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Last updated: Dec 15, 2022
Each team in a football league has a record of how well they have done that season, which keeps track of their wins, losses, and ties.Many people use this record to determine how well a team’s season is going, and the NFL uses these records to determine playoff seeding.
Table of Contents
- What is Win-LossRecord in Football?
- Win-Loss Record Format
- Importance of Win-Loss Records
- FAQ
Win-loss record is a measure of a team’s success throughout the regular season. It includes the number of wins, losses, and ties a team has throughout a season, ultimately determining whether or not a team makes the playoffs.In the NFL, the numbers in an individual team’s win-loss records will always total 17, as there are 17 regular season games played each year, which are played across 18 weeks, leaving a bye week for each team.
Win-Loss Record Format
In the NFL, win-loss records follow a specific order, which is:
- Number of Wins (followed by a hyphen)
- Number of Losses (followed by a hyphen if there is a tie)
- Number of Ties (not included if there are no ties)
Win-loss records are formatted with wins being indicated first, followed by a hyphen, and then followed by the number of losses. For example, 11 wins and 6 losses would be indicated as 11-6.If there are ties that need to be included in a team’s win-loss record, they are listed after the number of losses, with a hyphen between the number of losses and the number of ties (i.e. 12 wins, 4 losses, and 1 tie would be indicated as 12-4-1).
Importance of Win-Loss Records
Making the playoffs is all about having a solid win-loss record. While there are exceptions, NFL teams generally need to post a regular season win-loss record of at least 10-7 to have a realistic chance of making the playoffs.Moreover, teams that achieve well above the average win-loss record (i.e. 14-3) often qualify for a coveted “bye” in the playoffs, which means the team does not have to play in the first round of the playoffs, and automatically advances to the second round, providing them with a distinct advantage over their competition.
FAQ
What is the best win-loss record in NFL football?
Every team is ideally looking to go undefeated. In the NFL, 17-0 is the best possible win-loss record achievable in the regular season.While there are four teams that have gone undefeated and untied in the regular season, only one team has done it in the 16-game regular season era: the 2007 New England Patriots. Only time will tell if an NFL franchise can manage to go 17-0 in the new 17-game season format. The number of games per season will vary in other leagues, but the best possible win-loss record will match the number of wins and the number of games played.
What is the worst win-loss record in NFL football?
A dreaded feat for NFL fans and players alike, an 0-17 represents the worst possible record for an NFL franchise.An 0-17 record indicates that the team in question failed to win a single game all season, an utter failure in regard to any NFL franchise. In the previous 16-game season format only two teams managed to go an entire season without a single victory: the 2017 Cleveland Browns and the 2008 Detroit Lions.These particularly lackluster teams have gone down as two of the worst in the history of the NFL.
What does it mean to go .500 in terms of win-loss record?
To be “.500” in terms of a team’s overall win-loss record means that they have the same amount of wins and losses, thus having a .500, or 50%, win percentage.For example, a team that has “gone 500” on the season might have a record of 8-8-1 in the 17-game NFL season, or 6-6 in the 12-game college football season. Whether a team is satisfied with a .500 win percentage depends on the team, as some elite teams will see “going 500” as a defeat, while weaker teams may be elated to reach .500.
What is the order of a win loss record in football?
In football, win loss records feature a win-loss-tie order.This means that the first number from left to right will be the team’s win total, followed by their loss total, and lastly (if necessary) their tie total. If a team hasn’t finished a game in a tie, this last number will often not be included. In the win-loss-tie format, the three numbers are connected by hyphens.
