Trivia Puzzle.

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1. What is the theoretical maximum points a team can have to be relegated?
2. What is the theoretical minimum points a team can have to win the title?

These 2 questions apply to any normal Premier season, 38 matches. No teams have points deducted or any nonsense of that sort (ie not a trick question). Interestingly enough, 1 is greater than 2. It is theoretically possible for a team to win the title and be relegated the following season with exactly the same points total.

Now isn't that interesting?

(This is Interesting Fact number 746, taken from Jonno's Book of Interesting Facts, not available in all good, or indeed any, bookshops) :-)



-- Anonymous, December 19, 2001

Answers

fifty seven and thirty eight?

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2001

I think it's 57 & 38 too. But if everyone were equal, then how would you choose the three to get relegated? I suppose it's not inconceivable in practice for say the 3rd & 4th bottom teams to have the same points, GD, and G scored, so how would they then separate them - a play off or draw straws or what?

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2001

38 is correct, I think, for the minimum to win the title. All games are drawn, all have the same goal difference (zero) and the team which scored most goals is champion. But a team could be relegated with as many as 63. Suppose the bottom clubs both end up with only 3 pts (they beat each other once and lost to everyone else) and the other 18 teams all won half of their games (eg won all home games and lost all away.) All those 18 teams would have 63 points (6 off each of the bottom two plus 51 off the other 17. The team with the least goals would be relegated in 18th place with 63.

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2001

Didn't we have this discussion a few weeks ago?

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2001

My answer would have been 38 (all matches drawn so team which scores most wins the title) and 57. (All teams beat each other once).

But notenoughttodo comes up with an excellent answer there and so the correct answer is indeed 63 points for the team finishing 3rd bottom having scored less goals than everyone else and equal on points with the champions.

Jonno's book of interesting facts will now have to be revised. :-)

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2001


Bloody hell, 3 more wins and the title could be ours!! Didn't realise we were so close!!!

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

I answered this weks ago... correctly as well ;-)

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

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