Goal difference

The goal difference, also known as goal differential is the difference in points between two tied teams playing in league competition. It is the number of goals scored by each team during a league within a playing season, subtracted by the number of goals conceded by each team. If a team scores a total of 10 goals in a league but concedes two goals in all of their matches, the goal difference of the team would be 8.

All throughout a league or football season, all football teams playing for the season try to get as many points as possible as well as winning as many matches as they can. This total number of goals scored against their competition is subtracted from the number of goals that has scored itself during the whole of the season. The bigger the goal difference, the better it is for the team. This simply means that winning is not about everything in football. You need to maintain the lowest concede goals as possible to keep your goal differential or points difference as high as possible.

GF refers to Goal For or the number of goals scored by a team. GA on the other hand is Goal Against or the number of goals scored against them by their opponents or the goals they conceded. The difference between the Goal For and the Goal Against is the Goal Difference or GD. This is a very important statistic because most of the flight league titles in football are decided on Goal Difference. Teams that get the best goal difference at the end of the league season will most likely receive an award or promoted to the next round of the competition.

Back in 2012, the English Premier League champion was decided between Manchester City and Manchester United via their goal differences. Both teams had the same number of points after the end of the last match of the season. Manchester City had a higher goal difference, +64 compared to Manchester United’s +56.