The RFEF rules lay out the exact steps for deciding the league title
Every season, as the final rounds approach, fans raise the same questions. How is the La Liga champion determined if teams finish level on points? What happens with relegation, and who earns a spot in European competition when the standings are tight? The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has clear rules that cover all these scenarios. The regulations remove any doubt about how the competition is defined and how ties are resolved, ensuring a transparent process for clubs, officials, and supporters alike.
To consider
When two clubs end the League Championship tied on points, the champion is decided under Rule 201 (Rule 224 of the new edition awaiting approval by the Board of Directors of the CSD) of the General Rules. The tiebreakers are applied in a strict order and are exclusive, meaning each step is considered only if the previous one does not settle the result.
- 1. The larger goal difference in head-to-head matches between the tied clubs.
- 2. The larger goal difference in the overall competition, considering all goals scored and conceded.
- 3. The greater number of goals scored by the tied clubs across the season.
- 4. The better classification according to the fair play criteria for the tied teams.
- 5. A match played at a neutral venue designated by the RFEF, selected under the criteria set out in Article 202 (Article 225 of the new edition awaiting approval by the Board of Directors of the CSD) of the General Regulations.
What happens if more than two clubs finish with the same points?
If three or more clubs are level on points at the end of the League Championship, the tie is decided according to Rule 201 (Rule 224 of the new edition pending approval by the CSD Board of Directors) of the General Regulations. The following steps are applied in sequence and are exclusive in their application.
- 1. The best results in head-to-head matches among the tied clubs, treated as if the other teams were not in the competition.
- 2. The largest goal difference in head-to-head matches between the tied teams.
- 3. The greater overall goal difference in the season based on the total goals scored and conceded.
- 4. The higher number of goals scored by the tied teams during the season.
- 5. The better standing in the fair play criteria among the tied clubs.