Two-legged match
Encyclopedia
In sport a two-legged tie is a contest between two teams which comprises two matches or legs, with each team as the home
team in one leg. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate score, the sum of the scores of the two legs. For example, if the scores of the two legs are:
then the aggregate score will be Team A 5–3 Team B, meaning team A wins the tie. In some competitions, a tie is considered to be drawn
if each team wins one leg, regardless of the aggregate score. Two-legged ties can be used in knockout cup competitions
and playoffs.
and the Copa Libertadores; in many domestic cup competitions, including the Coppa Italia
and the Copa del Rey
; in domestic league play-offs, including the Football League play-offs
and the MLS Cup Playoffs
; and in national-team playoffs in some qualification tournaments, including FIFA World Cup qualification
.
In ice hockey
, the National Hockey League
used "two-game total goals series" in the early years of its playoffs. It applied to all its playoffs from 1918 to 1926, and the early rounds until 1937, when it completed the switch to best-of-N series. The NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
also used a two game total goals format for much of its history.
In rugby union
, two-legged matches are used in the qualifying stages of the Rugby World Cup
, and the semifinals of the Italian Super 10
are also two-legged.
In basketball
, the two top European club competitions, the Euroleague and Eurocup, both use two-legged ties in the qualifying rounds that determine the clubs advancing to each competition's group phase. The Eurocup also uses two-legged ties in its quarterfinal round, which will be a separate phase of the competition starting in 2009–10
. The French Pro A
league used two-legged ties in all of its playoff rounds, except for the one-off final, until the 2006–07 season. At that time, all of its playoff rounds leading up to the final, which remains a single match to this day, were changed to best-of-three series.
, the team who scored more away goals advances. If away goals are equal, or are not considered, then the tie may be decided by extra time and/or penalty shootout
. Replays
, at the second-leg venue or a neutral venue, were formerly used in European club competitions. In the Liguilla (playoffs) of the Primera División de México
, the team with the better regular-season record advances. In the promotion playoffs in Italy's Serie B
(which do not necessarily occur in a given season), two-legged ties that are level on aggregate at the end of regulation time of the second leg go to extra time (away goals are not used); if the tie remains level after extra time, the team that finished higher on the league table advances.
In some sports, aggregating the score of multiple matches would be misleading or impossible.
Home (sports)
In sports, home is a term referring to both the city and stadium, arena, or field where an athletic team plays games at their venue, whilst when the team plays elsewhere then they are considered the away team. The home term can refer to either the sponsoring institution or the place where it is...
team in one leg. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate score, the sum of the scores of the two legs. For example, if the scores of the two legs are:
- First leg: Team A 4–1 Team B
- Second leg: Team A 1–2 Team B
then the aggregate score will be Team A 5–3 Team B, meaning team A wins the tie. In some competitions, a tie is considered to be drawn
Tie (draw)
To tie or draw is to finish a competition with identical or inconclusive results. The word "tie" is usually used in North America for sports such as American football. "Draw" is usually used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations and it is usually used for sports such as...
if each team wins one leg, regardless of the aggregate score. Two-legged ties can be used in knockout cup competitions
Single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
and playoffs.
Use
In association football, two-legged ties are used in the later stages of many international club tournaments, including 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...
and the Copa Libertadores; in many domestic cup competitions, including the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
and the Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
; in domestic league play-offs, including the Football League play-offs
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...
and the MLS Cup Playoffs
MLS Cup Playoffs
The MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup, the league's championship game. 10 teams in total from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference qualify for the tournament based on regular-season...
; and in national-team playoffs in some qualification tournaments, including FIFA 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...
.
In ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
used "two-game total goals series" in the early years of its playoffs. It applied to all its playoffs from 1918 to 1926, and the early rounds until 1937, when it completed the switch to best-of-N series. The NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship tournament determines the top men's ice hockey team in NCAA Division I and Division III. The semi-finals and finals of the Division I Championship are branded as the Frozen Four, a passing nod to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship - known...
also used a two game total goals format for much of its history.
In rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, two-legged matches are used in the qualifying stages of the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
, and the semifinals of the Italian Super 10
Super 10 (Italian premiership)
The withdrawal of Viadana and Benetton Treviso from the league has been compounded by club mergers. Rugby Viadana, Gran Parma and Colorno have merged to form GranDucato Rugby. Overmach Parma and Noceto have merged to form Crociati, both new clubs to be based in Parma. These changes created 2...
are also two-legged.
In basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, the two top European club competitions, the Euroleague and Eurocup, both use two-legged ties in the qualifying rounds that determine the clubs advancing to each competition's group phase. The Eurocup also uses two-legged ties in its quarterfinal round, which will be a separate phase of the competition starting in 2009–10
ULEB Eurocup 2009–10
Eurocup Basketball 2009-10 was the eighth edition of Europe's second-tier level transnational competition for men's professional basketball clubs. The Eurocup is the level that is one tier below the Euroleague level...
. The French Pro A
Ligue Nationale de Basketball
The Ligue National de Basket is the top men's French professional basketball league. There are two divisions: French Pro A League and French Pro B League .-Pro A:...
league used two-legged ties in all of its playoff rounds, except for the one-off final, until the 2006–07 season. At that time, all of its playoff rounds leading up to the final, which remains a single match to this day, were changed to best-of-three series.
Tiebreaking
If the aggregate score is tied after the two legs, various methods can be used to break ties. Under the away goals ruleAway goals rule
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...
, the team who scored more away goals advances. If away goals are equal, or are not considered, then the tie may be decided by extra time and/or penalty shootout
Penalty shootout
The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...
. Replays
Replay (sports)
In sports, a replay refers to a second game between two teams after the first game's results were either nullified or ended in a draw. A game may be nullified if the game's result is protested and the organizers ruled to replay the game...
, at the second-leg venue or a neutral venue, were formerly used in European club competitions. In the Liguilla (playoffs) of the 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...
, the team with the better regular-season record advances. In the promotion playoffs in Italy's Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
(which do not necessarily occur in a given season), two-legged ties that are level on aggregate at the end of regulation time of the second leg go to extra time (away goals are not used); if the tie remains level after extra time, the team that finished higher on the league table advances.
Second leg home advantage
Each team hosts one match, and there is no intended advantage to whether a team plays at home first or second. However, lots of managers and players believe that the team playing at home for the second leg has a slight advantage over the other team. The thinking is that the team playing away for the first leg can play it safe there (a draw or even a slight defeat is considered a favourable result), and then "win" the tie at home in the second leg. For example, in the draw for the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League, the group runners-up will play the first leg at home, while the group winners will play the second leg at home. A statistical analysis of roughly 12,000 matches from the European club competitions between 1956 and 2007 showed that around 53% of teams playing at home in the second leg won the tie (even after controlling for the fact that team playing at home in the second leg tend to be better teams). This effect has however decreased over time.Alternatives
In knockout competitions, alternatives to two-legged ties include:- single-leg ties:
- either where one team has home advantage, as in all rounds of the FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
except the semi-finals onwards. Two-legged ties are seen as fairer, since they give neither team home advantage; conversely, in the National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, home advantage is a reward for being the better seed (although the better seeds may not have had a better season). - or played at a neutral venue, as in the final match of many tournaments, including the UEFA Champions League Final and the FA Cup Semi-finalsFA Cup Semi-finalsThe FA Cup Semi-finals are played to determine which teams will contest the FA Cup Final. They are the penultimate phase of the FA Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world.- Location :...
and FinalFA Cup FinalThe FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
. Neutral venues may be inconvenient for a team's fans to travel to.
- either where one team has home advantage, as in all rounds of the FA Cup
- best-of-N match series, where the team winning more matches wins the series. These are common in major North American sports leagues. If a game cannot be drawn and there is an odd number of games in the series, the series cannot be drawn either.
In some sports, aggregating the score of multiple matches would be misleading or impossible.