3rd league: What happens if there is a tie?

In the 3rd division it’s all or nothing this weekend, all questions regarding promotion and relegation are finally answered. But what happens if there is a tie?

There is only one matchday remaining in the 2022/23 third division season, round 38, which takes place on Saturday 27 May. All 20 teams are on duty at the same time at 1:30 p.m.

Only a few teams are still concerned on Saturday, the four relegated teams to the regional league have already been determined. SV Meppen, VfB Oldenburg, FSV Zwickau and SpVgg Bayreuth have to go down. There is nothing more to shake about.

At the other end of the table, however, there is still a lot at stake. With SV Elversberg, only one firm climber is known – the Saarlanders are impressively continuing their march through, which began in the regional league.

Which team will follow Elversberg in the 2nd Bundesliga will be decided at the weekend. In any case, several teams are arguing about the second division ticket at the same time. However, SC Freiburg II, second in the table, is not one of them, since reserve teams are not eligible for promotion, so the team behind moves up.

The third in the table – or in the current case the fourth in the table because of the Freiburg situation – can also be promoted via relegation. In this regard, you have to defeat the 16th of the 2nd Bundesliga after the first and second leg.

VfL Osnabrück, SV Wehen Wiesbaden, 1. FC Saarbrücken and Dynamo Dresden are still in the race for promotion or the relegation place with one lap to go. These are the clubs currently ranked third to sixth, with third just a point away from sixth.

That’s why the question of a potential equal number of points will be particularly interesting on Saturday. SPOX explains what happens in this case.

3rd league: What happens if there is a tie?

Unlike in many European countries, in Germany, if there is a tie, the goal difference is used to decide who has priority in the table. It’s the same in the 3rd division.

If the goal difference does not bring a decision either, the total number of goals scored in the season is used. If there is a tie again, the total result from the first and second leg is compared in a direct comparison, before the number of goals scored away is analyzed in a direct comparison, followed by the number of all goals scored away.

3rd league: The 38th matchday at a glance

Date	kick-off	home team	away team
Sat., 27.5.	1.30 p.m	SpVgg Bayreuth	Erzgebirge Aue
Sat., 27.5.	1.30 p.m	Dynamo Dresden	VfB Oldenburg
Sat., 27.5.	1.30 p.m	SV Waldhof Mannheim	MSV Duisburg
Sat., 27.5.	1.30 p.m	FSV Zwickau	TSV 1860 Munich
Sat., 27.5.	1.30 p.m	FC Ingolstadt	SV Elversburg
Sat., 27.5.	1.30 p.m	SV Wehen Wiesbaden	Hallescher FC
Sat., 27.5.	1.30 p.m	VfL Osnabrueck	Borussia Dortmund II
Sat., 27.5.	1.30 p.m	Red and white food	SC ext
Sat., 27.5.	1.30 p.m	1. FC Saarbrucken	FC Viktoria Cologne
Sat., 27.5.	1.30 p.m	SC Freiburg II	SV Meppen

3rd league: The table before the 38th matchday

Place	team	Sp.	S	u	N	Gates	differential	pt.
1	SV 07 Elversberg	37	21	8th	8th	78:39	39	71
2	SC Freiburg II	37	20	10	7	52:34	18	70
3	VfL Osnabrueck	37	20	7	10	68:48	20	67
4	SV Wehen Wiesbaden	37	20	7	10	70:51	19	67
5	1. FC Saarbrucken	37	19	9	9	62:38	24	66
6	Dynamo Dresden	37	19	9	9	63:43	20	66
7	Waldhof Mannheim	37	18	3	16	60:64	-4	57
8th	TSV 1860 Munich	37	16	8th	13	59:50	9	56
9	Victoria Cologne	37	14	13	10	57:51	6	55
10	SC ext	37	13	9	15	58:56	2	48
11	FC Ingolstadt 04	37	14	5	18	53:54	-1	47
12	MSV Duisburg	37	11	13	13	53:55	-2	46
13	Borussia Dortmund II	37	13	6	18	46:47	-1	45
14	Erzgebirge Aue	37	12	8th	17	46:59	-13	44
15	Hallescher FC	37	10	11	16	49:59	-10	41
16	Red and white food	37	9	14	14	41:54	-13	41
17	SV Meppen	37	8th	13	16	43:63	-20	37
18	VfB Oldenburg	37	9	8th	20	41:62	-21	35
19	FSV Zwickau	37	9	7	21	40:70	-30	34
20	SpVgg Bayreuth	37	9	4	24	36:78	-42	31