Wagering on the beautiful game is enjoyed by many, yet a lack of knowledge regarding necessary football betting rules can often lead to confusion or, at worst, a loss of money. Our comprehensive guide aims to clear up this confusion, highlighting what happens in specific situations and determining whether your bet is a winner, unsettled, or void. By becoming armed with this knowledge, you will be able to bet with far greater confidence.
Fundamentals of Football Betting Rules
Understanding the foundational rules is the most sufficient way to upgrade your knowledge, moving from main markets to more complex concepts like how to bet on football transfers.
The Critical 90 Minutes Rule
A fundamental factor you must know before placing bets is the 90 Minutes Rule. This rule establishes a clear definition between a win achieved in normal time versus extra time.
- If you back a team to win in the traditional 1X2 market in a cup final, they must win within 90 minutes. Should the team secure victory in extra time, your bet is not considered a winning selection.
- This rule also applies to the Correct Score market; for a correct score bet to win, you must accurately predict the outcome within 90 minutes of play.
- However, if you select the option for a team to lift the trophy in a tournament final, this selection allows for a win after either extra time or penalties. If you simply back them to win (and they require extra time/penalties), your bet is lost.
Own Goal Betting Rules
Own goal betting rules frequently catch bettors out, especially in the first-scoring markets.
- Own goals are not considered part of the count when determining the first goalscorer. If an own goal is the opening goal of the game, the market will still remain open, meaning the subsequent goal scored by a player will be settled as the first goal for betting purposes.
- However, own goals do count in the over/under tally. For instance, if an own goal is one of two goals in an Under 2.5 bet, the bookmakers will consider the bet a winner.
- It is important to remember that bookmakers rely on official tournament statistics, which might lead to a delay in bets being correctly settled while an own goal is officially accepted.
Rules Governing Goal Scoring and Multiple Winners
Betting rules also apply to specific scoring markets and situations where multiple winners emerge.
Top Team Goalscorer and Golden Boot Awards
For tournament competitions, only goals scored in normal or extra time will be counted toward a player’s overall tally for awards such as the Golden Boot.
- Any goals scored during a penalty shootout are ignored for the Golden Boot award.
- In terms of league football, all goals that are scored are deemed legal.
- If a player transfers from one club to another, they remain eligible for the league-wide Golden Boot race (e.g., Premier League), but they would no longer be eligible for their former club’s top scorer market.
Dead Heat Rule
Similar to horse racing rules, the dead heat rule considers multiple options in a market as the winner, common in markets like the Golden Boot.
- If two players score the same number of goals, this situation is considered a dead heat, and winnings are paid accordingly.
- The winning odds will be split depending on the number of winners. For example, if two players share the Golden Boot, the odds paid out to you will be halved.
- If four players shared the award, as happened at the end of the 2010 World Cup, any bettors who selected one of the quartets received 1/4 of the initial odds.
In-Play Next Goalscorer
For the in-play next goalscorer market, which pays out on who will score the next goal, if the actual scorer was not available for betting, the market would be rolled over. If the next player who was available in the market then scores, and they were your selection, your bet is deemed a winning bet.
Betting Rules on Abandoned or Interrupted Matches
The betting rules on abandoned football matches can often be confusing.
- If a match is interrupted, the bet remains open and unsettled; only when the match is completed will the bet be settled. However, if the interruption goes on for more than 24 hours, the bet will be voided regardless of any final outcome.
- If your bet was already settled before the game was called off, your winnings are honoured and remain with you. For example, if you won a bet on the halftime market and the game was abandoned in the 64th minute, your winnings are kept.
- In accumulator bets, if one match is postponed or abandoned, the odds of that specific game are subsequently removed from the accumulator, and a new set of overall odds is offered.
- The Over/Under rule dictates that if an outcome is already decided when a game is abandoned, the bet is settled. If you backed Over 0.5 goals and the score was 1-1 at halftime when abandoned, the bet is settled in your favour. Conversely, if the required goal tally was not met (e.g., Over 2.5 goals at 2-1, abandoned in the 81st minute), the bet would be declared void.
Bet Settlement and Addressing Controversies
Bet settlement is arguably the most important aspect, as it determines if you win or not.
- Bookmakers settle bets using statistical feeds, often from the Press Association, which serve as the gold standard for match statistics. Without these statistics, betting rules could not be adhered to.
- If, for any reason, no statistics are available, the bet will remain unsettled until the information can be received.
- While rules are largely universal, some bookmakers may exploit them—for example, by classing a deflected goal in the first scorer market as an own goal. Bookmakers must use official stats and cannot settle markets any way they want. Rules thankfully allow for any contentious issues to be challenged.
- A crucial tip for bettors is to be wary of minor leagues that receive little media coverage, as these competitions are easier for unscrupulous bookmakers to exploit. Therefore, you should only use football bookmakers that you can trust.
Maximizing Confidence and Safety
Since rules play such an important part in football betting, it is incredibly important to be familiar with them.
- Bookmakers have the capacity to change the rules without informing a player, so you should regularly check for any updates. Failing to know the latest regulations could result in losing money.
- For those new to football betting, it is preferable to choose a well-known and respected sportsbook over an unverified bookmaker offering huge welcome bonuses, as you may otherwise be caught in a scam. Resources exist to help you find the most reliable online bookmakers and lists of safe betting sites.
Understanding these core rules acts like a referee’s handbook for your wagers; just as a referee relies on the rulebook to make consistent, fair decisions on the pitch, you rely on these betting regulations to ensure your wins are paid and to challenge unfair outcomes.