Do all bookies have betting rules in football?
Although rules for betting on football are largely universal, some bookmakers have a habit of using them to their advantage. For example, if a player scores a deflected goal in the first scorer market, they may class it as an own goal.
Although this decision can be appealed, the process can be long and tedious, so bettors fail to go through with it. Bookmakers cannot settle markets any way they want, though; they must use official stats.
Another thing to be wary of is minor leagues that get little or no media coverage. These competitions are easier to exploit from a bookmaker’s point of view, as there are fewer grounds to challenge what may or may not have occurred. Therefore, you should only use bookmakers that you can trust.
Changes in Rules
It’s important to note that bookmakers can change their rules without informing the player. Therefore, it’s essential to check for any updates regularly. Ignoring updates can result in lost bets or missed opportunities.
Understanding the Fundamentals
When it comes to football betting rules, there are several crucial aspects that you need to consider. Here are some of the most important ones:
90 Minutes Rule
This rule states that a win in normal or extra time is defined by the betting in the 90-minute rule. For example, if you’ve backed Manchester City to win in a cup final against Liverpool, they must do so in 90 minutes. If the game goes into extra time, any bets placed on Man City to win in 90 minutes will be considered lost.
Own Goal Betting Rules
It’s important to understand the own goal betting rules, as they can catch bettors out, especially in first scoring markets. If an own goal is the opening goal of the game, the market will still be open since own goals are not counted as part of the official count. However, they do count in the over/under tally.
Additionally, bookmakers follow official tournament statistics, so it may take some time for an own goal to be accepted as an official outcome, leading to a delay in bets being settled correctly.
Dead Heat Rule: How It Works
In football betting, the dead heat rule comes into play when two or more options in a market have the same number of winning outcomes. For instance, in the Golden Boot award, if two players have the same number of goals, the odds will be split, and the payout will be halved accordingly.
In the 2010 World Cup, four players scored five goals each, resulting in any bettor who had selected one of them to receive only 1/4 of the initial odds. Knowing about the dead heat rule will help you make informed betting decisions, especially when betting on individual player markets.
Betting Rules on Abandoned Football Matches
Football matches can be abandoned for various reasons, such as adverse weather conditions, security issues, or technical faults. When such instances occur, the betting rules on abandoned matches come into play. If a match is abandoned before the completion of 90 minutes, the bet will be declared void, except for first scorer bets that have been settled.
However, if the match is completed the next day, the bet can be settled as normal. It’s worth noting that bookmakers keep bets open for 24 hours, giving you the option to declare it void or keep it open. Understanding the rules on abandoned matches can save you from losing your bets due to unforeseen circumstances.
Bet Settlement: The Deciding Factor
Bet settlement is the most crucial aspect of football betting. It determines whether you win or lose your bet. Bookmakers use statistical feeds from the Press Association to settle bets. These statistical feeds provide the gold standard in terms of match stats, which are used to settle individual markets.
If for any reason the statistics are unavailable, the bet remains unsettled until they become available. Understanding the bet settlement process is essential because it helps you make informed betting decisions based on reliable data.
Top Team Goalscorers: What You Need to Know
Another critical betting rule in football is the top team goalscorer market. In league competitions, all goals scored are considered legal. However, in tournament competitions, only goals scored in normal or extra time count towards a player’s overall tally.
Goals scored during a penalty shootout are ignored. Additionally, when a player transfers from one club to another, they remain eligible for the league’s top scorer market but not for their former club’s top scorer market. Knowing these rules will help you make better-informed betting decisions when betting on the top team goalscorer market.
