FIFA World Cup 2022
GROUP STAGE
WORLD CUP GROUP STAGE FORMAT
The way the format is set for all world cups after the teams were increased to 32, demands for a first stage where they fight it out in 8 groups of 4 in a round-robin. That means that each side will play three matches, against the other sides of the group in this World Cup group stage.
The first two teams that gather the most points advance to the knockout round of 16.3 points are awarded for each victory and 1 point for each draw. The odds for the matches that are offered by the best online betting brands are determined by the difference in potential to advance.
However, there will be cases where two or more teams will be awarded the same total of points at the end of the round. This is what is considered when it happens:
- 1) The overall difference between the goals each side has scored and conceded;
- 2) Points gathered by each team in the match or matches(in case more than two teams are tied) they played against each other;
- 3) Goal differential in the matches the drawn teams have played against each other;
- 4) During the Group stage draw to determine which teams will be included in which group, for each match one side was designated as the home team and the other as the away team. If there is a draw between two sides, if all of the above still haven’t broken the tie, the consideration takes into account the goals scored by the away team;
- 5) FIFA places extreme importance on the concept of “fair play”. This means that the last consideration has to do with the number of yellow and red cards accumulated. Each category deducts a number of points from each side:
- Any single yellow card deducts 1 point;
- Second yellow cards that provoke a set off deduct 3 points;
- Any direct red card (usually a result of an action that entails the danger of serious bodily injury for the opponent) deducts 4 points;
- If a player had been shown a yellow card before shown a direct red card (not a second yellow) will cost his side the deduction of 5 points.
- 6) If all of the above still have not resolved the issue then it will be a matter of luck as the decision to advance will be taken by a “heads or tails” process.
In the history of the World Cup, there has only been one incident where the group stage qualification was decided on the flip of a coin. In 1954, at a time when the goal differential was not taken under consideration, it was the process that gave Turkey the qualification over Spain.
That said, it is a system devised to resolve ties and allow one side to advance (either as first or second), or qualify altogether. Also, its parameters have been incorporated into any online sports betting software.