Three points for a win

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Three points for a win is a standard used in many sports leagues and group tournaments, especially in association football, in which three (rather than two) points are awarded to the team winning a match, with no points to the losing team. If the game is drawn, each team receives one point.

"Three points for a win" is supposed to encourage more attacking play than "two points for a win", where the conventional wisdom for managers was to draw away matches and win home games. The idea is that, if the score is level near the end of a game, teams will not settle for a draw if the prospect of gaining two extra points (by playing for a late winning goal) outweighs the prospect of losing one point (by conceding a late goal to lose the match). Some commentators agree that it has resulted in more "positive" attacking play.[1] However, critics suggest teams with a one-goal lead late in a match become more negative to defend the lead.[2] The number of matches finishing in a draw has not been affected in England by the change to three-points-for-a-win.[3]

Contents

[edit] History

The system was proposed for the English Football League by Jimmy Hill[4] It was introduced in England in 1981,[2] but did not attract much use elsewhere until it was used in the 1994 World Cup finals. The following year, FIFA formally adopted the system,[2] and it subsequently became standard in international tournaments, as well as most national football leagues.

[edit] Year of adoption of 3-points-for-a-win

This lists leagues where the standard is three points for a win in regulation time, one point for a draw, zero for a defeat. The year given is when the relevant season started.

[edit] Variants

Some leagues have used shootout tiebreakers after drawn matches. Major League Soccer (1996–2000) used three points for a win, 1 point for a shootout win, 0 points for a shootout loss, 0 for a loss.[12] The Norwegian First Division (in 1987) used three points for a win, 2 points for a shootout win, 1 point for a shootout loss, 0 for a loss.[13]

In the National Hockey League in North America, a system described as "the three-point win" was proposed in 2004, with three points for a win in regulation time, two for a win in overtime, and one for a tie. This proposal was put on hold by the 2004-05 NHL lockout and subsequently rejected by team owners in February 2007.[14]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Wilson, Paul. "Mawhinney's big idea has as much appeal as American cheese", The Observer, 2007-03-18. Retrieved on 2008-02-13. "[...] three points for a win and one for a draw is the best football has yet come up with and has already produced a dramatic increase in positive, attacking play." 
  2. ^ a b c Leapman, Ben (2005-09-15). How three points for a win has fouled up football. Evening Standard. Retrieved on 2007-01-04.
  3. ^ Murray, Scott; Sean Ingle. "DRAWS, DRAWS, DRAWS", The Guardian ("The Knowledge"), 2001-02-21. Retrieved on 2008-02-13. 
  4. ^ Kelly, Graham (2003-06-09). FA should stand firm against proposed new rules on imports. The Independent. Retrieved on 2007-01-04.
  5. ^ Israel - List of Final Tables
  6. ^ New Zealand - Final Tables National Soccer League
  7. ^ RSSSF - Norwegian First division 1988 "A 3-1-0 point scheme was used for the first time."
  8. ^ Greece - Final Tables 1959-1999
  9. ^ Bulgaria Championship History 1924-1997
  10. ^ Previously applied experimentally in 1982-3, following the trial of a 4 away win, 3 home win, 2 away draw, 1 home draw system in 1981-2. See (Republic of) Ireland League Tables
  11. ^ Croatia - Prva HNL
  12. ^ a b USA - Major League Soccer "Scoring system:
    2000-present: 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss.
    1996-1999: Three points for a win, 1 point for a shootout win, 0 points for a shootout loss, 0 for a loss."
  13. ^ RSSSF - Norwegian First division 1987 "A 3-2-1-0 point scheme with drawn matches decided on penalties was used."
  14. ^ NHL general managers give universal thumbs down to three-point wins. Canadian Press (February 21 2007). Retrieved on 2007-03-02.
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