Two-legged tie
A two-legged tie is a knockout pairing played as two matches, one at each club's ground. The results of the two matches are combined, and the club with the better combined score advances.
Why it matters
It matters because it balances the knockout. Each club hosts one match, so neither gains the whole advantage of a home crowd, and the tie is decided over two performances rather than one.
Where it is used
It is used in the playoff and in every knockout round except the final. The two matches are added together, and the aggregate decides which club advances to the next stage of the competition.
How to read it
Read a two-legged tie as a test of consistency. A club must perform at home and away, and a single good match is not enough, so the tie rewards the side that is stronger across both legs.
What it means
a knockout pairing decided over a match at each club's ground
Two-legged tie is one of the working terms of the competition. This entry explains it as a mechanism that holds true from season to season, so it can be read on its own or alongside the other entries in the glossary of the tournament.
- A pairing of two matches.
- One match at each club's ground.
- The two results are combined.
- The better combined score advances.
- Used in every round except the final.
- A test of consistency across two legs.