WHAT HAPPENS IF EQUAL POINTS?

[BET_ON_ME]

I would like for someone who knows for sure,to tell us what are the criteria if 2 teams have equal points in the groups and what if 3 teams have equal points!Does goal difference in all matches is the 1st of the criteria?or is it something else?

[Laasimo]

This is a good question. In Euro 2004 and CL, H2H was more important than goal difference (which led to the famous 2-2 between Sweden and Denmark). But these tournaments were organized by UEFA whereas the World Cup is organized by FIFA.

First, let's have a look at the "BBC World Cup Predictor": http://news.bbc.co.uk/sol/shared/spl/hi/predictor/html/football/world_cup_06/default.stm

Note the "In some cases..." paragraph, there are two links. The first gives clarification about the decisive factors when two teams have the same amount of points:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sol/shared/spl/hi/predictor/html/football/world_cup_06/qual_explained.stm
If two or more teams are level on points, positions will be determined as follows:

1. Greatest number of points obtained in all group matches.
2. Goal difference in all group matches.
3. Greatest number of goals scored in all matches.
4. If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above three criteria, their rankings will be determined as follows: Greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned .
5. Goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned .
6. Greater number of goals scored in all group matches between the teams concerned .
7. Drawing of lots by the organising committee for the Fifa World Cup.


But even the BBC was confused by FIFA:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sporteditors/2006/05/how_we_tried_to_predict_the_ru.html
The problem is that the rules for qualification Fifa told us last October, when we were building the application, are different to what is now on their site.
[...]
So goal difference will be used to determine the order of teams in groups, as it has been in previous World Cups. We were originally told that Germany 2006 would follow the Champions League convention of using results between teams to sort out the order.

On http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/doc.html , you will find all of FIFA's World Cup related "Official Documents". FIFA's official "Regulations" PDF file (http://eur.i1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/i/eu/fifa/regen.pdf) contains almost exactly the same paragraph as quoted above:
5. The ranking of each team in each group will be determined as
follows:
a) greatest number of points obtained in all group matches;
b) goal difference in all group matches;
c) greatest number of goals scored in all group matches.
If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above three criteria,
their rankings will be determined as follows:
XVIII. TECHNICAL RULES FOR THE FINAL COMPETITION
41
d) greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between
the teams concerned;
e) goal difference resulting from the group matches between the
teams concerned;
f) greater number of goals scored in all group matches between the
teams concerned;
g) drawing of lots by the Organising Committee for the FIFA World
Cup™.

[BET_ON_ME]

I personally think that there is gonna be some equal positioning in the groups either to qualify or for the 1st place..so that means that playing with the "weakest" team and the amount of goals scored in this match will be very crucial for teams..i wish to all good luck

Good work Laasimo

[vighb]

Tie-breaker rules




POINT SYSTEM :
Three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for defeat.

TIE-BREAKER RULES :
If two or more teams finish equal on points after all the group matches have been played, the following criteria shall be applied to determine the ranking :



(1) Goal difference in all the group matches.

(2) Greater number of goals scored in all the group matches.

(3) Greater number of points obtained in the matches between the teams in question.

(4) Goal difference resulting from the matches between the teams in question (if more than two teams finish equal after applying above criteria).

(5) Greater number of goals scored in the matches between the teams in question (if more than two teams finish equal after applying above criteria).

(6) A drawing of lots by the Organising Committee.


from www.livescore.com