Sports league ranking

In a sports league, the ranking of a team is the place where it is within the division. Generally, ranking is based on won-lost record of games, with the team with the best record at the top, and the worst record at the bottom. Another common method is a points-based ranking system, where a team is awarded a certain number of points per win, a lesser amount of points per tie, and none for a loss.

In most sports, with association football generally being an exception, teams with the better records are awarded the advantage of playing in the postseason and all the glory that accompanies this privilege.

In leagues that use promotion and relegation, being in or near last place typically results in relegation to the next-lower league, although in some leagues, teams that finish near but not at the bottom may enter a promotion/relegation playoff with one or more teams from the next-lower league, and some other leagues relegate teams based on performance over multiple seasons. In leagues with franchise systems, such as those in the US and Canada and in Australia, being in last place is only harmful to the team's reputation and not its place in the league. However, in some franchised leagues, the last place finisher may receive special compensation, such as being offered the first draft choice.

Most association football leagues do not directly use teams' won-drawn-lost record to determine ranking. Instead, a points system is used:

This system is also used in group stages of major international competitions (such as the FIFA World Cup) and international club competitions (such as the UEFA Champions League and Copa Libertadores).

All competitions also have a tiebreaking procedure to separate teams that are level on points.

Most leagues determine their champions solely by regular-season standings. The most notable exceptions to this rule are leagues in North America and Australia. The top leagues in both regions—Major League Soccer in the United States and Canada, Liga MX in Mexico, and the A-League in Australia (plus one team in New Zealand)—operate playoff systems to determine the season champion (or, in Mexico, two season champions). MLS and the A-League are franchised, while Liga MX uses promotion and relegation.

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