Women's World Cup: A guide to the knockout qualifications

If the knockout qualification algorithms for the ongoing FIFA Women's World Cup have you confused, here's a helpful guide. From how to resolve a tie to how the third-place teams qualify, here is how the Round-of-16 qualifications for the quadrennial event work.

Here is how the Round-of-16 qualifications for the quadrennial event work.

EQUAL POINTS

If two or more teams are on equal points at the end of the group fixtures, their rankings will be determined by the following in sequence:

STEP ONE:

- Most points obtained in all group stage matches of the tournament
- Best goal difference in the group stage
- Highest number of goals scored in the group stage

READ : Why final group-stage matches are played at the same time

STEP TWO:

After this process, if two or more teams in the same group find themselves with the same ranking, they will progress depending on:

- Highest points obtained in the group matches between the teams in question
- Team with the best goal difference among those in question
- Highest number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams in question
- Best conduct score (relating to the number of yellow and red cards earned)

In this sub-step, cards earned will affect the points as follows:

Yellow card earns a one-point deduction
- An indirect red card (two yellow cards) earns a three-point deduction
- A direct red card earns a four-point deduction
- Yellow card and a direct red card earns a five-point deduction

It is worth noting that only one of the above deductions can apply to a player in a single match. 

READ : Women's World Cup: Everything you need to know

STEP THREE:  One team will emerge the superior one after the first to steps, but in the unlikely scenario that two teams still find themselves on even ground after all these algorithms, FIFA will decide qualifying teams by drawing lots. 

THIRD-PLACE TEAMS QUALIFICATION

The four best teams among those ranked third will be determined as follows:

- Highest points obtained in the group stage
- Best goal difference from the group stage
- Most goals scored in the group stage
- Best conduct score with regard to yellow and red cards obtained.

A deadlock here will be resolved by a drawing of lots by FIFA.