NinetyHow football leagues work: points, promotion and relegation
In a football league every club plays every other club, home and away. A win earns three points, a draw one and a defeat none. The club with the most points at the end of the season is champion, and the clubs at the bottom are relegated to the division below, replaced by the best from that division.
The table
Clubs are ranked by points. If two clubs are level, tiebreakers decide the order (see below).
Promotion and relegation
Most countries run a ladder of divisions. At the end of each season the bottom clubs drop down and the top clubs of the lower division come up. Some leagues add a play-off: clubs just short of automatic promotion or just above relegation play off for the last place. Promotion brings TV money and bigger crowds, relegation brings the reverse, which is why the bottom of the table is as tense as the top.
The big European leagues
- Premier League (England): 20 clubs, 38 matches each, the bottom three are relegated.
- LaLiga (Spain): 20 clubs, 38 matches, bottom three relegated.
- Serie A (Italy): 20 clubs, 38 matches, bottom three relegated.
- Bundesliga (Germany): 18 clubs, 34 matches, the bottom two go down and the 16th-placed club plays a play-off against the third-placed team of the division below.
- Ligue 1 (France): 18 clubs, 34 matches, the bottom two go down and the 16th-placed club plays a play-off.
When clubs finish level
Goal difference decides most ties, then goals scored. The Premier League, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 work that way. LaLiga and Serie A instead compare the two tied clubs’ results against each other first, so a club that won both meetings finishes above a rival with a better overall goal difference. Supporters of that rule say two meetings settle who was better on the pitch. Critics say goal difference is fairer over 38 games. For a title or a relegation decider some leagues still schedule a play-off match; check the regulations for the season, because they change.
The American model
MLS has no promotion or relegation. It is a closed league split into conferences, and after the regular season the best clubs enter the MLS Cup play-offs, which decide the champion. The regular-season winner takes the Supporters’ Shield.
Questions
How many points is a win worth?
Three points for a win and one for a draw in nearly every league in the world.
How many teams are relegated from the Premier League?
Three.
Does MLS have relegation?
No. MLS is a closed league with play-offs to decide the champion.
What is a play-off in a league?
A short knockout between clubs close to a promotion or relegation line to decide the last place.
Last updated Sunday 1 November 2026. Written by the Ninety team; spot a mistake? [email protected].