GlossaryReading any table
Form (the W-D-L run)
Form is a team's recent results shown as a short string of letters — W for a win, D for a draw, L for a loss — usually the last five games, most recent last.
Form is a quick read on momentum rather than a season-long measure. A run like WWDWL means: won, won, drew, won, lost. It's a common column in tables and previews because it signals whether a team is trending up or down regardless of their overall position.
See it in the numbers
Open the spreadsheet and watch this appear in live scores and standings — disguised as work.
Related terms
How to read a league table
A league table ranks teams by points; the columns to its right show how those points were earned — games played, wins, draws, losses, goals for and against, and goal difference.
How points work (3-1-0)
In most football leagues a win is worth 3 points, a draw 1 and a loss 0; the team with the most points at the end of the season wins the title.
Head-to-head tie-breaker
A head-to-head tie-breaker settles level teams by looking only at the results of the matches they played against each other, rather than their overall records.
FT, HT, AET, ET, Pens
FT means full time (the match is over), HT half time, ET extra time, AET 'after extra time', and Pens a result decided on penalties.