Saturday, 5 Oct 2024

How Many Games Are Played in a Serie A Season?

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The Italian Serie A is a historic and exciting league, known for hosting some of the most successful teams in the world. With passionate supporters around the globe, Serie A has always had a massive following. In this article, we will delve into the details of this incredible league and explore how teams plan out their season.

The Number of Games in Serie A

Every team in Serie A plays the same number of league games. While top teams also participate in European competitions, this article will focus solely on domestic competitions. In Serie A, there are 38 games in a season. Each team faces every other team twice, once at home and once at their opponent’s home ground. These games take place over a 10-month period.

When Does the Serie A Season Start?

The Serie A season typically kicks off around the 20th of August. However, for the 2022-23 season, the league started a week earlier, on the 13th of August 2022. This adjustment was made to accommodate the Qatar World Cup, which will be played in November and December. To allow players to rest and fans to enjoy the holiday season, Serie A has historically had a winter break. For the 2022-23 season, teams will play until the 23rd of December and have a ten-day winter break before resuming the season.

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The Serie A Season Format

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With 20 teams competing in Serie A each season, each team plays every other team twice, once at home and once away. The fixtures for the upcoming season are released about a month before the season starts, giving teams ample time to prepare for away games. Fans eagerly anticipate the release of the fixtures, as they look forward to key games against rival teams.

Notable rivalries add even more excitement to Serie A matches. Derbies such as the Milan Derby (AC Milan vs. Inter Milan) and the Rome Derby (AS Roma vs. Lazio) are highly anticipated by fans. Each team plays 38 games per season, 19 at home and 19 away. While league fixtures are usually set, teams participating in European competitions may have their fixtures rescheduled to accommodate those matches.

At the end of the grueling 38-game season, the team sitting at the top of the league is awarded the Scudetto. This prestigious title is displayed by the winning team during the following season, and then it is passed on to the next champion. Winning the Scudetto is of great significance to Italian soccer fans.

The History of Serie A Seasons

Serie A has undergone various changes since its inception. The current format, with 20 teams competing, has been in place since 2004. However, prior to that, the number of teams participating in Serie A fluctuated. Initially, between 1929 and 1934, the league had 18 clubs. Then, from 1934 to 1943, the number dropped to 16. Due to the Second World War, the league was postponed until 1946. Since then, Serie A has alternated between 16, 18, and 20 teams until settling on the current 20-team format.

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One interesting season was 1947-1948 when 21 teams competed in Serie A. This unusual number was still manageable under the round-robin format.

Three Points for a Win

In Serie A, teams are awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. This system has been in place since the 1993-1994 season. Prior to that, teams received two points for a win and one point for a draw.

Playoff Games

In rare instances, Serie A teams may play more than the standard 38 games during a season. This occurs in the event of a tiebreaker. Tiebreakers happen when two teams have the same total points, results (wins, draws, and losses), head-to-head goal difference, and overall goal difference. In such cases, a neutral venue is chosen, and the teams face off to determine their final league positions. This tiebreaker is necessary because finishing higher in the league results in greater financial rewards for the teams.

Coppa Italia

The Coppa Italia is one of the oldest cup competitions in the world and has a unique format. Serie A teams enter the tournament in the round of 64. The bottom 12 teams from Serie A have the chance to play two additional Coppa Italia games before the remaining top eight teams from the previous season join the draw. If a team makes it to the final, they could end up playing a total of seven games in the competition, including the round of 64, the round of 32, the round of 16, a one-legged quarter-final, a two-legged semi-final, and the final. The top eight seeded teams, however, only enter the tournament at the round of 16, potentially playing just five Coppa Italia games.

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For Serie A teams, this means that the bottom 12 teams could play up to 45 games per season, while the top eight seeded teams may play 43 games.

Supercoppa Italiana

All Serie A teams have the opportunity to compete in the Supercoppa Italiana final. The two teams in the final are typically the winner of the previous season’s Serie A title and the winners of the previous season’s Coppa Italia. While some teams consistently compete for the league title, the Coppa Italia occasionally produces surprise winners. The Supercoppa Italiana is a single game per season that recognizes the achievements of the previous season’s winning teams.

Conclusion

Serie A is an outstanding league with a rich history that sets it apart from many other leagues around the world. Some of the greatest players to ever grace the sport have played in Serie A, and the league is currently experiencing a period of rejuvenation. Long may the success and excitement continue in this fantastic league!

FAQs

Stay tuned for FAQs, coming soon.

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