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One of the many distinct aspects of soccer is that games can end in a tie, also known as a draw. It happens relatively often.
Ties can occur in soccer depending on the level of play and the format of the tournament. Here's a look at why soccer matches end in a draw, plus what will happen in the event of a tie at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
Why do soccer matches end in a tie?
In many cases, if a soccer match comes to the end of regulation with the score still tied (including any additional time added by referees to account for pauses in action after injuries or other stoppages), the game simply ends. By comparison, the NBA, NHL and MLB don't allow ties.
Ties are possible in the NFL but happen rarely. Only 29 games have ended in a tie since the league first implemented sudden-death overtime in 1974.
Most soccer leagues and tournaments have a points system where teams are awarded specific point totals for wins and for ties. Typically, if a team wins a match, it receives three points, while the loser gets zero points. If the teams play to a draw, they each receive one point. Those single points from a draw can make a huge difference in the standings for a sport with high stakes, including possible relegation.
Goals scored and goal differential can also be used as tiebreakers in soccer in the event of a tie in the standings.
A key reason soccer allows ties is to protect the players.
Soccer games don't have nearly the amount of breaks in the action as other sports. There are no timeouts and only a short period of rest at halftime.
Professional soccer clubs have a set number of substitutions they are allowed to make during a match. Players who are substituted off the field are unable to reenter that match, and additional periods of time in a regular-season game can increase the possibility of a player suffering a serious injury.
What happens if a soccer match at the Olympics ends in a tie?
Olympic soccer tournaments begin with a group stage. This is where teams in groups -- four groups of four teams in men's play and three groups of four teams in the women's bracket -- face off and are awarded three points for each win, zero points for a loss and one point for a tie.
The two teams with the most points in each group advance to the knockout stage in the men's and women's tournaments, and, in the women's bracket, the two best third-place teams from among the three groups also advance.
Several criteria, including goal differential, will decide a tie in the standings once all games in the group stage are completed.
With the knockout stage being a single-elimination format (except for the semifinals, where the losing teams will face off for the bronze medal), matches that are tied after 90 minutes of regulation will have two additional 15-minute periods. If a match remains tied at the end of the additional time, the outcome will be decided by a penalty shootout.
How do penalty shootouts work at the Olympics?
Since 1970, a penalty shootout has been used to determine the winner of a tied match in the knockout stage at the Olympics.
A shootout begins with a coin toss to decide the side of the field where the penalty kicks will take place. Another coin toss determines which club takes the first kick.
Each club selects five players to take its penalty kicks. Only players who were on the field at the end of the second half of extra time can take part in the shootout. Goalkeepers may participate in penalty shootouts.
Teams take penalty kicks alternatively. If a team takes an insurmountable lead during the first series of five kicks, it wins the match. If the teams are still tied after the five kicks, the "sudden death" phase of the penalty shootout commences. In sudden death, if a team scores in one of the rounds but the other one misses, the scoring team wins the shootout and the match. Sudden death continues until a winner is determined.
Teams cannot send a player to take a second penalty kick during a shootout until all their eligible players, including the goalkeeper, have taken at least one kick.
When was the Olympic gold medal in soccer decided by a penalty shootout?
The Canada women's national team won its first Olympic gold medal by defeating Sweden 3-2 in a penalty shootout in the final at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Summer Games. The match went to extra time after a 1-1 tie in regulation.
The Cameroon men won gold at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics with a shootout victory over Spain after the two clubs played to a 2-2 draw at the end of regulation in the final.
Check out the ESPN soccer hub page for the latest news, analysis, scores, schedules and more.