Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Three points for a win
open-in-new
<p> Three points for a win is a standard used in many sports leagues and <a href="/facts/Tournament/htGM1TzT">group tournaments</a>, especially in <a href="/facts/Association_football/yttjeD0D">association football</a>, in which 3 points are awarded to the team winning a match, with no points awarded to the losing team. If the game is <a href="/facts/Tie_(draw)/l0u9HDjk">drawn</a>, each team receives 1 point. Many leagues and competitions originally awarded 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw, before switching to the three points for a win system. The change is significant in league tables, where teams typically play 30–40 games per season. The system places additional value on wins compared to draws so that teams with a higher number of wins may rank higher in tables than teams with a lower number of wins but more draws. </p>