How Many Points Do You Need To Get Into The Play-Offs?

Another in the ‘How Many Points Do You Need To…?‘ series.

This time, what does it take to make the Play-offs?

Division One – 52 points

No Play-off places to play for in D1, of course, but there is the kudos (and a SMFA Shield qualification place) of a top ten finish.

No team has finished in the top ten without amassing at least 47 points like Porto did in Season 6.

Fenerbahce and Milan managed 3 more points between them in Seasons 1 and 2, and Juventus another two all by themselves in Season 5. Usually, though, 53 points is the minimum required to finish tenth.

Season

Div

Pos

Team

P

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

Pts

2	1	8		Arsenal	38	14	10	14	50	46	4	52
1	1	9		Chelsea	38	14	10	14	49	49	0	52
3	1	10		FC Porto	38	14	10	14	42	45	-3	52
2	1	9		Atlético Madrid	38	15	7	16	50	55	-5	52
7	1	10		Arsenal	38	16	4	18	52	61	-9	52
5	1	10		Juventus	38	13	12	13	52	48	4	51
7	1	11		FC Porto	38	13	12	13	38	37	1	51
5	1	11		FC Porto	38	13	12	13	48	50	-2	51
3	1	11		Paris Saint-Germain	38	15	6	17	61	71	-10	51

Division Two – 58 points

Not since Season 2 has a team achieved 58 points in D2 and not got into the promotion play-offs (positions 4 to 7 in the table) as a result.

But even 57 points should usually be enough (although even then it can come down to goal difference like last season).

62 points would guarantee it. 56 is usually not enough.

Season

Div

Pos

Team

P

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

Pts

6	2	4		Bayer Leverkusen	38	15	13	10	51	43	8	58
5	2	5		Bayer Leverkusen	38	17	7	14	52	44	8	58
4	2	6		Southampton	38	17	7	14	49	42	7	58
6	2	5		Genoa CFC	38	15	13	10	40	38	2	58
5	2	6		Sunderland	38	15	13	10	50	48	2	58
2	2	10		Tottenham Hotspur	38	15	12	11	54	42	12	57
6	2	6		FC Schalke 04	38	16	9	13	57	49	8	57
3	2	8		Spartak Moskva	38	16	9	13	51	45	6	57
7	2	6		Valencia CF	38	16	9	13	54	48	6	57
7	2	7		Internazionale	38	14	15	9	54	49	5	57
7	2	8		Genoa CFC	38	16	9	13	42	41	1	57
4	2	7		Ajax	38	14	14	10	61	46	15	56
6	2	7		Internazionale	38	15	11	12	48	37	11	56
3	2	9		Sevilla	38	15	11	12	54	47	7	56
6	2	8		Southampton	38	14	14	10	48	41	7	56
5	2	7		Genoa CFC	38	15	11	12	49	45	4	56
4	2	8		Genoa CFC	38	14	14	10	40	36	4	56
6	2	9		Sampdoria	38	14	14	10	49	45	4	56
4	2	9		ACF Fiorentina	38	16	8	14	55	54	1	56
6	2	10		Sporting CP	38	16	8	14	51	54	-3	56

Division Three – 57 points

Until last season, no team had failed to get into the D3 play-offs after securing 58 points or more, so both Lyon and Kyiv were unlucky to miss out last time.

Indeed, 57 points are usually enough to qualify, with only PSV in Season 2 missing out with that total.

Season

Div

Pos

Team

P

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

Pts

7	3	8		Olympique Lyonnais	38	15	14	9	52	41	11	59
3	3	7		Olympique Marseille	38	16	10	12	64	47	17	58
5	3	4		Lokomotiv Moskva	38	15	13	10	52	42	10	58
2	3	5		Olympique Marseille	38	14	16	8	44	39	5	58
7	3	9		Dynamo Kyiv	38	16	10	12	48	44	4	58
2	3	6		Leicester City	38	16	10	12	51	49	2	58
2	3	7		Shakhtar Donetsk	38	17	7	14	58	62	-4	58
2	3	8		PSV	38	16	9	13	48	36	12	57
1	3	6		Boca Juniors	38	17	6	15	58	48	10	57
5	3	5		AS Saint-Etienne	38	14	15	9	38	32	6	57
4	3	7		Sunderland	38	15	12	11	49	44	5	57
1	3	7		TSG 1899 Hoffenheim	38	17	6	15	62	67	-5	57

Division Four – 56 points

58 points guarantees a play-off place in D4, and 57 would usually do the same – but see Espanyol last time.

Realistically, even just 56 points ought to be enough.

Season

Div

Pos

Team

P

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

Pts

7	4	8		RCD Espanyol	38	15	12	11	52	46	6	57
5	4	6		AZ Alkmaar	38	14	14	10	72	59	13	56
2	4	7		Udinese Calcio	38	15	11	12	54	42	12	56
3	4	5		Feyenoord	38	13	17	8	50	42	8	56
3	4	6		VfB Stuttgart	38	15	11	12	49	43	6	56
1	4	8		1. FC Köln	38	16	8	14	52	48	4	56
7	4	9		Crystal Palace	38	15	11	12	46	45	1	56
3	4	7		West Ham United	38	15	11	12	40	40	0	56
4	4	7		Olympiacos	38	15	10	13	49	39	10	55
3	4	8		Sampdoria	38	14	13	11	48	39	9	55
5	4	7		Olympiacos	38	14	13	11	54	50	4	55

Division Five – 57 points

No team has got 57 points in D5 and failed to qualify for the play-offs.

56 points is unlikely to be enough, however. It’s really that close.

Season

Div

Pos

Team

P

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

Pts

7	5	6		Flamengo	38	17	8	13	45	44	1	59
3	5	4		Flamengo	38	15	13	10	49	36	13	58
1	5	5		River Plate	38	15	13	10	61	53	8	58
3	5	5		Club Brugge KV	38	15	13	10	41	37	4	58
4	5	7		Hertha BSC	38	16	9	13	66	54	12	57
3	5	6		Celtic	38	15	12	11	50	40	10	57
1	5	6		RSC Anderlecht	38	17	6	15	57	49	8	57
7	5	7		Werder Bremen	38	16	9	13	52	44	8	57
4	5	8		Levante UD	38	14	14	10	56	47	9	56
2	5	8		RSC Anderlecht	38	16	8	14	49	51	-2	56
1	5	7		Santos FC	38	15	11	12	63	67	-4	56