Football League Schedule: How It Works
Learn how a football league schedule is organized including matchdays, first and second rounds, early games, postponed matches, delays, and rescheduled fixtures.
## What is the schedule of a football championship
The schedule of a football championship sets when and against whom each team must play during the season.
It is organized into matchdays and includes all the games provided by the competition regulations.
## What does a matchday mean
A matchday represents a round of the competition.
On a matchday, usually all the teams play a match, although the games can be spread over different days and times.
## How are pairings created
The pairings are determined by the competition organizers according to technical and logistical criteria.
The goal is to allow all teams to face each other according to the tournament format.
## What is the first round (andata)
The first round is the first part of the season.
In a single group championship, each team progressively faces all the other participants.
## What is the second round (ritorno)
The second round is the second part of the season.
Teams face each other again, generally switching the home and away venues compared to the first round.
## Do the first and second rounds have to follow the same order?
Not necessarily.
Some competitions use a symmetrical schedule, while others may have a return round with a different order than the first.
It depends on the league system adopted.
## How many matches does a team play?
The number depends on the number of teams and the championship format.
In a double round-robin tournament, each team faces all the others twice: once at home and once away.
## How is the number of matches calculated?
In a championship with 20 teams and double encounter, each club faces 19 opponents twice.
This means a total of 38 matches for each team.
## What are early matches (anticipi)?
Early matches are games played before the main day scheduled for a matchday.
They can be scheduled for television, organizational, sporting, or calendar reasons.
## What are late matches (posticipi)?
Late matches are games played later than most games of the same matchday.
Again, the timings can depend on television needs, security, European cups, or other factors.
## Why don't all matches happen simultaneously?
Modern championships often spread matches over several days and time slots.
This allows better management of TV broadcasts, audience, security, and teams' commitments in other competitions.
## What happens if a match is postponed?
A match can be postponed for different reasons, such as weather conditions, security issues, or other exceptional circumstances.
In this case, a new date is set.
## What is a rescheduled match (recupero)?
A rescheduled match is a game played on a later date after a postponement.
Until the rescheduled match occurs, the two teams involved might have played one match less than the others.
## Why might a team have fewer matches played?
This can happen when a game has been postponed or when there are particular calendar needs.
For this reason, when reading the standings, it is important always to check the number of matches played.
## How do European cups affect scheduling?
Teams engaged in European competitions can have more complex schedules.
Leagues may move some matches to guarantee adequate time intervals between commitments.
## What is a midweek round?
A midweek round is a matchday played during the week, often between Tuesday and Thursday.
It is used to fit all the planned matchdays within the season.
## Are there breaks in the calendar?
Yes.
During the season, there may be breaks for national team matches, holidays, or other needs outlined in the official calendar.
## What are international breaks?
International breaks are periods during which championships can pause to allow called-up players to compete with their national teams.
## Can the schedule change after publication?
Yes.
Dates and times can be changed during the season for TV, security, overlaps with other competitions, or other organizational reasons.
## Why are some matchdays called 'spezzatino'?
This informal term refers to a matchday in which matches are spread across many time slots and several days.
It is a frequent situation in major modern championships.
## How to follow the schedule on Football17
On Football17 you can check scheduled matches, times, and results of available competitions.
The daily view allows quick checking of which games are scheduled and their status.
## Frequently asked questions
### What is a matchday?
It is a round in which the scheduled matches for that day are played.
### What is the first round (andata)?
It is the first part of the championship in which teams face progressively all participants.
### What is the second round (ritorno)?
It is the second part of the season where the same encounters are played again.
### What is a rescheduled match (recupero)?
A postponed match that is played on a later date.
### Why can match times change?
For TV, organizational, security needs, or due to other competitions.
### Is the schedule published at the season start final?
Not always. Dates and times can change during the year.