregate score — i.e. the scores of both games are added together. In many competitions, the away goals rule is the first tie-breaker for such cases, with a penalty shootout as the second tie-breaker if each team has scored the same number of away goals. Rules vary as to whether the away goals rule applies at the end of normal time of the second leg, after extra time, or both. It was first introduced by UEFA
, in 1965.
The away goals rule is intended to encourage the away team to be more aggressive. In football, at least, it often leads to a nervous first leg; the home team is unwilling to commit large numbers of players in attack lest they concede a goal, whilst the away team attempts to defend and snatch an away goal to aid them in the second leg. Such tactics arguably make the second leg more exciting, after a low-scoring first leg leaves both sides with a chance to win. There is some debate over whether the away goals rule creates an unfair advantage in playing away first, followed by at home — with the other team squandering their home advantage in the first leg due to away goal fears — and this may be a factor in its somewhat patchy adoption for competitions. Anecdotal evidence certainly suggests that most teams feel an away goal puts them in the driving seat.
, UEFA Europa League, CAF Champions League
, CAF Confederation Cup
and any two-legged playoffs used in qualification for the FIFA World Cup or European Championships
.
Not all competitions use the away goals rule. For example, before 2005, CONMEBOL
used neither the away goals rule nor extra time in any of its competitions, such as the Copa Libertadores
. Series that were level on aggregate went to an immediate penalty shootout. The away goals rule (without extra time) was introduced to the Copa Libertadores in 2005. In Latin America
, an example of a tournament that always has used this rule is Copa do Brasil
(Brazilian Cup).
In English football
, two-legged fixtures in the League Cup
are only subject to the away goals rule after extra time; if teams are level on aggregate after 90 minutes of the second leg, extra time is played regardless of whether one team leads on away goals.
The semi-finals of the promotion playoffs
in the Football League, despite being two-legged, ceased to employ the away goals rule from 2000. As away goals scored in extra time counted double, the side finishing lower in the league gained an advantage by playing away in the second leg, thus giving them 30 more minutes to score an away goal. The rescinding of the away goals rule has affected the results of several play-off semi-finals.
The away goals rule is sometimes used in round robin
competitions (that is, leagues
or qualifying groups), where it may be used to break ties involving more than two teams. For example, away goals are the third tiebreaker in the group stage of both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup. In Group C of the UEFA Champions League 2000–01, Olympique Lyonnais
took the second qualifying spot ahead of Olympiacos on away goals. Because other tiebreakers take precedence, the away goals rule is rarely invoked in such tournaments. In many group tournaments, the away goals rule is never applicable; for example, in World Cup qualification
.
The away goals rule was first applied in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
when Budapest Honvéd
beat Dukla Prague in the second round in 1965–66. It was introduced in the Fairs Cup
in 1966–67
, and in the European Cup in 1967–68
for the first round, 1968–69
for the second round, and 1970–71
for later rounds. Previously, ties level on aggregate had gone to a playoff on neutral ground.
Semi-Finals drew Inter Milan
and AC Milan
. Both legs were played at the San Siro
, their shared stadium in Milan
:
With an aggregate of 1–1, AC Milan was declared the winner because they were the "away" side in the second game. In this example, as in many such cases, most tickets to each leg will be reserved for the "home" side's fans, so the designation is not simply arbitrary. Not all competitions bearing the away goals rule suffer from this anomaly, however: the Copa do Brasil
has built its rules seeking to evade some anomalies, one of which being the aforementioned. In the Cup, if two teams share either the same stadium or the same hometown, neither is considered the home club and thus the Away Goals Rule does not apply to either one of the two specific legs involving those teams. This exception was seen, for example, in the 2006 final between Flamengo
and Vasco
, when both hosted their legs in Maracanã Stadium and, therefore, the rule wouldn't be applied.
More anomalous was a qualification play-off for the 1991 World Youth Championship between Australia and Israel
: Australia won on away goals even though, due to security concerns arising from the First Intifada
, Israel's "home" leg was played in Australia. The same situation occurred for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
qualification tie between the Bahamas
and the British Virgin Islands
, where the Bahamas advanced on the away goals rule even though both legs were played in the Bahamas.
There has been at least one case of a wrong application of the away goals rule by a referee in an international club tournament. It happened during the second-round tie in the 1971–72 European Cup Winners' Cup
between Rangers
and Sporting Clube de Portugal. This fixture had the following scorelines:
Since the teams were now level 6–6 on aggregate, the referee ordered a penalty shootout, which Sporting won 3–0. Rangers appealed the loss, however, on the grounds that the referee should not have ordered the shootout, since the Rangers goal in extra time in Lisbon
gave them a lead of three away goals to two. Rangers won the appeal and went on to win the Cup Winners' Cup that season.
CONCACAF
has a different rule for its CONCACAF Champions League
, employing away goals at the end of full time of the second leg, but not applying the rule at the end of extra time. For example, the semifinal of the 2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League
between Cruz Azul and the Puerto Rico Islanders
had the following scorelines:
Under UEFA rules, the Puerto Rico Islanders would have advanced. However, because CONCACAF does not apply the away goals rule a second time, the tie went to a shootout, which Cruz Azul won 4–2.
Tiebreaker
In games and sports, a tiebreaker or tiebreak is used to determine a winner from among players or teams that are tied at the end of a contest, or a set of contests.-In matches:In some situations, the tiebreaker may consist of another round of play...
in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal. This is sometimes expressed by saying that away goals (or at least one of them) "count double" in the event of equal scores.
The away-goals rule is most often invoked in two-legged fixtures, where the initial result is determined by the aggregate score — i.e. the scores of both games are added together. In many competitions, the away goals rule is the first tie-breaker for such cases, with a penalty shootout as the second tie-breaker if each team has scored the same number of away goals. Rules vary as to whether the away goals rule applies at the end of normal time of the second leg, after extra time, or both. It was first introduced by UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
, in 1965.
The away goals rule is intended to encourage the away team to be more aggressive. In football, at least, it often leads to a nervous first leg; the home team is unwilling to commit large numbers of players in attack lest they concede a goal, whilst the away team attempts to defend and snatch an away goal to aid them in the second leg. Such tactics arguably make the second leg more exciting, after a low-scoring first leg leaves both sides with a chance to win. There is some debate over whether the away goals rule creates an unfair advantage in playing away first, followed by at home — with the other team squandering their home advantage in the first leg due to away goal fears — and this may be a factor in its somewhat patchy adoption for competitions. Anecdotal evidence certainly suggests that most teams feel an away goal puts them in the driving seat.
Usage
The away goals rule is applied in many football competitions that involve two-legged fixtures, including the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, UEFA Europa League, CAF Champions League
CAF Champions League
The CAF Champions League is an annual international club football competition run by the Confederation of African Football . The top club sides from Africa's football leagues are invited to participate in this competition, which is the premier club football competition on the continent and the...
, CAF Confederation Cup
CAF Confederation Cup
The CAF Confederation Cup is an international club association football competition run by the Confederation of African Football.-Qualification:...
and any two-legged playoffs used in qualification for the FIFA World Cup or European Championships
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
.
Not all competitions use the away goals rule. For example, before 2005, CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...
used neither the away goals rule nor extra time in any of its competitions, such as the Copa Libertadores
Copa Libertadores de América
The Copa Santander Libertadores de América , known simply as the Copa Libertadores and originally known as the Copa Campeones de América , is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960...
. Series that were level on aggregate went to an immediate penalty shootout. The away goals rule (without extra time) was introduced to the Copa Libertadores in 2005. In Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, an example of a tournament that always has used this rule is Copa do Brasil
Copa do Brasil
The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...
(Brazilian Cup).
In English football
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
, two-legged fixtures in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
are only subject to the away goals rule after extra time; if teams are level on aggregate after 90 minutes of the second leg, extra time is played regardless of whether one team leads on away goals.
The semi-finals of the promotion playoffs
Football League Play-Offs
The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is...
in the Football League, despite being two-legged, ceased to employ the away goals rule from 2000. As away goals scored in extra time counted double, the side finishing lower in the league gained an advantage by playing away in the second leg, thus giving them 30 more minutes to score an away goal. The rescinding of the away goals rule has affected the results of several play-off semi-finals.
The away goals rule is sometimes used in round robin
Round-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
competitions (that is, leagues
Sports league
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...
or qualifying groups), where it may be used to break ties involving more than two teams. For example, away goals are the third tiebreaker in the group stage of both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup. In Group C of the UEFA Champions League 2000–01, Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
took the second qualifying spot ahead of Olympiacos on away goals. Because other tiebreakers take precedence, the away goals rule is rarely invoked in such tournaments. In many group tournaments, the away goals rule is never applicable; for example, in World Cup qualification
FIFA World Cup qualification
The FIFA World Cup qualification is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. The FIFA World Cup is a global event, so qualification is required to reduce the large field of participants from about 200 to 32.Qualifying tournaments...
.
The away goals rule was first applied in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
when Budapest Honvéd
Budapest Honvéd FC
Budapest Honvéd FC |football]] team. "Honved" means the Homeland Defense. Originally formed as Kispest AC, they became Kispest FC in 1926 before reverting to their original name in 1944. The team enjoyed a golden age during the 1950s when it was renamed Budapest Honvéd SE and became the Hungarian...
beat Dukla Prague in the second round in 1965–66. It was introduced in the Fairs Cup
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials...
in 1966–67
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1966-67
The ninth Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was played over the 1966-'67 season. The competition was won by Dinamo Zagreb over two legs in the final against Leeds United. For the first time in the history of the cup, replays were scrapped, with sides going through thanks to scoring more away goals, or by...
, and in the European Cup in 1967–68
European Cup 1967-68
The 1967–68 European Cup was the 13th European Cup, UEFA's premier club football tournament. The competition was won by Manchester United, who beat Benfica 4–1 in the final at Wembley Stadium, London...
for the first round, 1968–69
European Cup 1968-69
The 1968–69 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Milan, who beat Ajax 4–1 in the final, giving Milan its first European Cup title since 1963, and its second overall...
for the second round, and 1970–71
European Cup 1970-71
The 1970–71 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Ajax in the final against Panathinaikos. It was the first time the cup went to Ajax, beginning a three-year period of domination, and the second consecutive championship for the Netherlands...
for later rounds. Previously, ties level on aggregate had gone to a playoff on neutral ground.
Anomalies
If the two clubs contesting a two-legged fixture share the same stadium, each club may be the home club in one leg, and the rule may still apply. For example, the 2003 UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions League 2002-03
The 2002–03 UEFA Champions League was the 11th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since its rebranding in 1992, and the 48th European Cup tournament overall. The competition was won by Milan, who beat Juventus on penalties in the European Cup's...
Semi-Finals drew Inter Milan
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
and AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
. Both legs were played at the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
, their shared stadium in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
:
- First leg: AC Milan 0 – 0 Inter Milan
- Second leg: Inter Milan 1 – 1 AC Milan
With an aggregate of 1–1, AC Milan was declared the winner because they were the "away" side in the second game. In this example, as in many such cases, most tickets to each leg will be reserved for the "home" side's fans, so the designation is not simply arbitrary. Not all competitions bearing the away goals rule suffer from this anomaly, however: the Copa do Brasil
Copa do Brasil
The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...
has built its rules seeking to evade some anomalies, one of which being the aforementioned. In the Cup, if two teams share either the same stadium or the same hometown, neither is considered the home club and thus the Away Goals Rule does not apply to either one of the two specific legs involving those teams. This exception was seen, for example, in the 2006 final between Flamengo
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo , also known as Flamengo and familiarly as Mengão, is a Brazilian sports club based in the Flamengo bairro, Zona Sul, Rio de Janeiro, best known for its professional football team...
and Vasco
Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama
Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama |Rowing Club]]), usually known as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, is a famous and traditional Brazilian multisports club from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, founded on August 21, 1898...
, when both hosted their legs in Maracanã Stadium and, therefore, the rule wouldn't be applied.
More anomalous was a qualification play-off for the 1991 World Youth Championship between Australia and Israel
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
: Australia won on away goals even though, due to security concerns arising from the First Intifada
First Intifada
The First Intifada was a Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories. The uprising began in the Jabalia refugee camp and quickly spread throughout Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem....
, Israel's "home" leg was played in Australia. The same situation occurred for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
qualification tie between the Bahamas
Bahamas national football team
The Bahamas national football team is the national team of the Bahamas and is controlled by the Bahamas Football Association.-World Cup record:*1930 to 1994 – Did not enter*1998 – Withdrew*2002 to 2010 – Did not qualify*2014 – Withdrew...
and the British Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands national football team
The British Virgin Islands national football team is the national team of the British Virgin Islands and is controlled by the British Virgin Islands Football Association.A member of CONCACAF, it is among its weakest teams.-History:...
, where the Bahamas advanced on the away goals rule even though both legs were played in the Bahamas.
There has been at least one case of a wrong application of the away goals rule by a referee in an international club tournament. It happened during the second-round tie in the 1971–72 European Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1971-72
The season 1971-72 of the European Cup Winners' Cup football club tournament was won by Rangers in a final victory against FC Dynamo Moscow.- Preliminary game :-First round:-First leg:-Second leg:Torino won 5–0 on aggregate....
between Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and Sporting Clube de Portugal. This fixture had the following scorelines:
- First leg: Rangers 3 – 2 Sporting
- Second leg, after 90 minutes: Sporting 3 – 2 Rangers
- Second leg, after extra time: Sporting 4 – 3 Rangers
Since the teams were now level 6–6 on aggregate, the referee ordered a penalty shootout, which Sporting won 3–0. Rangers appealed the loss, however, on the grounds that the referee should not have ordered the shootout, since the Rangers goal in extra time in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
gave them a lead of three away goals to two. Rangers won the appeal and went on to win the Cup Winners' Cup that season.
CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
has a different rule for its CONCACAF Champions League
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region ....
, employing away goals at the end of full time of the second leg, but not applying the rule at the end of extra time. For example, the semifinal of the 2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League
CONCACAF Champions League 2008–09
The 2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League was the first edition of the CONCACAF club football championship modelled after the UEFA Champions League. It has replaced the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. The championship began on 26 August 2008, and it concluded 12 May 2009. Atlante of Mexico won the...
between Cruz Azul and the Puerto Rico Islanders
Puerto Rico Islanders
Puerto Rico Islanders is a Puerto Rican professional football team based in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
had the following scorelines:
- First leg: Puerto Rico Islanders 2 – 0 Cruz Azul
- Second leg, after 90 minutes: Cruz Azul 2 – 0 Puerto Rico Islanders
- Second leg, after extra time: Cruz Azul 3 – 1 Puerto Rico Islanders
Under UEFA rules, the Puerto Rico Islanders would have advanced. However, because CONCACAF does not apply the away goals rule a second time, the tie went to a shootout, which Cruz Azul won 4–2.
Summary
Below is a summary of the variations of rules used in different competitions. In all examples (except Primera División de México play-offs where the higher seed, which has the better regular season record, wins the tie if the aggregate score is level), a penalty shootout is used to determine the winner if all criteria used remain tied.| Away goals rule applied after regulation? | Extra time played? | Away goals rule applied after extra time? | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Yes | UEFA Champions League UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... and Europa League |
| Yes | Yes | No | CONCACAF Champions League CONCACAF Champions League The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region .... |
| Yes | No | N/A | Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana Copa Sudamericana The Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004... (except finals) |
| No | Yes | Yes | Football League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... semi-finals |
| No | Yes | No | Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana finals; Football League promotion play-off Football League Play-Offs The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is... semi-finals |
| No | No | N/A | Primera División de México Primera División de México The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing... play-offs |