Away 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” wins, if the total goals scored by each team are otherwise equal. This is sometimes expressed by saying that away goals “count double” in the event of a tie.

The away goals rule is most often invoked in two-leg 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 in 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 only to the end of normal time of the second leg, or applies in extra time as well.

Example A:

In the first leg, the final score is: Team A (Home) 1–0 Team B (Away).

In the second leg, the final score is: Team A (Away) 0–1 Team B (Home).

In this example, the aggregate score is 1–1, but as neither team scored an away goal, the match will progress to the next tie-breaker, extra time.

Example B:

In the first leg, the final score is: Team A (Home) 1–0 Team B (Away).

In the second leg, the final score is: Team A (Away) 1–2 Team B (Home).

In this example, the aggregate score is 2–2. However, because Team A scored an away goal in the second leg while Team B, in the first leg, did not, Team A will progress to the next stage of the competition as they have scored more away goals than Team B.

Originally, the away goal rule was introduced in football as an expedited way of doing away with playoffs or tie breakers on neutral grounds to resolve a logistical, physical and calendar problem when two teams were so closely matched the final score over the two legs remained in absolute parity, which could remain even after a third game tie breaker. Now, the away goals rule is intended to encourage the away team to be more aggressive.

In football, at least, it can lead to a nervous first leg: the home team is unwilling to commit large numbers of players to attack lest they concede a goal, whilst the away team attempts to 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 are sometimes debates over whether the away goals rule gives an unfair advantage to the team playing away first — 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.

The rule can also make the game more exciting as normally one goal can only make the difference between losing and drawing, or between drawing and winning, but with the away goals rule, one goal can make the difference between losing and winning.

There is also the issue that if extra time is played in the second leg, the away team gets an extra 30 minutes to take advantage of the away goals rule. This can be countered by the fact that in extra time, the home team has the advantage of playing the extra 30 minutes at home.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that most teams feel an away goal puts them in the driving seat. The away goals rule can result in the “lead” of the two-legged tie swinging back and forth.

The away goals rule is applied in many football competitions that involve two-leg fixtures, including the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup and any two-legged playoffs in qualification for the FIFA World Cup or European Championships.

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. 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.

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.

Not all competitions with the away goals rule suffer from this anomaly, however: the Copa do Brasil has developed its rules to avoid some anomalies. In that Cup, if two teams share either the same stadium or the same home town, neither is considered the home club and thus the away goals rule does not apply.

CONCACAF used 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. It has since abolished extra time in that tournament with penalty kicks used if teams are even on goals and away goals after both legs. MLS also adopted this version of the rule for its playoffs.

The away goals rule can also apply to forfeited matches.