Football Guides

Short, practical explanations of the rules, competitions and numbers you see on a football scoreboard. Written by the EHScore team and reviewed when rules change.

• Competitions · 3 min read
  Europe's Top Five Football Leagues Compared
  Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 side by side: number of teams, season length, relegation rules, style of play and the winter break.
• Rules · 3 min read
  Extra Time, Penalty Shoot-outs and the End of Away Goals
  When football matches go to extra time, how a penalty shoot-out works step by step, and why UEFA scrapped the away goals rule.
• Tactics · 3 min read
  Football Formations Explained: 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2 and More
  What the numbers in football formations mean, the strengths and weaknesses of the most common systems, and how to read a lineup graphic.
• Statistics · 3 min read
  Football Match Statistics Explained: Possession, Shots, xG and More
  How to read football match stats such as possession, shots on target, expected goals (xG), corners and pass accuracy, and what they really tell you.
• Competitions · 3 min read
  How Football League Tables Work: Points, Goal Difference and Tiebreakers
  How league standings are calculated, what P, W, D, L, GD and Pts mean, and how the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga separate teams level on points.
• Basics · 3 min read
  How the Football Transfer Window Works: Fees, Loans, Free Agents and Release Clauses
  When the summer and January transfer windows open, how transfer fees and loans work, what a free transfer is, and the meaning of release and sell-on clauses.
• Basics · 3 min read
  How to Read Live Football Scores: FT, HT, AET, PEN and Every Status Code Explained
  What every abbreviation on a live football scoreboard means, from NS and HT to AET, PEN, PST and ABD, plus how stoppage time is shown.
• EHScore Help · 3 min read
  How to Use EHScore: A Complete Guide to Live Scores, Lineups and Standings
  A walkthrough of every EHScore feature: date tabs, live matches, match details, lineups, head-to-head, league tables, favourites, sharing and languages.
• Competitions · 3 min read
  The Champions League League Phase Format Explained
  How the 36-team UEFA Champions League works: the single league table, eight matches per club, the knockout play-off round and the road to the final.
• Rules · 3 min read
  The Handball Rule in Football Explained
  When touching the ball with the hand or arm is an offence, what "unnaturally bigger" means, accidental handball before a goal, and the goalkeeper exceptions.
• Rules · 3 min read
  The Offside Rule Explained Simply (With Examples)
  A clear explanation of football's offside rule: what an offside position is, when it becomes an offence, the exceptions, and how VAR checks it.
• Rules · 3 min read
  VAR Explained: When the Video Assistant Referee Can Step In
  What VAR can and cannot review, the "clear and obvious error" test, on-field reviews, and how a VAR check works step by step.
• Rules · 3 min read
  Yellow and Red Cards Explained: Offences, Suspensions and Accumulation
  Which fouls earn a yellow or red card, what happens after a sending-off, and how card accumulation leads to suspensions in league and cup football.