Definition of Away Goal Rule

What is the away goal rule in the game of soccer / football? What does it mean?

The away goal rule is used in soccer tournaments and it simply means that goals scored away from home are more heavily weighted than goals scored at home. The rule is implemented to determine the winner in tournament knockout rounds, when home and away matches are played. Two important tournaments where the away goal rule is used are the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.





A real life example would be a 2017/18 quarter-final Champions League tie between Barcelona and AS Roma. Barcelona won at home with the score of 4-1. In the second leg match at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Roma managed to put three unanswered goals past Lionel Messi and company to win the two-legged tie. The overall score was 4-4 (4-1 and 0-3), but Roma had one away goal and Barcelona had none. That was the difference. If the score in both games was 4-1 for the home team, the aggregate score would have been 5-5 and both teams would have had the away goal. In this case, to determine the winner, overtime would be played, followed by a penalty shootout if needed. The away goal rule in UEFA and FIFA tournaments applies in extra time also.

The away goal rule in soccer is important and it plays a part in determining the winner of a tournament two-legged tie fairly often. Some teams are notorious for seeking that away goal, only to quickly close up shop and play defensively for the remainder of the match once they obtain it.